by Abram Olmstead
Go to the Hill tomorrow and give ‘em hell! With typical enthusiasm and candor, U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue, initiated the second day of America’s Small Business Summit. While offering a brief overview of the Chamber’s efforts to represent small business interests relevant to issues of the day—i.e. health care, access to capital, financial regulatory reform, immigration, energy and environment, etc.—Donohue was careful to note that “Our recovery is going to come from the bottom up, not the top down...That’s why I’m not too worried about the long-term prospects for the economy.”
Donohue warned however, in the words of President Ford, “A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have.”
- We just passed a massive, expensive health care bill. Nobody knows what’s in it.
- Financial reform is moving through the Senate as we speak with major consequences for both Wall Street and Main Street.
- Sens. Lieberman and Kerry have introduced a climate change bill. It’s 1,000-pages long and we are reviewing it carefully. We need to determine how it will impact businesses and consumers, how much it will cost, and exactly how it would work.
- We have a tax extenders bill. We may be starting yet another debate on immigration reform. And the list goes on and on.
- All the while, politicians here in Washington are expanding the scope and reach of government and ringing up unsustainable deficits.
“When big companies and small companies come to Washington to lobby for lower taxes, they have their own interests in mind – they form a circular firing squad around the government, and they often end up shooting each other”, said Donohue.
We’re going to back to basics:
“The Chamber’s goal in building our free enterprise campaign is to bring you all together—to increase effectiveness—and achieve mutually beneficial reforms. We can all agree about the need for open capital markets, limited regulation, and the spirit of a dream—the ability to dream big! So far, we’ve had 300 meetings around the country to encourage young people to embrace an environment where these things can exist. There isn’t any free lunch in this business. This challenge will require hard work, a clear strategy, and an absolute vision for where we want to go.”
“We need to take a certain amount of risk to gain benefit. Free enterprise is the system that says you can fail—fall right on the floor—and get back up again, and again, and again.”
As the Chamber’s small business members prepare to descend on Capitol Hill tomorrow, Donohue heralded the appropriateness and urgency of their voice. “While you’re there, remind them that the best social welfare program is a good-paying job—and that you know a little bit about creating those!” said the Chamber’s President.
