Health

By Diana Furchtgott-Roth; RealClearMarkets Low-skilled workers have some of the highest unemployment rates in America. Adults without high school diplomas face an unemployment rate of 14.5%, almost three times as high as rates for college graduates, and well above the national average of 9.7%. The unemployment rate for teens, another low-skill group, is 26%. Reasonable people likely presume that C... Read more »

By Neil deMause; CNN Money An all-but-overlooked provision of the health reform law is threatening to swamp U.S. businesses with a flood of new tax paperwork. Section 9006 of the health care bill -- just a few lines buried in the 2,409-page document -- mandates that beginning in 2012 all companies will have to issue 1099 tax forms not just to contract workers but to any individual or corporation f... Read more »

During his State of the Union Address in January, President Barack Obama promised the American people that jobs would be his number one focus in 2010. His Administration pledged that the agenda in Washington would “pivot” to address high unemployment and help the stagnant economy. However, instead of making good on his promise, the President spent the first quarter of the year doubling-down on unp... Read more »

In these difficult economic times, our government needs to take every step to make sure small businesses can thrive. These employers have created seven out of every ten jobs in recent decades, and with unemployment still hovering around ten percent, it is clear that small businesses will play a critical role in stabilizing our economy. However, instead of encouraging job creation and helping small... Read more »

Tonight, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi forced passage of a massive government takeover of health care on a purely partisan vote. House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) joined 177 Republicans and 34 Democrats in voting against this job-killing plan to put the government between doctors and patients. “After more than a year of debate on the right way to improve our health care ... Read more »

Today, President Obama will travel to St. Louis in a last ditch effort to convince Missourians to support a costly government takeover of health care. House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) issued the following statement: “Despite their pledge to the American people that jobs would be the number one focus in 2010, the President and Majority Leaders are continuing their ant... Read more »

Today, Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee Sam Graves (R-MO) and House Small Business Committee Member Glenn Thompson (R-PA) sent a letter to Chairman George Miller (D-CA) and Ranking Member John Kline (R-MN) of the Education and Labor Committee expressing their concerns about mandating paid leave for H1N1. The Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow to discuss ... Read more »

This evening, H.R. 3962, Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill, passed by a vote of 220 to 215. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, one-third of the total estimated cost of the bill will be paid for by increasing taxes on businesses. Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) of the House Small Business Committee offered an amendment to strike the employer mandate on businesses, yet the amendment was... Read more »

Dear Colleague: Below are some additional important considerations to take into account when deciding your vote for or against the anti-small business provisions contained in H.R. 3962. 5.5 Million Jobs Lost in the Worst Economy in Generations: Not only will H.R. 3962 increase health insurance premiums for small businesses and their workers, but it imposes more than $136 billion in taxes on busin... Read more »

By Grace-Marie Turner, New York Post Small businesses have the highest hopes for health reform, but they'd be big losers under the bills Congress is debating. For more than 20 years, small-business owners have listed health costs as their No. 1 concern. But leading "reform" bills would make things worse -- ballooning expenses for firms that now offer insurance and slamming companies that can't aff... Read more »