Washington, DC, January 25, 2007--NFIB President and CEO Todd Stottlemyer released the following statement in response to President Bush's State of the Union address:
"NFIB is gratified that President Bush has put forth significant proposals to alleviate the unfair burdens small-business owners and their employees contend with every day. We look forward to working with the new Congress and the administration to make sure that this is the beginning of the discussion and not the end.
"Dan Jones, who was one of first lady Laura Bush's guests of honor in the gallery at Tuesday's speech, is exactly the kind of hard-working small-business employee who is disadvantaged because of health-care policies that discriminate against small businesses. Dan and his boss, Missouri NFIB member Joe Balsarotti, struggle to afford health insurance under federal tax laws that favor large corporations. We are very encouraged by President Bush's proposal to provide small businesses and the self-insured the same tax incentives big corporations receive. This is a fundamental issue of fairness and a big step forward, and we urge the White House and the Congress to work together to allow small businesses equal opportunity to provide health insurance to their employees.
"With too many Americans not having health insurance and double-digit premium increases the norm for small businesses, health care remains our members' No. 1 concern. Small-business owners know firsthand the challenge of providing affordable health care for their employees. This is no abstract or academic issue, but a matter of survival. That's why NFIB members strongly support health savings accounts and allowing small businesses to pool their health-care costs across state lines, much like the government permits large corporations to do. We remain committed to working with the president and other supporters, both Democratic and Republican, for these common-sense proposals."
