Small Business Council Thumbs Down Health Care Bill

While members of Congress are euphoric over the passage of a trillion dollar health care bill, members of the small business community are expressing their disapproval. The bill, which was approved by Congress and signed by the president, marking what some hope will be the end of year long discussion on health care reform.

Opposition Mounts

Lest members of Congress further misread the will of the American people—the vast majority of the citizenry remains opposed what Rep. Nancy Pelosi and her team accomplished—they may want to view closely the opposition building across the political spectrum to change if not outright repeal this legislation.

In a prepared statement issued on Monday, Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) issued the following regarding passage of the health care bill:

"The health care bill that President Obama will sign into law is not one that will help small businesses. Supporters of the bill, including the President himself, erroneously claim that small businesses will be helped by the legislation. Such statements are pure fantasy.

"The legislation will burden small business owners with crushing taxes and costs. It will not lower the cost of health coverage. It will kill jobs. It imposes a new mandate on the self-employed to purchase government-approved coverage whether they can afford to or not. Alongside its costly employer mandates and new regulatory burdens, it is fiscally irresponsible. Small business owners got tiny scraps from this legislation, which in no way make up for the crushing taxes and burdens they will face if the bill is fully implemented.

"Small business owners will be looking for political leadership and opportunities to rescind the legislation's harmful measures. We look forward to working with our small business allies in efforts to reverse this massive legislative mistake while moving forward with the common sense reforms that entrepreneurs have long advocated."

Business Advocacy

The SBE carries considerable weight, an 80,000-member nonpartisan advocacy organization who describes itself as "dedicated to protecting small business and promoting entrepreneurship."