Lawmakers̢??? Delay Tactics around EPA Nominee Exemplify Small Business Frustrations with Congress
Statement by John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority, in response to some lawmakers̢??? decision to boycott Thursday̢???s Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing
A group of lawmakers̢??? decision to boycott Thursday̢???s Senate hearing on Gina McCarthy, the president̢???s nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, is exactly the kind of behavior entrepreneurs say they don̢???t want to see from their representatives, according to a scientific opinion poll released Wednesday.
Small Business Majority̢???s poll found 68 percent of small business owners believe Congress is doing a poor job confirming presidential nominees and more than half think nominees deserve timely up or down votes from senators. What̢???s more, entrepreneurs approve of the EPA regulating carbon emissions and support McCarthy to lead the agency after learning of her qualifications.
When Congress holds up the confirmation process for presidential nominees, it hinders the ability of agencies like the EPA to function properly and do critical work that benefits small businesses, consumers and the economy. The small business community has spoken: lawmakers need to stop playing politics and do what they were sent to Washington to do.
<p><strong>About Small Business Majority</strong><br />
Small Business Majority is a national small business advocacy organization, founded and run by small business owners to focus on solving the biggest problems facing America's 28 million small businesses today. Since 2005, we have actively engaged small business owners and policymakers in support of public policy solutions, and have delivered information and resources to entrepreneurs that promote small business growth and drive a strong, sustainable economy. We are a team of more than 30 working from our 11 offices in Washington, D.C. and 9 states, with a network of more than 45,000 small business owners and more than 2,000 business organizations, along with a formal strategic partnership program of more than 125 business organizations, enabling us to reach more than 500,000 entrepreneurs. Our extensive scientific polling, focus groups and economic research help us educate and inform policymakers, the media and other stakeholders about issues including taxes, healthcare, access to capital, entrepreneurship, workforce development, clean energy and immigration. Learn more about us on our website and follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/SBM_Media" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessMajority" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://instagram.com/smlbizmajority/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</p>