Congressional Republicans Object To Obama’s Small Business Initiatives, Health Care Reform Plan

By Ravi Bhatia-Talk Radio News Service

A number of Republican Congressmen and small business owners joined at the Capitol Thursday to object to President Barack Obama’s recently announced small business lending initiatives, the Health Care Reform Act, and their potentially negative impact on small businesses.

“Yesterday, the President’s small business announcement did not convince me that he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to helping small businesses,” said Rep. Sam Graves (R-Miss.), ranking member of the House Small Business Committee. “Small firms right now are struggling to find capital to provide health care for their employees and they’re struggling to grow their businesses. But nothing in the president’s announcement [could] incentivize banks to make loans to small businesses.”

Kathie Viesie, who owns a True Value Hardware store in Wilmington, Delaware, suggested that the Democrats’ health care plan does not promote competition.

“If H.R 3200 were to go into effect, we would have to make adjustments to our work force, which would do irreparable damage to our business,” she said. “We ask that Congress consider the effects on small business. We need more choices of plans and options and we need greater competition in the marketplace.”