NASE Congratulates New Leadership of Senate Small Business Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 15, 2025
CONTACT: Kristofer Eisenla, LUNA+EISENLA
National Association for the Self Employed Encourages Both Senators Ernst and Markey to Support Tax Equity, Affordable Health Care, and Expanded Access to Capital for Nation’s Record-Breaking Small Business Community
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the 119th U.S. Congress kicks-off, Keith Hall, president and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the nation’s leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-business community, today congratulated the new leadership of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Chair Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Ranking Member Edward Markey (D-MA).
“The nation’s smallest employers congratulate the new leadership of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Chair Joni Ernst of Iowa and Ranking Member Edward Markey of Massachusetts. With a record-shattering number of over 19 million new small businesses applications opened over the last few years, we look forward to working with them to continue to grow and strengthen our community,” said Keith Hall, president and CEO of National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the nation's leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses. “Our agenda is designed to not only support the journey of self-employment, but also to ensure the long-term success of new and existing small businesses. From helping entrepreneurs access capital to invest and build their small business to streamlining the tax system so they get a fair shake, to ensuring they can access affordable health care and investing in creative retirement options, we are committed to working with all political stripes to support our community.”
These are bipartisan policies where Congress and the Administration can work together to support this critical part of our nation’s economy. As the record-breaking pace of new small businesses of over 19 million new small business applications over the last three years, our association is ready to work with both Congress and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure our members and the entire community has the support they need to start, grow and invest in their small business.
The following areas are where the new Administration and Congress can work together for the American small business community:
- Ensuring Tax Equity & Simplifying the Tax Code: Working together to simplify the tax code by expanding the concept of standard deductions, which would free up valuable time and lead directly to new jobs, while ensuring the self-employed and solo entrepreneurs are on the same level playing field as their corporate counterparts.
- Offering Increased Access to Affordable Health Care: Working together to assess how best to facilitate the purchase of health insurance for small businesses, which could include changes to the Affordable Care Act by making access to health care more affordable for small business owners, while identifying additional options to gain coverage, or to ensure continuity of coverage.
- Opening New Access to Capital: Working together by focusing on how to increase and open new lines of capital, making sure the process is easy to apply for and that small businesses receive the money in a timely manner to maintain business operations.
- Investing in Creative Retirement Options: Recognizing together that many small businesses don’t have the same retirement benefits and opportunities as large corporations, while exploring and implementing creative retirement options for small businesses so that all Americans can retire with dignity regardless of job, status, or employment structure.
“Along with SBA Administrator-designate Kelly Loeffler, we stand ready to work together on a bipartisan basis to advocate for the policies that will ensure our community continues to grow and thrive.
NASE advocates and gives voice to America’s smallest employers, the self-employed and micro-businesses, before our elected leaders in Washington. In addition, NASE serves as a critical resource for new and existing small businesses in their operations. Specifically, NASE offers a robust Growth Grant program – sponsored by AARP, DELL Small Business, and Payanywhere – to Ask The Experts business and tax advice and the NASE Minute video with free business advice online to both members and the public. To help new and existing business owners with the estimating the costs of business ownership, the NASE also offers a series of financial calculators for budgeting and financial analysis. The association’s goal is to support the small business community to help them to grow and thrive.
Hall was also part of the joint Winter 2024 small business campaign by MediaPlanet and USA Today both in print and online, featured in a Q&A, “Tools and Resources for the New Wave of Small Business Owners.” In the feature, Hall offers his thoughts about the record-setting growth of small businesses while highlighting essential policies, tools, and resources to support the journey into self-employment.
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The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, offering a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy.
The NASE NextBizThing helps identify and connect our nation’s smallest businesses. Need small business help? Check out NASE’s Ask the Experts for advice or the NASE Minute for small business support. To help new and existing business owners with the costs of business ownership, the NASE also offers a series of financial calculators for budgeting and financial analysis.
The NASE is a 501(c) (6) nonprofit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit the association's website at NASE.org