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NASE Urges House To Take Quick Action For America's Smallest Businesses

Washington, D.C., September 22, 2010 – As the House returns to take up the Small Business Jobs Act this week, Kristie Arslan, Executive Director of the Legislative Offices of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), released the following statement urging quick action:

“The House needs to act now to help Main Street,” said Kristie Arslan, executive director of the NASE. “One of the provisions in the Small Business Jobs Act addresses a key component for the self-employed, which the health care reform law failed to do. It will finally allow the self-employed, though only for one year, to write off their health costs as a business expense, just like big business can.”

Earlier this week, Roll Call published an op-ed by Kristie Arslan, where she urged the House to take swift action in sending the legislation to the President. The Small Business Jobs Act will provide much needed relief for many small businesses, including the three American’s below:

Kimberly Gladis
CorePerformX Advisory Group
Gaithersburg, MD

“As I contemplated leaving a 15 year career in the corporate environment, one of the scariest and riskiest barriers to my departure was securing individual health care coverage.  As a single mother of a 4 year old, I was concerned with finding a good quality plan that was also affordable.  As a newly-formed LLC, I am very excited to see Congress focusing on small business, which I believe is the heart of the American economy.  I believe that if Congress was able to lower the small business health care hurdle, we could anticipate more small business start ups in the future.”

Alex Echols
Terra Altus, a conservation consulting firm
Alexandria, VA

“It is time we put the tax treatment of health insurance for the self employed on equal footing with the tax treatment of health insurance for those employed by others.  Why do we penalize those willing to take a risk and create a new business and jobs?  Why should their families be put at risk?  The "level playing field" is one of the clichés of this town – let’s level the playing field for those creating jobs and paying the full insurance costs out of their own pocket.”

Omar Uddin
UVision Consulting, Business Technology Consultancy
Ashburn, VA
http://www.uvisionconsulting.com

“Having been a sole proprietor and entrepreneur over the past 10 years, the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act and other legislation of its kind focusing on the challenges existing for entrepreneurs and small business owners is what America needs to bounce back from a potential double dip recession. A sole proprietor's health costs should definitely be deductible and this act, if passed, will surely impact the way I and other business owners grow our business, especially with the ever rising cost of health care across our country.”