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NASE Calls for President Trump to Convene White House Conference on Small Business (WHCSB)
In a letter to President Trump, NASE along with hundreds of small business organizations, called on the Administration to issue an Executive Order authorizing the next White House Conference on Small Business (WHCSB) which has not been held since 1995.
The WHCSB was a series of three conferences that occurred in 1980, 1986, and 1995. They were convened by Presidents Jimmy Carter, Reagan, and Clinton, in an effort to foster better relationships with the business community, Congress and the White House to develop innovative policy solutions to economic problems.
The three Conferences issued 60 policy recommendations for Congress and the Administration to consider. A critical piece to the success of the WHCSB is the utilization of state conferences to ensure broad and equitable representation of the very diverse small-business community. Through the state conferences, which feed into the regional conferences and then into the national conference, small business owners can develop, enhance and fully embrace the key issues facing small businesses nationwide. In addition to building consensus, growing small business networks and nurturing future small business leaders, the state conferences and broad participation of small businesses lend credibility to addressing issues and the final list of recommendations.
Given that America’s small businesses which account for 99% of U.S. private sector employers and 64% of net new private sector jobs, we believe convening a WHCSB is crucial to our continued economic growth and success. We look forward to working with our fellow small business organizations to see the conference happen in 2019.