EXCLUSIVE — House Republicans on the Small Business Committee are inviting small businesses from their districts to a showcase on Wednesday in honor of National Small Business Week, an event that will both highlight the work of “our nation’s job creators” and the “horrible regulatory onslaught” on the community from the Biden administration.
As of Monday, 15 small businesses from 15 districts are coming to the showcase. The members hosting the districts are committee Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX) and Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), as well as Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), Mark Molinaro (R-NY), Brandon Williams (R-NY), Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), John James (R-MI), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Jim Banks (R-IN), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Nick LaLota (R-NY), and Dan Meuser (R-PA).
Among the local businesses whose employees are set to attend on Wednesday are a handmade chocolate shop in Oregon, a distillery in Montana, and a tech company and a sporting goods store from New York.
“Small businesses are the engines of the American economy and the backbone of our communities,” Williams said in an exclusive statement to the Washington Examiner. “National Small Business Week is a time to show the entire country the importance of Main Street.”
The committee’s goal for the showcase and the national week as a whole is to show thanks to small businesses and “ensure they receive the appreciation they deserve,” per the chairman’s office. The committee is also looking to highlight ways the Biden administration is making life for small business owners more difficult.
The American Action Forum, which tracks White House administrations on regulatory activity, found that the Biden administration issued 851 final rules that cost about $1.37 trillion, which amounts to 267 million more hours of paperwork.
“As a small business owner myself, I know all too well the many struggles small businesses face when trying to compete in the marketplace,” the chairman said. “It is my hope that this week and our Committee’s showcase will serve as an opportunity for more to learn about how invaluable Main Street is to our economy and our country.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) joined the committee in kicking off National Small Business Week with a post on X on Monday.
“Small businesses play a critical role in our economy and communities,” Johnson said. “House Republicans will continue to fight for them and the pro-growth policies that help them thrive.”
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The showcase comes as House GOP members on the Small Business Committee continue to call on the Biden administration to act more to protect small businesses. Williams recently led a letter accusing the Small Business Administration of failing to implement return to in-person work strategies and taking advantage of a privilege that small business owners do not have.
In February, the chairman sent his third letter to President Joe Biden calling on him to nominate a replacement for a long-vacant position that advocates on behalf of small-business owners. The SBA has been operating without the chief counsel for advocacy position for the last six years.
