• Vice President Swears In New Chair of the National Women's Business Council

• Small Business Tax-cut Markup Postponed

• Finding Local Micro-Business Assistance

• Legislative Update: Medical Malpractice, the Estate Tax and
  Iraq Resolution

• Social Security Commission Hearing Scheduled

Vice President Swears In New Chair of the National Women's
Business Council

Last week, the NASE was at the White House when Vice President Dick Cheney gave the oath of office to Marilyn Clark Nelson, the new chair of the National Women's Business Council (NWBC).

Nelson, Chairman and chief executive officer of the Carlson Companies, will serve as the NWBC's chief adviser to the President, the Small Business Administration, Congress and the Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise regarding economic issues, policies and programs that encourage women business ventures.

"Under Marilyn's leadership," said Vice President Cheney, "the council will continue to be a source of common sense, practical advice."

The NWBC was established in 1988 to serve as an independent source of advice and counsel on important issues for women business owners and the effectiveness of programs and policies designed to support women-owned businesses.

Surrounded by family, friends and representatives of various women and small-business organizations, Nelson said, "I am thrilled to be chosen to lead the National Women's Business Council. Helping women establish and grow their businesses throughout the country is an opportunity that is immensely important to me, personally and professionally."
 

Small Business Tax-cut Markup Postponed

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) postponed the scheduled markup of a small-business tax package last week. Republican committee members had offered over 70 amendments to Baucus' proposed package, including provisions to make the estate tax repeal permanent, striking major portions of the bill and providing tax breaks for favored industries.

Republicans usually favor tax cut legislation. However, they feared the package could be used as a possible vehicle for legislation by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) that would increase in the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $6.65 by January 1, 2004 (S. 2538). Republicans do not support a minimum wage increase.

The bill may include an increase in Section 179 expensing for small businesses, as well as a broadband Internet tax credit and relief for farmers. The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) strongly supports the provision increasing Section 179 expensing for small-business owners. Business equipment is essential to the start up and continued efficiency and success of a small business.

Baucus said the committee would probably meet next week for markup, after working through the amendments.
 

Finding Local Micro-Business Assistance

This week's representatives from the NASE are in Nashville, Tenn. meeting with Small Business Development Center (SBDC) counselors at the SBDC annual conference. Did you know about the valuable resources from your local SBDC office that are available to you as a micro-business owner?

In partnership with the Small Business Administration, the SBDC program was designed to offer nationwide educational assistance to entrepreneurs and micro-business owners. With over 1,000 service locations -- called "Lead Centers" -- in the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa, SBDC counselors are uniquely poised to help entrepreneurs start, grow and sustain their businesses. The program provides a broad array of management and technical assistance services to existing small-business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, all free of charge.

NASE Members who own existing businesses can look to SBDC counselors to assist them with marketing issues, finance and accounting issues, intellectual property, inventory control or personnel management issues. In addition, SBDC counselors can offer help with establishing an Internet presence or developing a loan package.

Visit www.asbdc-us.org to learn more about Small Business Development Centers, and to find a Lead Center near you. Also be on the look out for the November/December issue of Self-Employed America. Kristie Darien, NASE government affairs director, will be interviewing Don Wilson, president of the Association of Small Business Development Centers.
 

Legislative Update: Medical Malpractice, the Estate Tax and
Iraq Resolution

The NASE has covered these legislative priorities in past editions of Washington Watch. Below is an update on the status of these issues.

Estate Tax: Last week the Republican-backed House of Representatives passed a "sense of the House that Congress should complete action" resolution (H. Res. 524) urging Senate Democrats to pass permanent repeal of the estate tax (H.R. 8). The resolution has no binding authority, but was used as part of a campaign to focus attention on the issue and the failure of the Senate to pass permanent repeal. The House passed H.R. 8 on April 12 of this year.

Republican Senators also want to add permanent repeal to a Democratic proposed package of tax cuts (see "Small Business Tax-cut Markup Postponed," above), but the bill markup on that package was delayed.

Medical Malpractice: Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed H.R. 4600, which would limit damage awards and trial lawyers' fees in medical malpractice lawsuits and supersede patients' rights laws that set higher liability caps. The bill, entitled the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2002, was sponsored by Rep. James Greenwood (R-PA). The House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 4600 in July, and it is expected to reach the floor next week.

The American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) released a study in April 2002 that cited "litigation and risk management" costs were responsible for 7 percent, or $5 billion, of the total increase in health insurance premiums from 2001 to 2002. The goal of this legislation is to minimize liability costs, which ultimately get passed on to consumers in the form of higher insurance premiums.

In the Senate, Senator John Ensign (R-NV) has introduced an identical bill, S. 2793. The Senate is not expected to debate this legislation.

Iraq: House and Senate negotiators hope to complete a resolution authorizing U.S. force against Iraq by Thursday, sending the draft to committees for mark-up this week and clearing the way for a floor vote in both chambers next week. The White House proposed its own version of a resolution on Sept. 19, which would have given President Bush broad powers to use "all means necessary" to enforce United Nations resolutions and defend against Iraqi threats. Congressional leadership says they want to draft a bipartisan resolution that addresses Democrats concerns of vague language while still giving the administration the authority Republicans support.
 

Social Security Commission Hearing Scheduled

Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) of the Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a hearing on the final report produced by President Bush's Commission to Strengthen Social Security for early October. The report recommends three ways to overhaul the entitlement program, all of which include allowing Americans to divert some of their Social Security contributions to private investment accounts. The report was released last December.

Washington Watch will continue to follow the hearing and the important social security issue.
 

Do any of these issues affect you? Do you want to be proactive in helping the micro-business community? Visit the NASE's Legislative Action Center and “Tell Your Small Business Story.” This will help the NASE understand - on a personal level - how key legislative issues are affecting your business and your bottom line.

For more information about any of the articles in Washington Watch, contact Maureen Petron, NASE public affairs manager, at (202) 466-2100 or mpetron@nase.org.