Entrepreneurs from Across the Country Travel to DC to Talk Small Business at Capitol, White House

Washington DC, Sept. 11, 2013̢??‰۝Sixteen small business owners from across the country will travel to Washington, D.C. on Sept. 17, where they will spend several days speaking about small businesses̢??‰? needs with Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), administration officials and members of the Small Business Administration, among others.

The entrepreneurs are part of Small Business Majority̢??‰?s Network Council̢??‰۝business owners from various industries across the nation who volunteer their time and entrepreneurial expertise to educate policymakers and the media about the biggest issues facing small businesses today. This will be the 2nd annual Network Council Trip hosted by Small Business Majority. The group will spend three days in the Capitol discussing issues including healthcare reform, clean energy, taxes, access to capital, immigration reform and more.

On Thursday, Sept. 19, members of the Council will also participate in a tax and entrepreneurship panel co-hosted by The Hill Newspaper and Small Business Majority, with a keynote address given by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI). The panel will discuss key tax policies currently on the table and small businesses̢??‰? struggle to access capital.

̢???I hear politicians talk a lot about what small businesses need, and what will help us and what will hurt us. Unfortunately, they don̢??‰?t always have their facts straight. I̢??‰?m taking a few days off from my business to go to Washington to make sure the folks running our country know exactly what small business owners like me need to not only survive in this economy, but to grow,̢???? said Jarek Steele, owner of Left Bank Books in St. Louis, Mo. ̢???I plan on telling my representatives how important full implementation of the new healthcare law is, what I think about the various tax and budget proposals and what type of policies I̢??‰?d like to see coming out of Washington to help small businesses succeed.̢????

Steele and other members of Small Business Majority̢??‰?s network council will also meet with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Bill Corr and others as time and schedules permit.

Small business owners will be traveling from 15 states, including: California, Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia. Follow the group on Twitter at @SmlBizMajority #SBVoices from Sept. 17-19, 2013.