Small business can't wait for healthcare reform: The commitment starts with the budget

The budget President Obama has presented to Congress includes the funding needed to ensure that comprehensive healthcare reform can start this year. Both the Senate and House budget resolutions contain a reserve fund to make this happen.

America urgently needs healthcare reform for many reasons not the least of which is to get the economy back on track. Small business creates 79% of net new jobs, and, historically, more during recessions. But when small business owners have to pay, on average, 18% more in healthcare premiums than large corporations, it's almost impossible to generate good jobs with security and benefits and to lead the country out of this economic crisis.

Healthcare costs are the No. 1 concern of small business owners across the country, and more than two thirds of small business owners believe that fixing the broken healthcare system is critical to the health of the nation's economy. Passing the budget now with a sufficient allocation for healthcare reform in 2009 is crucial we simply can't afford the cost of doing nothing.