Small Businesses Relieved as Senate Rejects the Ryan Budget Proposal

Senators stood up for America's 28 million small businesses today and defeated the Senate version of House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's proposed 2012 budget. This irresponsible measure that passed the House of Representatives last month would deny small businesses the financial support they need to stay ahead, jeopardizing our economic recovery and putting small business jobs in peril.

The budget proposal would remove small business tax credits from the Affordable Care Act and force small business owners expecting relief from costly health insurance to foot the bill. Small businesses fuel job growth, and when they have to spend more on health insurance they have fewer profits to expand and hire new employees. The proposal guts prevention programs, which will only lead to higher costs throughout the entire healthcare system, and it makes deep cuts in community health center funding that would put rural farmers and ranchers health at risk.

This budget would devastate the programs small business owners depend on. If lawmakers want to get serious about addressing our nation's fiscal crisis, they need to stop playing politics and come to the table with a real proposal that offers solutions to the challenges small businesses face. We applaud the Senate for rejecting the proposal and encourage members of Congress to bring forth a budget that helps small businesses succeed in this tough economy.