A U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce proposal that would cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid threatens health insurance coverage for small business owners and their employees. We’re also concerned about a committee proposal that would implement stricter eligibility and income verification processes for ACA Marketplace enrollment. If these proposals become law, along with the expiration of premium tax credits that help make coverage purchased through the ACA Marketplace more affordable, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that nearly 14 million people would lose their health insurance.
Standing up for small business in uncertain times
Programs that support small businesses and empower their economic growth are at risk. In recent months, we have witnessed serious threats to a number of government agencies and programs, including a mass reduction in Small Business Administration (SBA) staff and funding freezes across the government. And, more is likely to come. Also at risk is the Minority Business Development Agency, CDFI Fund and the State Small Business Credit Initiative, as well as other government programs that provide capital, business services, procurement support and disaster relief to support small businesses. These cuts, along with widespread tariffs, mass deportations of immigrants and possible cuts to Medicaid, threaten to undo the historic growth in new small business ownership we’ve seen in recent years.
In response, Small Business Majority has built the Small Business Rapid Response Coalition to communicate the impact of these policies on our nation’s small businesses. The coalition, which consists of more than 170 and counting local, state and national organizations, is amplifying the voices of small business owners and trusted business support organizations, and engaging with policymakers to demonstrate the real-world impact of these proposed cuts and policies.
Small Business Majority is also conducting research to understand how federal actions are impacting our nation’s entrepreneurs, and communicating these impacts to the White House, Capitol Hill and the media.
Letters, Press Statements and Testimony
Press release
Monday, May 12, 2025
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
On May 6, Small Business Majority and 20 state and national organizations representing small business interests sent a letter to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, urging members to reject Medicaid cuts that would make it more difficult and costly for millions of small business owners and their employees to access affordable healthcare. The letter was sent ahead of the Committee’s reconciliation markup, where members will outline roughly $880 billion in spending cuts, including significant and harmful cuts to Medicaid.
Press release
Monday, May 5, 2025
It’s both disappointing and disturbing that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is now undermining a rule finalized earlier this year that prohibits medical debt from appearing on an individual’s credit report. Ending this rule would harm entrepreneurs by making it even more difficult for them to borrow money for their businesses.
Press release
Friday, May 2, 2025
President Trump’s FY 2026 discretionary budget request proposes drastic cuts to critical small business support programs at half a dozen federal agencies.
Press release
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Washington, D.C.— Small business owners are strongly opposed to DOGE efforts to slash federal government resources, and are particularly alarmed by Trump administration reductions to U.S. Small Business Administration programs, according to a recent survey.
Press release
Monday, April 28, 2025
We strongly urge the U.S. Senate to pass bipartisan legislation that would repeal sweeping tariffs on virtually all imports. We fear that without immediate congressional intervention, the president’s tariffs would devastate small businesses. In fact, we’ve already heard from small business owners who said that the tariffs on Chinese imports in particular are so high that they will likely have to close their businesses if those tariffs are not lifted soon.
Press release
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
It has become clear that the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), the only federal agency dedicated to supporting minority entrepreneurship, effectively no longer exists. We mourn this loss. Where the agency once had upward of 100 employees, MBDA now has no more than one politically appointed staffer remaining. As for the state-level business development centers supported by MBDA funds, their federally funded work has stopped and their federal contracts have been or will soon be terminated. The sudden and ruthless halting of MBDA operations happened because the Trump administration is using DEI as an excuse to eliminate any and all government programs that help level the playing field.
Monday, April 14, 2025
On April 14, Small Business Majority, joined by nearly 20 business organizations nationwide, sent a letter to the administration expressing concerns about the SBA’s recent decision to cut its workforce by 43%, which represents roughly 2,700 employees nationwide.
Thursday, April 3, 2025
On April 3, Small Business Majority sent a letter to Senate leadership in opposition to the budget framework released this week which keeps trillions of dollars in spending cuts on the table and provides for more than $5 trillion in tax cuts that will largely benefit wealthy individuals and large corporations at the expense of small businesses.
Press release
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Far from a ‘Liberation Day’ today for small businesses, President Trump’s latest announcement that there will be new tariffs – including 10% on all imports – could spell doom for many small firms. We’ve heard from small business owners who said that any cost increases can be devastating for businesses already operating on thin margins. And widespread tariffs of the type the president just announced will mean most small businesses have no choice but to pass their costs on to customers. Larger businesses, however, are more likely to have flexibility to absorb increased overhead, keeping prices lower and undercutting their smaller competition.
