On June 30, Small Business Majority submitted a statement for the record in response to a U.S.
Research by University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs graduate students Janet Perez Shensky, John Paul, Andre Cowan and Stephanie Mora, advised by Professor Dilawar Syed, examines how the 2025 U.S. tariff regime affected small businesses in California, Georgia, Illinois and Colorado. Using trade, employment and SBA lending data, the report finds that tariffs and policy uncertainty disproportionately burden small firms, particularly in the agriculture, manufacturing and retail sectors, limiting their ability to invest, hire and grow.
On May 4, Small Business Majority sent a letter to congressional leadership outlining how rising costs and economic headwinds, including fluctuating tariff rates and the war abroad, are stifling small businesses across the nation. Sent at the start of National Small Business Week, the letter urges lawmakers to address the challenges facing small firms today by prioritizing policies that lower costs and level the playing field.
Over the past several months, Small Business Majority hosted five roundtable discussions with nearly 50 small business owners in Cortland, Long Island, Queens and Manhattan focusing on many of the biggest challenges small businesses are facing today, including rising healthcare costs, unpredictable tariffs, rising inflation and unaffordable living, difficulty accessing capital, workforce shortages and childcare access. The entrepreneurs also shared how running a business in 2026 can require mental and physical sacrifice as these challenges continue to escalate.
Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer sent a letter to President Trump outlining the state of small businesses ahead of the State of the Union address. The letter examines the stark reality facing Main Street: the dual pressures of skyrocketing healthcare costs and the direct consequences of sweeping tariffs and escalating immigration enforcement have made it increasingly difficult for small businesses to sustain and grow their operations. To provide immediate relief to Main Street, Mr. Arensmeyer urged the administration to adopt small business-friendly policies, which include ending sweeping tariffs, renewing expired healthcare premium tax credits that lower costs for marketplace participants, and halting disruptive immigration enforcement tactics that exacerbate workforce shortages.
On September 10th, Small Business Majority Colorado Director Hunter Nelson sent a letter to Governor Polis, Senate President Coleman and Speaker of the House McCluskie urging them to act in any way they can to invest in small businesses in order to help offset the harm of tariffs.
On November 20, Small Business Majority network member Shirley Modlin, co-owner of 3D Design and Manufacturing in Powhatan, VA, testified at a House Committee on Small Business hearing to discuss issues impacting her business and small manufacturers nationwide, including tariffs, workforce shortages and rising healthcare costs.
On November 5, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Learning Resources v. Trump, the case challenging the administration’s authority to impose broad global tariffs under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA). On the morning of the oral arguments, Small Business Majority National Small Business Council member Mike Brey attended a press conference to urge the Supreme Court to stand up for small businesses by striking down the tariffs implemented under IEEPA.
Watch Mike's remarks.
As new global tariffs wreak havoc on small businesses, Small Business Majority released a new fact sheet detailing findings from a recent national poll that explores how small businesses are responding to evolving tariff policies.
As members of Congress return to their home states and districts for the August recess, now is a key moment to engage with your elected officials and make your voice heard as a local small business owner. From tariffs and taxes to access to capital, healthcare, and workforce challenges, your representatives need to hear directly from you to better understand how Congress can support the success and resilience of small businesses across the country.
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