Destroying Unnecessary, Misaligned, and Prohibitive Red Tape Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WALKINSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. Codifying the so-called Red Tape Hotline, an anonymous inbox, the contents of which, as the ranking member articulated, we know virtually nothing about, will do nothing to help small businesses.

While the majority is busy claiming to fight bureaucracy by creating new bureaucracy, they are ignoring the real crisis small businesses are begging us to address: the looming lapse of the enhanced premium tax credits.

I know this because I have met with small business owners in my district, like Rachel Rozner, who is the owner of the Elden Tea Shop in Reston, not far from here, a five-person business that is exactly the kind of Main Street business that the majority claims to champion.

As she told me, Rachel's business depends on the tax credits. Her tea shop is not an exception. It is the norm. Nearly half of all adults with ACA marketplace coverage are small business owners, small business employees, or self-employed. In many cases, the Affordable Care Act and the enhanced premium tax credits have given them the freedom to start their small business, but the Republican attacks on healthcare will force small businesses to close.

Nationally, 22 million Americans, including millions of small business owners, will see premium hikes averaging 114 percent. Some of their premiums will double, triple, or even quadruple. These are middle-class workers. These are employees of small businesses. These are small business owners, the people keeping our local economies alive.

Republicans keep telling us they are the party of entrepreneurs, but you can't be the party of entrepreneurs while you are driving up their healthcare costs and driving them out of business.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

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