Helping Small Business Grow the Economy

Statement

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following statement Wednesday regarding the Small Business bill:

"The Small Business bill we're now considering has an interesting history. And given the President's recent statements on this bill, it's worth recounting that history. Remember: we first got on this bill in June. But then Democrats took us off it to move to Financial Regulation. And then last week, they took us off it again to move to the DISCLOSE Act.

"So if the President wants to criticize somebody about slowing this bill down, he's got the wrong party. He needs to direct his criticism at Democrats, not Republicans. The fact is, Democrats had other priorities.

"They thought it was more important to impose job-killing regulations on the financial industry and give even more authority to the kinds of regulators who missed the last financial crisis.

"They also thought it was more important to shut up their critics ahead of the fall elections by pushing a bill that amounted to an all-out assault on free speech. These are the things Democrats have been doing instead of the small business bill. And yet the President continues to claim that somehow Republicans are the problem.

"It's obvious what they're doing: they want to deflect attention away from the fact that trillions of dollars in government spending and debt has failed.

"Spending, debt, regulations, more government -- none of it has worked. And now they want to raise taxes on the very small businesses that are trying to create jobs. It's time to change course, to do something that will actually create lasting private sector jobs and get us moving in the right direction.

"Democrats can try to deflect attention from their failed policies all they want. But the consequences of their actions are obvious to the American people.

"It's time to put aside the liberal wish-list and allow America's small businessmen and women to do something that has a chance of reviving this economy. Spending, debt and tax hikes are the last thing we need.

"Republicans have offered a number of ideas to improve the small business bill and until now, those amendments have been obstructed by the other side, and along with them, the bill itself.

"I'm encouraged to see the majority has changed its mind and now seems committed to staying on this bill, allowing votes on Republican better ideas, and working with us on something other than raising taxes, growing the debt or burying job creators in a sea of new regulations."

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