The 112th Congress promises to be very active in areas that will have a profound impact on small businesses.
While many small business owners try to stay out of politics, doing so is very risky. It’s important to understand which elected officials are making decisions that impact the livelihood of your business. This article provides an overview of who the key players are in Congress.
Profile legislators as if they were prospects.
Before attempting to sell to a potential customer, it’s expected that your company will conduct thorough research into their backgrounds and identify which ones can be considered prospects with a good likelihood of becoming customers.
It’s important to follow a similar strategy when identifying who you need to reach with your lobbying efforts. So let’s take a look at who in Congress is making decisions that impact small business owners.
Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
First, a word on committees
In order to work more efficiently, the Senate uses committees that specialize on specific areas of legislation. In the Senate there are a total of 20 committees, 68 subcommittees and four joint committees with members of the House. Standing committees evaluate proposed legislation while Select and Joint committees typically handle oversight responsibilities. Subcommittees are tasked with specific areas of work within a committee.
The Standing committees play a critical role in the legislative process.
Proposed legislation is typically sent to a standing committee for review. Unless the committee recommends the legislation continue on the path towards becoming law, it dies. This vetting process filters out over 90 percent of the thousands of bills that are “sent to committee” during a 2-year congressional cycle. They are the gate keepers, and here is where important lobbying action takes place.
Members of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship deals with legislation that impacts small business owners directly. They primarily provide oversight for the Small Business Administration (SBA) but can also handle other matters related to small businesses. However, for any matters that aren’t directly related to the SBA, any other committee can request responsibility for that additional legislation. Information on Committee hearings and events are available here.
Go to the article: Politicians Every Small Business Owner Should Know
