Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Hearing Firsthand from Small Businesses


Video of the Week

Last week, I hosted a roundtable discussion with small business owners from Cary and Apex. We discussed the harmful impact of the health insurance tax as implemented through the Affordable Care Act. During this roundtable, I emphasized Congress’ efforts to repeal this tax through my co-sponsorship of H.R. 928. Click here to watch a short video on the roundtable and hear directly from participants and small business owners.

 

Weekly Update:
Late last week, I had an opportunity to speak with Second District business on the problems and challenges they are facing. Specifically, we discussed how unintended consequences of the Affordable Care Act have impacted their ability to grow, expand and hire more employees.

In particular, we discussed the implications of something called the Health Insurance Tax and the problems this was posing on businesses back home in NC. This roundtable gave me an opportunity to talk about H.R. 928, a bipartisan bill in the House to repeal the Health Insurance Tax (HIT) which will provide permanent relief to small businesses. Click here to read an article from The News & Observer on this round table.

This week, I sent a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) as I have deep concerns with a recent proposal from them. This proposal would severely limit access to prosthetic care for Medicare beneficiaries and negatively impact veterans who have sustained limb amputations. As a nurse, I know that prosthetic and orthotic devices are crucial for independent living and improving the quality of life for seniors and veterans, so I have urged Secretary Burwell to rescind this proposal and conduct additional conversations with stakeholders. Click here to read the press release or click here to read my letter to Secretary Burwell.

I hope each of you have had an enjoyable summer with your families and hope that the new school year is off to a smooth start. As always, please contact me in my Asheboro, Dunn or D.C. office if there is any way I can be of service to you.

 

 

Health Tax Roundtable:

  The Executive Director of the Apex Chamber of Commerce, Shannon Flaherty, opened up our roundtable discussion and Johnny Bass from Bass Business Solutions served as moderator. I am grateful to 10+ business participants for their input and willingness to spend a few hours away from their work so they could join us.

These are just a few statistics on how the Health Insurance Tax is impacting businesses on a national level. I’m proud to be a co-sponsor of H.R. 928, which will completely repeal this harmful tax.
Each participant in our discussion had valuable insight to provide. One participant explained that their health insurance premium was more than their mortgage!
Radio Interview on the Health Roundtable
Last week I spoke to radio host Bill LuMaye about the roundtable I hosted with small businesses in Apex. During this interview, we discussed many of the hardships that Obamacare has placed upon small business owners and what it means for them in terms of growth.
My Opinion Piece on the Iran Deal
 

The following is an excerpt from my opinion-piece on the nuclear deal with Iran. The full article can be found here, which was in the Sunday paper of the Asheboro Courier-Tribune.

“On July 14, the Obama administration and other members of the P5+1 made headlines when they reached a “historic” agreement with Iran, purportedly to curb Iran’s nuclear program and protect American interests.

This deal is certainly historic — a historic mistake and not one to be taken lightly. The administration fell short of many of the goals it initially promised — “anytime, anywhere” inspections, zero breakout capacity, no right to enrich — and has instead rushed into a misguided agreement to secure a legacy of diplomacy.

I believe it’s time to ask the President, who is this actually a deal for? It’s clear that this is not a deal made for the American people nor one that protects American interests. This is a deal made for Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, by an out-of-touch administration that seems to place a greater interest in “leaving a legacy” than protecting our own national security.”