Congresswoman Renee Ellmers


This week in Congress our focus continued to be on JOBS.  In this newsletter you will find information about the Small Business Tax Cut Act we passed this week.  You will also find an excerpt from my op-ed on the economic impact of golf in North Carolina and H.R. 2718 – The Disaster Tax Act of 2011.

I continue to monitor the status of the proposed I-95 toll which would be a job killer for businesses up and down the interstate.  Below you will find a link to a News 14 story that includes some comments I made regarding this issue.

On Monday, we observed the one year anniversary of the April 16 storms that devastated parts of the Second District and the state. The damage to life and property was great, but the heroism and generosity we saw from the people of the Second District in response to the storms showed the strength of our resolve.  My full statement on the anniversary can be found on my website.

My office is participating in the 2012 New Media Challenge beginning this week. If you are not already following me on Facebook, please follow this link, then click the “Like” button on my page today! You can also follow me on Twitter, and on my new Pinterest account.  As always, visit ellmers.house.gov for more from Washington and the Second District.

Cutting Taxes for Small Businesses

This week, the House of Representatives passed the Small Business Tax Cut Act of 2012 to give small businesses with fewer than 500 employees a 20 percent tax cut. Currently, cash-strapped small businesses face federal tax rates as high as 35 percent.

This bill’s 20 percent tax cut will help 22 million hard-working small businesses retain and create more jobs and grow their businesses. One third of the firms directly benefiting from this tax cut are owned by women. Furthermore, the Small Business Tax Cut Act also gets Washington out of the business of picking winners and losers, countering the President’s notion that certain groups should be allowed to succeed and others should not. Job creators throughout the country will benefit from this new deduction – whether organized as a corporation or as one of the 75% of small businesses that operates as a pass-through.

Click Here to view the speech I made on the House floor in support of the Small Business Tax Cut Act.

View my remarks at the press conference with House Leadership by Clicking Here,

The following is an excerpt from an article at Big Hollywood regarding the impact of the Small Business Tax Cut Act on women-owned businesses:

GOP Channels Reagan to Avert Economic Tailspin

For her part, in a shot against Democrats for touting an alleged GOP war on women, Ellmers, loaded with ammunition from the Small Business Administration, made a point of emphasizing the role of women in America’s small business sector. Of million dollars businesses, one in five firms is woman-owned, while 3% of women-owned businesses have revenues upwards of a million dollars, versus 6% for men.

Based on additional statistics from 2008-2009, 10.1 million firms are owned by women (50% or more). They employ upwards of 13 million people, generating $1.9 trillion in sales as of 2008. As for her home state, Ellmers also pointed out that the number of women-owned firms in North Carolina currently stands at 256,400. In essence, Cantor’s plan isn’t simply good for businessmen, businesswomen are an increasingly important part of a traditionally GOP aligned constituency–job creators and individuals willing to take risks for growth and economic rewards.

Preventing Tolls on I-95

This week, I spoke to News 14 Carolina regarding the proposed toll on Interstate 95 and a member of my staff attended a meeting of concerned citizens in Smithfield who opposed the veiled tax hike it would cause. 

Click here to watch the News 14 report on that meeting and to hear my comments.

National Golf Day

On Wednesday, we celebrated National Golf Day.  To mark this occasion and the importance of the golf industry to North Carolina, I wrote about the economic impact of golf and H.R. 2718  The Hill newspaper. Below is an excerpt:

This month the eyes of the world were focused on the greens of an American pastime and a sport’s crowning achievement. The emotional bond between Bubba Watson and his mother after winning the Masters brought tears to our eyes and reminded each of us of the American dream. Golf is more than a sport – it teaches the values of self discipline, dedication, and that even though you have some “misses,” the opportunities for recovery and success are available to anyone who stays focused, overcomes, and persists in the face of countless obstacles…

The time has come for a “do-over,” or in golf terms, a mulligan. That’s why I am proud to cosponsor HR 2718 – The Disaster Tax Act of 2011. This legislation allows golf courses to be included as recipients of much-needed tax relief and support in the wake of natural disasters.

Read the rest of my op-ed, In Congress, a Mulligan, at The Hill.com.

Remembering the Storms One Year Later

A year ago this week, tornadoes devastated parts of North Carolina and the Second District.  In an album on my Facebook page, you can view photos taken during my tour of the damage last year, along with some photos taken of some of the same areas a year later after rebuilding

Connect with me on Facebook

My Facebook page allows me to reach more people with information and updates about what is happening in Washington, as well as back in the district.

If you are not already following me on Facebook, please follow this link, then click the “Like” button on my page today!