Expertise

Areas of Expertise

Affordable and Accessible Healthcare

Of the 46.6 million uninsured Americans, 60 percent are employed by a small business or a dependent of someone who is employed by a small business. Providing affordable and accessible healthcare to employees is a problem which plagues every small business owner. Congress needs to take action to ensure that small businesses can offer healthcare to their employees at reasonable rates or make it possible for employees to obtain individual insurance at rates they can afford. Currently, neither option exists in the marketplace. Most Members of Congress agree that the only solution for small businesses is the ability to form large pools with other small businesses in the country to purchase insurance. In order to form such pools, Congress must enact legislation permitting small businesses to do so. Both the House and the Senate have expressed their desire to move legislation in this Congress.

Click here to view Ann Sullivan's Testimony "Alternatives for Easing the Small Business Healthcare Burden," February 13, 2007

Procurement

Public Law 109-222 requires federal, state and local governments to withhold 3% from contractors to ensure payment of taxes. This law is effective as of January 1, 2011. This law will cause a hardship for small business contractors. In addition, the costs to governments at all levels to administer the program will be substantial and the process exceedingly complicated to implement. H.R. 1023, introduced by Representatives Kendrick Meek (D-FL) and Wally Herger (R-CA) and S. 777, introduced by Senator Larry Craig (R-ID), would repeal that section of the tax code.

For seven long years, the Small Business Administration has failed to implement Public Law 106-554, the Women's Equity in Procurement Act of 2000. This law would allow contracting officers to restrict competition to women owned businesses for up to 5% of all federal contracts. Currently, only 3.3% of all federal contracts are awarded to women owned businesses. Failure to implement this law has cost women businesses billions of dollars in contracts.

Click here to view a study by Madison Services Group prepared for the National Women's Business Council, Best Practices in Federal Procurement: A Study of the Successes and Barriers for Women-Owned Businesses

Access to Capital

America's small businesses face an equity gap in funding from the private sector that occurs between $1 million and $6 million, a result of the gap between investments made by angel investors and the point at which companies can obtain venture capital. This critical gap in funding represents a barrier to development and job creation. H.R. 578, introduced by Representatives Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and Donald Manzullo (R-IL), aims to fill that funding gap by encouraging angel investors to invest in small, local companies. H.R. 578 would provide a 25% tax credit of up to $500,000 per taxable year to qualified angel investors.

Retirement

According to Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER), women work an average of 12 years less than men do over their lifetimes due to family caregiving responsibilities. Fewer work years translates to fewer years saving or participating in an employment-based retirement program. Women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. The median earnings of full-time working women are about $10,000 less than those of working men. When part-time workers are included, the median earnings for all women drop to $13,000 below men's earnings. As a result of lower earnings, the median income in retirement for women is only 58 percent of men's. Women are expected to live 80 years from birth, compared to men's life expectancy of 74 years. S. 1010/ H.R. 2205 or the Retirement Security for Life Act, introduced by Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), will make annuities more tax favorable and attractive to women-owned small businesses.