Democratic Senators Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln and Debbie Stabenow joined Terry Gardiner of the Small Business Majority and Mike Brey, small business owner from Maryland, at a press conference this afternoon to unveil a package of amendments to The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that will benefit small businesses. While the Senate bill makes health care more affordable and sustainable for America's small businesses, these amendments will continue Democrats' commitment to level the playing field for small businesses by lowering costs, increasing competitiveness and making health care more stable for entrepreneurs.
"The Senate bill is a step forward toward more affordable and stable coverage for our nation's 29 million small businesses. But our work is not complete. Our amendments would strengthen the bill by extending and enhancing the tax credits for small businesses, ensuring the insurance exchanges are as robust as possible, and eliminating penalties associated with waiting periods, just to name a few initiatives," Senator Landrieu said. "This is an historic opportunity to fix a broken health care system that is crushing America's small businesses. We must not let this chance slip by without making sure that we don't just pass any health care bill - we pass a bill that will lessen the burden on small businesses and allow them to thrive and create jobs for years to come."
"Small businesses are the number one source of jobs in Arkansas," Senator Lincoln said. "These businesses are the engines of our local economies. They are also the least able to weather price increases in health insurance premiums, as they have little capital to combat the steep and ever-increasing rise in health care costs. In Arkansas, only 29 percent of businesses with fewer than 50 employees offer health insurance coverage because it is simply too expensive. I am committed to ensuring that our small businesses have the opportunity to access quality, affordable and stable care for their employees and their families."