Spotlight on the 115th Congress :
Rep . Rodney Davis ( R-IL-13 )
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2017 Issue 2 | THE SCORE
QThrough your experience as projects director for a Congressman before being elected , what certain skills or perspectives do you apply as a public official ?
Helping constituents navigate the
A federal bureaucracy as a staffer was always rewarding , but it was also an eyeopening experience . I saw the difficulties many veterans faced trying to get an answer from the VA or a town trying to apply for a federal grant to help their community . I was able to use this experience not to only make good constituent service a priority in my own office , but also use it to pass legislation to make the federal government more responsive and accountable to the people it serves .
QWhat do you see as the current biggest threat to small-business owners ?
AGovernment overreach . My dad , a McDonald ’ s franchise owner , started as an hourly employee at McDonald ’ s , worked his way up to manager and then eventually became an owner . We ’ re making this kind of American Dream story less and less possible because of government overreach .
It ’ s become more and more difficult not only for businesses to succeed , but also for people to want to start a small business . We need to pass reforms , like simplifying our tax code , to make it easier for people to start and manage a business or think about the real-world consequences of a federal regulation before it ’ s put forward .
What can be done to counteract legislation and
Q regulations that are impeding the potential success of small-business owners ?
AJust since January , we ’ ve overturned 14 regulations from the previous administration , saving our businesses and consumers $ 3.7 billion in regulatory costs and 4.2 million hours in paperwork . This is just the beginning . We continue to target
unnecessary overregulation through legislation that will make our government more accountable to those who are impacted the most by these rules and regulations : small businesses .
However , we need to continue to elect lawmakers who understand what it means to run a business and who know that words written on a piece of paper in Washington have a real-life impact on job creators . Some in Washington forget that franchises are small businesses and that many of them are vital to the success of so many small communities throughout the country . As your readers know , franchises provide first-time and long-time jobs ; support community activities ; pay taxes supporting roads and infrastructure ; and oftentimes become the community gathering spot for local residents . They are a staple in many communities .
We need advocates like BWW franchisees to continue to spread this message and lobby their members of Congress to ensure they understand the impact – good or bad – legislation can have on their ability to create jobs and contribute to local economies .
QIn what ways are you seeking feedback from small businesses in Illinois and then using that information in Washington , D . C .?
ALegislation I introduce and fight for in Washington is almost always inspired by an issue brought to me by a constituent or an issue I see when I ’ m in my district . For example , my bill , the Hire More Heroes Act , which exempts veterans who already receive TRICARE or VA health care from being counted toward a business ’ employee limit under Obamacare , was signed into law last Congress . This idea to help employ more veterans and also help small businesses came from a veteran in my district .
Every day my office listens to veterans , small-business owners , workers , educators and others about how we can make the federal government work better for them . S