The way I see it , we have to make sure that people with ideas have the freedom to pursue them – and most often , that means getting the government out of the way .
Spotlight on the 114th Congress : Rep . Steve Chabot ( R-OH-01 )
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2016 Issue 3 | THE SCORE
QThrough your experience with small businesses , what certain skills or perspectives do you apply as a public official ?
At the Small Business
A Committee , we like to say that every small business started with an idea . In a lot of ways , that ’ s the story of my hometown of Cincinnati . I grew up in a city that ’ s now home to a lot of big businesses that are household names – Procter & Gamble , Kroger , Macy ’ s , and the list doesn ’ t stop there . Anybody from Cincinnati will also tell you all about fantastic local eateries like LaRosa ’ s ( pizza ), Skyline ( chili ) or Graeter ’ s ( ice cream ). They ’ re just synonymous with Southwest Ohio .
All of those businesses started with an idea . Some became large businesses with a global presence and others are successful small businesses that are a major part of what defines their community , but they all started the same way . Having ideas , spotting potential , seeking opportunity – that ’ s what our entrepreneurs and dreamers do best . It ’ s not what the federal government does best . The way I see it , we have to make sure that people with ideas have the freedom to pursue them – and most often , that means getting the government out of the way .
QWhat do you see as the current biggest threats to small-business owners ?
AWe ask small-business owners and their employees , either when we visit places back in our districts or invite them to testify at our hearings , this very question , and we usually hear the same thing : the overwhelming tax burden and federal regulations . That ’ s one reason I encourage small-business folks to take a good look at http :// abetterway . speaker . gov /. That ’ s where anyone can look over the “ Better Way ” plan House Republicans have put forward , with input from all of the committees , about what we can do to simplify the processes and alleviate the unnecessary burdens American households and small businesses have to carry . Tax reform and regulatory relief are two
major areas we focused on in that plan , and simplification and accountability are the two major ways we can start to chip away at those two areas .
QHow have your roles on the House Judiciary , House Foreign Affairs and House Small Business committees influenced your opinion ( s ) on the current threats to small business ?
AIt ’ s a real privilege to serve on all three committees I ’ ve been on since I came to Congress – Small Business , Judiciary and Foreign Affairs – because we hear from experts in all of those fields , people with real-world experience , on a constant basis .
The overlap in these three areas is fascinating . Take trade , for example . Only about 2 percent of American businesses export their goods . But , of that 2 percent , 98 percent are actually small businesses . So , from a foreign affairs perspective , we consider the impact of certain trade relationships on diplomacy and geopolitics , but from a small-business perspective , we see them through the lens of potential growth and opportunity .
The way I see it , we have to make sure that people with ideas have the freedom to pursue them – and most often , that means getting the government out of the way .
Similarly , a lot of regulatory issues are handled through the Judiciary . So , at the House Judiciary Committee , we examine how regulations are conceived and implemented , and at the