NAWBO CEO and Board Chair on the Hill – We need to hear from you!
Please fill out this less than 5-minute snap poll, so we can share an update on how your business is doing and what you need from lawmakers!
Advocacy in a Box is LIVE for the NAWBO 2025-2026 Calendar Year.
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NAWBO Extends Support
- NAWBO signed on to a letter urging Congress to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs), which are claimed by nearly 3 million small business owners and have been critical in lowering out-of-pocket healthcare costs for millions of individuals enrolled in the Marketplace, including small business owners, self-employed entrepreneurs, and small business employees. If Congress fails to act, millions of individuals will see their monthly premium costs skyrocket overnight, leading to an estimated loss of coverage for more than 4 million Americans.
- Senators Alsobrooks and Hagerty requested NAWBO to support the Transaction Account Insurance Act. This bill that they are trying to attach to the National Defense Authorization would expand deposit insurance to cover the transaction accounts most often used by small businesses to make payroll. Fundamentally, this proposal seeks to protect community banks/small businesses in the event of another Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) crash. You can see NAWBO’s letter of support to the Banking Committee attached. Also, hear Senator Alsobrooks mention NAWBO in her remarks during the hearing here.
- Ahead of the House Small Business Committee’s markup of small business legislation, NAWBO signed onto a letter supporting legislation to extend the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Allowing these programs to lapse would jeopardize thousands of innovative small businesses, risk America’s leadership in research and technology, and slow job creation in critical industries.
Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee
- Pentagon Agrees with Ernst Effort to Safeguard Innovation from China On September 8, 2025, a key portion of U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) INNOVATE Act, which reforms the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs to safeguard critical innovation from China, earned support from the Pentagon. After conducting a thorough analysis of Ernst’s report exposing that critical technology is vulnerable to China, the Pentagon confirmed to Ernst that reforms need to be made to the programs by establishing consistent due diligence standards across government, as the INNOVATE Act does.
- Ranking Member Markey to Deliver Opening Remarks on Strengthening and Defending SBIR and STTR Programs at American Innovation Forum Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) delivered remarks at the Defend SBIR Forum in support of making permanent the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Ranking Member Markey spoke about the importance of supporting American innovation and small businesses’ role in technological advancements and U.S. competitiveness. The SBIR and STTR programs are designed to stimulate innovation and utilize small businesses to meet federal and national Research and Development (R&D) needs. Ranking Member Markey will advocate to maintain the competitive, merit-based nature of the SBIR and STTR programs, call for permanency, and emphasize the urgent need to improve, defend, and strengthen the programs through his legislation, the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025.
POTUS
- On September 4, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order implementing the framework agreement between the United States and Japan that he announced on July 22, 2025.
- On September 5, 2025, he signed an Executive Order modifying the scope of reciprocal tariffs and establishing procedures for implementing trade and security agreements. In a Fact Sheet, the Administration states that the Order establishes the "Potential Tariff Adjustments for Aligned Partners" (PTAAP) Annex, which contains the list of products for which the President may be willing to apply only the Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) tariff upon the conclusion of any future reciprocal trade and security deal. These products fall in four categories: certain aircraft and aircraft parts; certain generic pharmaceuticals and their ingredients; unavailable natural resources and closely related derivative products; and certain agricultural products not grown or produced in sufficient quantity in the United States to meet domestic demand.
Small Business Office of Advocacy
Advocacy’s Latest Comment Letter, Supporting DOL’s Rescission of the Companion Care Rule On August 30, 2025, Advocacy submitted a comment letter supporting this rescission and commending DOL for this action. Ten years after this rule has been effective, small business feedback and data show that this rule did not fulfill the agency’s goals of increasing the earnings and overtime hours for home care workers. Instead, this final rule has resulted in negative unintended consequences and significant costs for small businesses and consumers. Based on Advocacy’s estimates using DOL data, the rescission could save affected entities $947 million or higher in compliance costs over the next 10 years.
On July 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a notice of rulemaking to rescind a 2013 final rule on the companion care exemption to minimum wage and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The 2013 final rule narrowed this exemption for companion care workers, prohibiting third-party employers such as home care agencies and home care registries from utilizing this exemption. This proposed rule would reinstate this exemption for companion care workers. Advocacy had previously commented on the proposed companion care rule in 2012. Advocacy commented that DOL’s initial regulatory flexibility analysis was deficient because it underestimated the economic impact of this rule on small businesses. Small businesses were concerned that they would incur significant compliance costs to restrict staff hours to minimize overtime and lose their live-in business.
Where do I get advocacy information beyond this email?
Our next Monthly Advocacy Call will be September 16, 2025, at 9 a.m. PT/11 a.m. CT/12 p.m. ET—email Elle Patout at epatout@nawbo.org with the subject: “Advocacy Call Attendee” if you want to attend calls. The next call will be part of the NAWBO Academy for Public Service series.
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