Hill Update
When this update went to the press, the federal government was closed, with Senate Majority Leader Thune saying on Thursday that it is unlikely senators will be in the Capitol voting this weekend. Thune’s comments came as congressional leaders and the White House remain in a stalemate. Majority Leader Thune continued to state that he will not negotiate the substance of a deal to extend the ACA health insurance subsidies while the government is closed. NAWBO will keep you posted with updates.
Check out NAWBO CEO Jen Earle’s joint op-ed with Gusto here. The article discusses the important role that women business owners play in the economy and how we can ensure their success.
What did we hear from the Snap Poll?
Around 300 responses, here are the highlights:
- Over the past few months, more than 40% of our members have experienced a decline in revenue. Among those, 60% have seen a 25% or more decrease in revenue, which isn’t a small number.
- While more than half of our members say they are keeping balanced when it comes to how they are doing, about 40% are somewhat optimistic, and a third are pessimistic about the economic outlook for the next 6 months.
- Almost half of our members say affordable healthcare is one of the tools or resources they need today.
- Moreover, 66% say they are VERY concerned about the potential expiration of the enhanced healthcare premium tax credits.
- 34% of our women business owners say healthcare costs will increase for them, and nearly 40% say their employees will be unable to afford healthcare if the subsidies are not extended.
Advocacy in a Box is LIVE for the
NAWBO 2025-2026 calendar year. Any questions?
Go to ADVOCACY IN A BOX.
Resources From NAWBO Chapters Across the Country
Last fall, NAWBO Chicago hosted a panel of IL legislators to discuss microbusinesses, access to capital, and the care gap (health, child & elder), and how it dramatically impacts female founders in particular. Click here (automatically downloads) to see their draft panel questions.
Also, you can find NAWBO Chicago’s Spring Conference PowerPoint here (automatically downloads). Advocacy Chair Stephanie Posey said NAWBO Chicago focuses on the three levels of Advocacy:
- Self-Advocacy: Putting the woman’s name on the contract (or deed or title or estate plan, etc.) first, making the femaleness of the business visible, pricing (make sure you are charging what your time is worth), being aware of your finances (money is power and you have no idea of your power if you have no idea how much your business makes), setting boundaries (its okay to say no to clients).
- Community: Joining local NAWBO chapter, networks, chambers, local elected boards, and non-profits.
- Policy Advocacy: Engaging with policy makers, writing a compelling email or making a call, joining an advocacy campaign or coalitions.
NAWBO on the Hill
- NAWBO California President Nichole MacDonald joined other small business owners, as well as Senators Edward Markey, Amy Klobuchar, and Mazie Hirono on September 17, 2025, for a press conference to discuss the impact of tariffs.
“Bottom line—this is unsustainable,” said Nichole MacDonald, Founder of The Sash Bag. “I’ve been running my lifestyle brand for 13 years, but in the last two months alone, we’ve already paid $67,000 in tariffs. To bring the rest of my products back into the United States, I would need to pay an additional $370,000. The burden is so severe that I’ve had to lay off my employees. People I could rehire tomorrow and provide with full benefits if these tariffs weren’t standing in the way. We must act now, not just for my business, but for countless small business owners across the country who are fighting to keep their doors open.”
- First Five Years Fund reached out to NAWBO to review and support the Child Care Modernization Act. NAWBO put the bill through the litmus test and later shared support with Senator Fischer’s office. Later in September, U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) introduced the Child Care Modernization Act, which would reauthorize and improve the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) to help provide quality, affordable child care to America’s working families. NAWBO was mentioned in Senator Fischer’s press release when the bill was introduced.
- NAWBO signed on to a letter with other small business associations in support of increasing the Micro-Purchase Threshold (MPT) from $10,000 to $25,000, enabling the Commercial Best Practice of Permitting Advance Payments, and raising the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) from $250,000 to $500,000.
Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee
- Ernst on Unleashing Small Manufacturers During a U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing, Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) urged Congress to pass her Made In America Manufacturing Finance Act that boosts small manufacturers’ access to capital to expand their operations and grow their business.
- Ernst Touts Trump SBA IG Nominee’s Ability to Hold COVID Fraudsters Accountable During a U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing, Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) touted William Kirk as a strong candidate for Inspector General of the Small Business Administration (SBA). Ernst highlighted how her SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act, which passed out of committee, would extend the statute of limitations for COVID fraudsters and empower Kirk to hold con artists, who stole hundreds of billions of dollars, accountable and recover these stolen funds.
- Ernst Works to Protect Tax Dollars for Truly Small American Businesses On September 30, 2025, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) spoke on the Senate floor about her work to stand up to Beijing, protect American intellectual property, and put our warfighters first. She pointed out how, even though the SBIR-STTR programs are supposed to be America’s seed fund for small businesses, in their current form, they prioritize a few large “mills” over truly small businesses, waste tax dollars that should be producing innovation for our nation’s defense, and fail to protect taxpayer-funded technologies from foreign influence. She continued by stating that without necessary reforms, these set-aside dollars may be better off restored to agencies’ research and development budgets.
- Democrats Block Ernst Effort to Safeguard Critical Technology from Chinese Espionage Democrats blocked Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) bill to safeguard critical defense technology from China, just days after the Pentagon agreed that American innovation produced through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs is vulnerable to foreign espionage. Ernst’s INNOVATE Act reauthorizes the SBIR-STTR programs with major reforms to stand up to Beijing, protect American intellectual property, and put our warfighters first.
- Small Businesses Urge Congress to Pass Ernst’s INNOVATE Act After Democrats blocked Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) INNOVATE Act, 35 small business owners and tech leaders from across the country urged Congressional leaders to support the legislation that reforms and reauthorizes the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs that provide funding for the development of critical technology supporting America’s national security. The letter detailed how the INNOVATE Act will prioritize our warfighters by enacting long-overdue reforms to ensure funding goes to the best and brightest companies producing usable technology, and not serial grant writers just producing policy white papers. Click here to view the letter.
- ICYMI: Ranking Member Markey Slams Trump Administration’s Malfunctioning Manufacturing Agenda at Small Business Committee Hearing Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) highlighted how Trump’s attacks on the American economy and draconian rule changes at the Small Business Administration (SBA) are hurting small manufacturers at a recent Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee hearing titled, “Using the 504 Program to Build America’s Manufacturing Future.” Ranking Member Markey heard from Mr. David P. Raccio, Senior Vice President and Director of SBA Lending at CDC New England, and Ms. Hilda Kennedy, Founder and President of AmPac Business Capital, about how Congress can supercharge the economy by increasing loan limits for clean energy manufacturers, and how Trump’s SBA rule changes have impeded the growth of small businesses, especially minority-owned and immigrant-owned businesses.
- Ranking Member Markey Introduced Legislation to Refund Small Businesses for Trump Tariffs Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), alongside Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), today introduced the Small Business RELIEF Act to exempt small businesses from global baseline and reciprocal tariffs and to provide refunds to the small businesses that were forced to pay them. Bill Text (PDF)
- Two Weeks to Expiration: Ranking Member Markey Applauds Passage of House Bill to Protect Competitive Innovation Programs for America’s Small Businesses On September 15, 2025, with only two weeks until the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs expire, Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) applauded unanimous House passage of a one-year extension for the SBIR/STTR programs. Ranking Member Markey called for the bill’s urgent passage in the Senate to ensure America’s small businesses can continue to make essential contributions to federal and national Research and Development (R&D) needs through competitive, merit-based programs such as SBIR/STTR.
POTUS
- On September 19, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to restrict the entry into the United States of certain H-1B aliens as nonimmigrant workers, requiring a $100,000 payment to accompany or supplement H-1B petitions for NEW applications to curb abuses that displace U.S. workers and undermine national security. The fact sheet is linked here. This proclamation ONLY applies PROSPECTIVELY to petitions that have NOT YET been filed.
Small Business Office of Advocacy
- In its most recent activity, the Office of Advocacy commented on DOL’s Rescission of the Companion Care Rule. See the letter here.
- Additionally, remember that the Office of Advocacy offers an opportunity to report burdensome regulations. If a federal regulation is unfair, outdated, or unnecessarily burdensome, you can speak up and make a difference. The Red Tape Hotline provides small business owners with a direct means to report federal regulations that hinder their ability to grow, compete, or innovate. Your feedback informs our work with Congress, federal agencies, and policymakers to shape smarter, more responsive regulation. Here’s more information on the program, or you can share your comments directly here.
Where do I get advocacy information beyond this email?
NOTE: DATE CHANGE - Due to the Diwali holiday, our next monthly Advocacy call will be on October 28, 2025, at 9 a.m. PT/11 a.m. CT/12 p.m. ET. Please email Elle Patout at epatout@nawbo.org with the subject “Advocacy Call Attendee” if you wish to attend the call. The next call will be part of the NAWBO Academy for Public Service series.
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