Free Enterprise | U.S. Chamber | Special Examiner Advertising Feature

Hit the Road With Free Enterprise

Mike King — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:01:18 +0000

At the end of spring, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce welcomed small business owners and entrepreneurs from across the country to our annual America’s Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C., to make their voices heard. Now, with summer heating up, we’re hitting the road to see small businesses in action in towns and communities nationwide.
We’re going “On the Road With Free Enterprise,” a cross-country summer road trip to find and tell free enterprise stories all over America. At the wheel are Nate and Joe, a two-man team selected from more than 900 tour guide applicants and ultimately chosen by thousands of online supporters. Nate and Joe are longtime friends originally from Boston, who have written and reported on topics like entrepreneurship, innovation, and culture.

Transparency Is No Virtue When Used for Intimidation

Mike King — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:01:49 +0000

The revelation that the IRS unfairly targeted some groups because of their political beliefs has brought the importance of free speech rights into sharp focus. Sadly, the American business community has also had to fend off efforts to silence our voice through fear, intimidation, and overregulation. Labor unions, shareholder activists, and anti-business policymakers have long sought to stifle the voice of business in the political process and the public debate.

America: The Land of the Lawsuit?

Mike King — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:01:54 +0000

In a competitive global economy, the United States has many clear advantages. We’ve got abundant energy resources, vast agricultural lands, vibrant capital markets, the world’s top labs and universities, a sophisticated and well-developed infrastructure system, and an entrepreneurial culture that drives innovation and advancement—and that’s just naming a few.

Champions in Intellectual Property: Innovators and Enforcers

Mike King — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:01:52 +0000

When we think about intellectual property (IP) issues, it’s easy to focus on the bad guys—the criminal organizations, the plotting foreign governments, the online pirates, the counterfeiters, and the hacktivists—and the dangerous consequences of their illicit activities. They pose very real threats in a global economy. But there’s a positive side to the story that sometimes gets lost in the debate over IP rights.

Enterprising States Are a Model for Growth

Mike King — Mon, 13 May 2013 00:01:09 +0000

Last week the president kicked off a Jobs and Opportunity Tour in Austin, Texas—a city that’s flourishing because state and local leaders have cultivated a good business climate and helped nurture a booming high-tech industry.
The president is smart to step outside of Washington to see how enterprising states, like Texas, are driving stronger economic growth and job creation despite many antibusiness and antigrowth policies coming from the federal government. These states’ pro-growth policies are helping businesses succeed and people get back to work—and they are providing a good model for other state and national leaders on how to advance strong and competitive economies.

The Case for Trade

Mike King — Mon, 06 May 2013 00:01:16 +0000

What policy can create jobs, help small businesses, boost agriculture, spur manufacturing, level the playing field for America in the global economy, offer consumers more products at more affordable prices, and do so without increasing taxes or the deficit?
Sounds like magic, right? It’s not. It’s trade.
Trade is working for America. Here’s how.

It’s About Time for Immigration Reform

Mike King — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:01:32 +0000

Immigration reform is one of the compelling challenges of our time. If we rise to that challenge, we can ensure that our great country can compete and win in the global race for talent. We can secure the lives and livelihoods of all Americans. And we can reaffirm our proud and honorable legacy as an open and welcoming society.
The time to act is now. Our current system isn’t serving the interests of our economy, businesses, workers, or security. America cannot compete and win in a global economy without the world’s best talent, hardest workers, or biggest dreamers. Gaps and shortages in our workforce put American jobs at risk—because if companies can’t find all the workers they need here, they will be forced to move the work somewhere else.

What Small Businesses Want …

Mike King — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:01:51 +0000

America’s 27 million small businesses represent 99% of U.S. employers and account for three-quarters of all new jobs created. The smallest of businesses stand to make the biggest impact on economic growth and job creation.
In order to remain a powerful collective engine for growth, small businesses need a little help from Washington. A recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey of small business owners found that a whopping 87% are looking for more certainty from government. Our leaders can help by putting an end to the uncertainty that hamstrings hiring, stifles growth, and halts investment.

It’s Not Too Late to Fix Dodd-Frank

Mike King — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:01:19 +0000

It’s been nearly three years since Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Act to overhaul our financial system. While we agreed with many of the goals of the financial reform law, the results are moving us farther away from the well-functioning, well-regulated capital markets we need to fuel economic growth and job creation.
Why is Dodd-Frank falling short?

We Need Spending Restraint, Not Tax Hikes

Mike King — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:01:23 +0000

As Tax Day looms, American families and employers are keenly aware of the deep cut the government is taking out of their household incomes and hard-earned profits. A heavy tax burden means that consumers have less to spend in the economy and businesses have less for hiring, expanding, and investing.
When taxes go up, the rate of economic growth goes down. And even though economic growth is what we badly need to hasten our recovery, many leaders in Washington are hungry for even more tax revenue. Some still champion a big government agenda that requires greater resources to implement more programs. To pay for it, Senate Democrats recently passed a budget with another $1.5 trillion in tax hikes. Some lawmakers are also calling for higher revenue to address our $16 trillion debt and trillion-dollar annual deficits. Rather than scale back the agenda or look for serious savings, they believe that the answer is to simply raise taxes, not slow spending.