Ken Calvert: “I am a former small business owner. I understand what overregulation does to small business. I understand what…”

“I am a former small business owner. I understand what overregulation does to small business. I understand what overtaxation does to small business. I understand what too much litigation does to a small business. I understand what happens when the Government increases the cost to stay in business. And I know that a lot of businesses do not stay in business. A lot of small businesses are not in Silicon Valley; they are in our hometowns. They are our local dry cleaners, our local drive-thru restaurants, the local carryout. These are not big corporations. These are small mom and pop businesses. Matter of fact, two-thirds of the job creation in this country is by small businesses, and we need to help them. We need to help them stay in business because, without some of these minor changes in the Tax Code, they are not going to be around. What is wrong with allowing small businesses an opportunity to deduct their health care expenses? What is wrong with some changes in the death tax, which everyone agrees is a disgrace? We should not have a death tax in this country, a tax of up to 55 percent of the value of one's estate, when they have paid taxes all of their lives. Small business is important. And as one of the few people in the House that actually operated a small business, I would like to see it stay around, so I am hoping my colleagues will get together and vote on this and vote to support this Tax Relief Act.”