Renee L. Ellmers: “I thank my colleague from Illinois for that very important information. Again, as a small business owner, this…”

“I thank my colleague from Illinois for that very important information. Again, as a small business owner, this information is vital to the solutions that we're coming up with here in Washington. We're not just Members of Congress who don't have the experience out there, and we aren't just listening to the usual Washington bureaucrats. {time} 1850 We are actually small business owners who deal with these real-life experiences and understand what works and what doesn't, and this simply is not working. Mr. Speaker, in my district, where the unemployment rate hovers at about 10.3 percent, I am hearing numerous stories highlighting how small businesses are ``hanging on by a thread,'' and I say that in quotes. ``Hanging on by a thread'' is what I hear. ``Over-regulation is killing us,'' is another quote I hear over and over and over again. They feel that they are being punished by Washington. They, years ago, felt that their competitors were the ones that they were working against and trying to compete with for a better product. Now they feel that they are working against the Federal Government and the Federal Government is working against them. The Federal Government has become their enemy. One of the local small businesses in my district is Kivett's Incorporated in Clinton, North Carolina, owned and operated by Mr. Jerol and Telia Kivett. They are wonderful people, and I met them when I was actually running for office. Why? Because I needed to go in.…”