Kevin Hern: “Because of the successes that I have had in life, not many people know that my life began very differently. My family…”

“Because of the successes that I have had in life, not many people know that my life began very differently. My family was dependent on food stamps for most of my youth. My stepdad never worked, and my siblings and I paid the price for it. I knew from a young age that I would not let that be my life. From the moment I could start working, I did whatever it took to earn financial security--hog farming, welding, computer programming, the list goes on. If it weren't for the McDonald's franchisee program, I wouldn't be here today. After 11 years of working in the restaurants, I was able to work my way into the franchisee program and purchase my first franchise location. I was able to build a successful company with over 20 locations and thousands of employees. I have lived a truly American story, and my mission in life is to help every child who grew up like me--wondering where their next meal would come from, unsure if the lights would be on when they came home from school. I want those kids to know that our country is a place of opportunity and a place of hope for those who will work for it. Today, we are here to provide congressional disapproval of a rule that would completely destroy the franchise model that gave me the opportunity to be successful. I thank Congressman James for introducing the CRA to shed light on how harmful the National Labor Standards Board rule is to small businesses and especially the franchise model.…”