Political Quotes

“this week, the House has a chance to help out over 20 million uninsured workers that are employed by small businesses across our Nation. H.R. 660, the Small Business Health Fairness Act, will allow small employers to band together to access more affordable, more efficient health insurance for their companies. This bill will help small business owners like Kevin Maxwell from my district in Midlothian, Virginia. Earlier this year, Mr. Maxwell wrote to me about the escalating health care costs for his employees. He is a partner in a small petroleum parts sales company, employing about 13 people. Mr. Maxwell told me that the health insurance costs will increase from $1,100 to $1,400 per month, per family. Two or three years of these types of increases will very quickly force Mr. Maxwell to stop offering health care to his employees. As a small businessman, Kevin pays more because he does not have the insurance purchasing power that large companies have. According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses, small businesses pay 17 percent more for health benefits than large companies. That price disparity forces small companies to make tough choices about the benefits they offer. Mr. Speaker, I applaud people like Kevin Maxwell. It has not been easy, but help is on the way.”