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August 2006
by James C. Musser, ASBA Washington Representative

With Congress in recess for the Summer District Work Period this month, ASBA tracked down a longtime friend of small business, Senator John Ensign (R-NV) on the campaign trail to get his insights regarding the challenges facing small business. As a small business owner prior to running for Congress, Senator Ensign understands the obstacles common to small business people.

When asked what prompted Senator Ensign to give up a thriving veterinary practice to seek public office he said, “Our country had a debt that was getting so big we couldn’t pay for it. We had run down the military and raising taxes and creating more government seemed to be the answer Washington loved most.” The Senator continued, “I decided that I needed to do something and I ran for the House of Representatives. My experience as a small business person taught me that government doesn’t always know best and I wanted to bring some common sense to Washington, D.C.” After several terms in the House, Ensign ran for the U.S. Senate and was elected in 2000.

ASBA asked Senator Ensign what his constituents in Nevada were telling him about the greatest needs of small business in that booming state. Not surprisingly, the answer was more qualified workers. Senator Ensign said, “We need to be educating and training our future workforce for all kinds of jobs -- not just to be doctors and lawyers.” He then elaborated, “We need to boost community college and vocational programs so that eighteen-year olds can get the training they need to secure a good job whether it is working as a mechanic, in the hospitality industry or starting their own small business.”

Next, the conversation turned to the national economy and the potential dangers to continued economic growth. The American economy has performed remarkably well over the last five years despite terror attacks, the dotcom bust and corporate scandals. ASBA asked Senator Ensign how he could account for the economic growth of the last five years in light of so many blows to the economy. Ensign responded, “The common-sense tax reforms that we passed in the Senate and that the President signed into law have absolutely fueled our economy and driven it to new heights. My own legislation, the Invest in the USA Act, has already brought back $300 million from overseas to be invested in America.” He further said, “We know that lowering taxes creates more jobs, greater opportunity and overall prosperity. We’ve seen the results in our economy over the last several years.”

However, Senator Ensign cautioned that a failure to rein in federal spending could derail our economic engine. When asked what he is doing to help correct the spending problem, Senator Ensign said that he and several of his fellow Senators have formed the Fiscal Watch Team to highlight wasteful and duplicative federal spending. He said the effort was aimed, “… to shine a light on the spending process so that it is no longer cloaked in secrecy in the middle of the night out of sight from the public.”

Senator Ensign also said that he was urging the Majority Leader, retiring Senator Bill Frist (R-TN), to hold votes on reforming the budget process this year including a presidential line-item veto.

ASBA would like to thank Senator Ensign and his excellent staff for supporting and promoting small business. Nevadans can be proud to be represented by such a strong voice for small business.

James C. Musser, Esq. is a legislative consultant based in Falls Church, Virginia. His reports are updated monthly.