Chamber Calls for Regulatory Relief

 

Businesses are pinned down by unfair and antiquated federal regulations and excessive enforcement, according to testimony provided by the U.S. Chamber's small and medium-size business advocates.

 

Testifying before the Small Business Administration's National Ombudsman, Giovanni Coratolo, executive director of the Small and Mid-Market Business Councils, and Steve Lutes, director of the Mid-Market Council, highlighted the challenges of complying annually with thousands of pages of regulations generated by some 40 government agencies.

 

"Small business owners are faced with an array of confusing and sometimes conflicting mandates from regulators with heavy penalties for noncompliance," Coratolo said.

 

Many business owners suffer in silence rather than report duplicative or excessive regulations. "The fear of retaliation is real and influences a business owner's decision to come forward," said Lutes.

 

Lutes pointed out that government contractors, in particular, face multiple audits, a lack of transparency, slow payments, and an unlevel competitive playing field. For example, small businesses like Tyler Construction Group in Columbia, South Carolina, are being locked out of a large military complex construction project because of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' practice of "bundling" various construction projects into one single-source contract.

 

If you have a regulatory issue, e-mail Steve Lutes at slutes@uschamber.com.