WASHINGTON, D.C. — Business owners from York and Lebanon were among a contingent that visited the White House to meet with President Donald Trump and other officials to share the concerns of small business owners earlier this month, according to a news release.
Trump met with about 40 small business owners from across the country in the East Wing of the White House, the release said. Also in attendance were Linda McMahon, administrator of the Small Business Association, White House chief of staff Gen. John Kelly, Congressman Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, and Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and a business owner.
John Bailey, owner of Bailey Coach in York, and Douglass Henry, owner of Henry Molded Products in Lebanon, were among the business owners at the meeting.
According to the release, the Central Pennsylvania contingent alerted the administration that tax reform must include small business, and no small business should pay a higher tax rate than large corporations.
“It was refreshing and inspiring to confirm that President Trump is leading the charge with the best interests of small and independent businesses in mind,” said Henry in the release. “He has a good grip on the important issues we face as business owners and understands the actual mechanics that make small businesses run. He also knows what inhibits growth.”
“Some prior administrations seemed only to want to create more regulations, even when they didn’t involve safety or health, but President Trump and even his daughter Ivanka Trump understand business,” said Bailey. “Such pro-business support in Washington D.C. is promising, and I left the meeting believing they want to help make us successful.”
NFIB, the nation’s leading small-business advocacy association, believes that tax reform must include tax parity resulting in an even playing field for pass-through companies and larger businesses. The tax code must also be simplified. Small-business owners spend countless hours and significant amounts of money to hire tax experts to comply with today’s complicated tax laws.
