The clock is ticking.  November is about to be in the rear view mirror, which puts us closer to the fiscal cliff everyone in Washington is frantically trying to avoid. 

So where do we go from here?

We’ve got to breathe some certainty into the economy.  Right now, people don’t know what their taxes are going to be in the future.  Nobody knows what their health care costs are going to be.  The same can be said about their energy costs.   This has an extremely negative impact on our economy.  And if you are looking at it through the lens of a small business owner, this uncertainty means it is unlikely that you will be hiring any new employees and expanding your operation.

In order to get the economy going again, we need to address this crisis.  However, the idea of increasing tax rates that is being floated by President Obama and the Senate Majority is the wrong way to go about it.  Raising taxes is never wise policy, especially at a time when our economy is still struggling to recover from the last recession.  These proposed tax rate increases will hit our small businesses hard.  Approximately 60 percent of those impacted by this proposal are small businesses that file as individuals.  This proposal is the wrong road to go down, particularly when that road could dead end in another recession.

I am open to pro-growth tax reforms that generate revenue by making our tax code fairer and simpler.  There certainly are loopholes that need to be closed.  We need to overhaul the tax code, instead of merely raising the top rates.

At its core, the idea that we can tax our way out of this mess does not reflect the reality in Washington.  There isn’t a revenue problem here.  There is a spending problem.  We have got to start by acknowledging that much.  If we want to steer clear of the fiscal cliff, it is going to require significant spending cuts.  I don’t mean across the board sequestration cuts, but rather smart reforms that target wasteful spending, duplicative programs and ballooning entitlements.  The focus needs to be on promoting efficient and effective programs.

I want to stress, however, that there is reason to remain positive about these negotiations.  I truly do believe that both parties are working in good faith to ensure that we do not fall off the impending fiscal cliff.  We are just starting from completely different points.  I am confident that there is common ground to be found.    

Why fight traffic at the malls or wait in long crowded lines at the big box stores for deals that don’t always turn out to be as good as promised when you can return your dollars to your local economy by shopping at local small businesses? 

Today is Small Business Saturday, a national initiative to encourage support of our local businesses during the holiday season. Small businesses, including smaller retailers, are the heart of our economy.  Money spent in our local communities gets reinvested, draws attention to local merchants and could ultimately create more new jobs.  Over the past two decades, small business owners have created more than 65 percent of the new jobs in the United States and they employ about half of all private sector employees.  At a time when our economy is struggling to create jobs, Small Business Saturday is an excellent campaign to help push economic development in our own communities.

This is the third year small retailers across America will be participating in “Small Business Saturday.”  The previous two years have been a big success, thanks in large part to Arkansans recognizing the importance of our local, independently-owned merchants. So let’s pump up our local economies by participating in Small Business Saturday once again.  

Our wounded warriors, service members, veterans, family members and their caregivers face unique challenges.  Whether it is transitioning to the life after service or coping with significant lifelong injuries, our veterans endure an enormous amount of stress. This is often compounded by a bureaucracy that delays and prevents them from getting the help they need.

To help cut through all this clutter, Congress directed the departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs to create the National Resource Directory (NRD). This website provides access to thousands of programs and services at the national, state
and local levels on topics such as benefits and compensation, health care access, education, employment, and much more. It is a simple, comprehensive and official resource for the wounded warrior, veteran and military communities. 

I encourage veterans in search of benefits or services to check out the NRD. It is a very useful resource.

Additionally, if you are need of assistance on a personal matter with the Department of Veterans Affairs, such as trouble with disability pay or access to health care, my office stands ready to help. Please contact my assistant, Diane Holm, who works with veterans to resolve these types of problems. Diane works in my Jonesboro office and can be reached at (870) 268-6925.

Now that the election is behind us, and Congress remains divided, the need for bipartisanship on veterans’ issues is vital. The core functions of government, including providing for our veterans and their families, should not be subjected to political gamesmanship.

This is the message of an opinion piece I authored for The Hill that ran this weekend as part of a package of lawmaker’s tributes to veterans.  You can read the piece in its entirety here.  

It is important that lawmakers recognize that Americans are sick and tired of procedural tricks and legislative slight-of-hand to cast one party in opposition to principles that we all support.  We’ve seen this too often lately from the Majority and unfortunately that trend has even found its way into veterans’ issues, which is an area where we have traditionally come together.  It is my hope that we can move beyond the divisive tactics and work to help our veterans in constructive bipartisan manner.