FBC Chairman Opposes FCC nominee Sohn

FBC Shines Light on Rural Broadband Access for Family Businesses and Farms FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Washinton, DC -- Today, Family Business Coalition Chairman Palmer Schoening announced his opposition to embattled FCC nominee Gigi Sohn.  In a statement released to the media today, Schoening said: "Family owned and operated businesses depend on rural broadband to keep their businesses running and while significant strides have been made in closing the rural digital divide in recent years with broadband services, there is still important work to be done. Unfortunately nominee Sohn has made comments that show…continue reading →

FBC Submits Comments on Student Loans

Today the Family Business Coalition filed comments with the Department of Education, opposing proposed changes to the Borrower Defense to Repayment rule. As an organization that is dedicated to protecting family businesses as America’s economic engine, we are deeply concerned with the Biden Administration’s proposed Borrower’s Defense Rule (BDR) that would provide a pathway for full forgiveness of the roughly 1.6 trillion dollars in direct loan debt held by the US government. American families are already busy contending with record inflation, rising consumer costs and economic uncertainty. They should not be forced to…continue reading →

New study shows anti-competitive practices affecting USPS

While Amazon ostensibly advocates for postal reform, it has engaged in two types of anticompetitive conduct that threaten the solvency of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and evidence a desire to extend and perpetuate its dominance over e-commerce. First, Amazon has lobbied to combine mail and parcel delivery under one cost center, thus obscuring the latter’s contribution to institutional costs. Such a policy would allow Amazon to conceal the uneconomic pricing it receives under the Parcel Select program, the USPS ground bulk package “last-mile” delivery service that Amazon and other parcel shippers use.…continue reading →

Corporate Abuse of The U.S. Postal Service Threatens Family Businesses

All over the country, families are beginning preparations for the holiday season. Many who run their own shops or depend heavily on small businesses will make shipping arrangements for a variety goods, gifts, marketing items and other important materials and resources all throughout their communities. Unfortunately, for many American consumers and business owners, it will cost more than it ever has to use the United States Postal Service (USPS) because of unfair deals that the USPS strikes with large shipping partners like Amazon. These deals lock in below-market rates for certain companies, making…continue reading →

Sen. Sanders introduces “For the 99.5 Act” targeting family businesses

Last week, Senator Sanders (D-VT) introduced the For the 99.5% Act. The legislation calls for raising the top death tax rate to 65 percent and increasing the number of family businesses hit by the death tax. The schedule for the proposed plan is below.  Estate Tax Rate Estate Tax Exemption Level 45% $3.5 million and $10 million 50% $10 million and $50 million 55% $50 million and $1 billion 65% $1 billion +  Many medium to large size family business owners competing with even larger corporations would be forced to fire workers and downsize facing such high tax rates when passing to the next…continue reading →

FBC breaks down PPP data on Small Businesses, Lenders Helping Small Businesses

As part of the Family Business Coalition’s (FBC) mission to protect family businesses, FBC began looking into the success of the Paycheck Protection Program. After passage of the CARES Act, our team helped a number of multi-generational family businesses, across a broad group of industries, understand the ins and outs of the newly created Paycheck Protection Program, including the accompanying Treasury guidance. FBC strongly supports the PPP loan program which has helped almost 5 small million businesses cover payroll and business expenses during the COVID-19 crisis.continue reading →

Coalition Urges the Treasury to Expand Eligibility for COVID-19 Relief Funds

Washington, DC – Today, the Family Business Coalition (FBC) released a letter signed by 10 additional small business associations and advocacy groups urging the Trump Administration to expand eligibility for COVID-19 relief funds to a broader segment of the US economy. Co-signers include the Coalition of Franchisee Associations, American Values, Hispanic Leadership Fund, Center for Freedom and Prosperity, National Franchisee Association and more. Together, these groups advocate for millions of American jobs during this unprecedented time and beyond. Our nation is currently facing skyrocketing unemployment rates and many local economies are hanging on…continue reading →

A Wealth Tax is a Terrible Idea

By Josie Gallagher Throughout the first stage of the Democrats' nomination contest, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders seemed to be competing against one another for who can impose the most burdensome new taxes — or better yet, who can crash the U.S. economy quicker if elected. Both candidates promise to impose higher estate taxes, higher taxes on small businesses, and a new “wealth tax,” which the Tax Foundation's analysis shows would kill jobs and slow economic growth. Warren and Sanders agree that income inequality is an issue that must be addressed by…continue reading →

Ways and Means Committee Will Markup Proposed Extenders Package

This week, the House Ways and Means Committee will markup a recently proposed extenders package, “The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Relief Act.” This bill would revise the progress made in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) by eliminating the doubled estate tax exemption level from $5.6 to $11.4 million. Under the proposed bill the estate tax would be returned to 2017 levels three years earlier than intended in the TCJA. The Family Business Coalition sent a letter signed by 151 groups to Chairman Neal and Ranking Member Brady, opposing lowering the exemption…continue reading →