WASHINGTON- Today, the House Small Business Committee held a hearing titled “The Golden Age: Unleashing Main Street Through Deregulation”. During the hearing, Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) criticized the Trump Administration for promoting policies that have created widespread confusion and harm for small businesses across the country.
“Some may argue that the ‘golden age of deregulation’ will pave a path to economic growth, we must recognize that the unchecked removal of regulations can have lasting consequences,” said Ranking Member Velázquez. “Clear, consistent rules help small firms understand what is expected, foster fair competition, and lead to success.”
Velázquez emphasized that smart regulations support innovation, provide certainty, and protect public health. She cautioned that the Trump Administration’s “chainsaw approach” to rolling back regulations has instead led to chaos.
“In two short months, reckless policies have wreaked havoc, chaos, and confusion across the American landscape, harming Main Street,” she continued, highlighting actions such as the illegal firing of watchdogs, the slashing of the SBA workforce, and efforts to saddle the agency with the federal student loan portfolio.
John Arensmeyer, Founder and CEO of Small Business Majority, testified that most small business owners are far more concerned about tariffs, workforce challenges, and access to capital than federal regulations.
“Small businesses are far more concerned with the devastating impact of the Trump administration’s slash-and-burn economic policies than they are about federal regulations,” said Arensmeyer. “These include drastic cuts to programs supporting small businesses, onerous tariffs and mass deportations of immigrant entrepreneurs and small business employees.”
