The State of the Union and You

In President Bush’s State of the Union address, he called upon Congress to enact the spirit of bipartisanship to address key issues facing our nation. The NASE is committed to working with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to ensure that the needs of micro-businesses and the self-employed are being heard and, more importantly, being acted upon.

We know you want to hear more about how the proposals in his speech might affect you, your family, and the way you do business. Right now, the NASE is going over these plans so that we can provide you with a more complete picture and let you know what to expect.

Here’s what we know straight away.

The Administration is making health care reform a priority. The President is recommending a standard tax deduction for health insurance. Under this plan, families will pay no income or payroll taxes on $15,000 of their income. Individuals will get the same for $7,500 of their income. As you know, the NASE has fought for tax equality for the self-employed for many years. We’re reviewing this proposal to see just how it plays out to those that currently have more comprehensive coverage, which they may offer to their employees.

He is also encouraging individual states to become involved in offering alternatives to traditional health insurance coverage. This would put more choices in the hands of state governments when it comes to figuring out what approaches would work best for them. The Administration would like to offer grants to states that try innovative programs to bring down the number of those living without health insurance.

Visit the White House Web site at http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2007/ to review the speech for yourself. Then, be sure to check out our special edition of Washington Watch this Friday. It will help break down the President’s plan and shed more light on what his proposals will mean to you.