I want to thank you for inviting me here today. It is my privilege to speak before so many small business owners that provide such a vital service to communities across the country. You are a strong link in the vital health care chain connecting doctors to their patients.

In an increasingly complicated health care system where the use of drugs and drug therapy is growing --- even to the point of replacing some forms of surgery --- the role that pharmacists play in our healthcare system is ever more critical. You provide the consumer with important information about how to approach their health care needs, give advice about alternative medicines, and ensure that prescriptions do not improperly interact.

This in and of itself is challenging enough, but you also have a business to run. A business that is becoming increasingly complicated as you work to navigate the myriad of rules and regulations that govern your business. It may often seem that you spend more time with your accountants and business managers than you do with your customers --- which is why you got into the business in the first place --- to help people. All this while managing a bottom line that hovers around a 2 percent profit margin in many cases.

As the Ranking Democratic Member of the House Small Business Committee, my colleagues and I have one charge: "How do we support this nation's small businesses?" This goal transcends party and ideology on the Committee, as we long recognized that when it comes to helping this nation's entrepreneurs there can be no Democratic or Republican approach.

I can also tell you what a great benefit it has been to have one of your fellow community pharmacists --- Congressman Mike Ross --- on the committee. As many of you know, Mike Ross runs a pharmacy in Arkansas. His real-life experiences has brought our committee invaluable insights into your daily challenges.

We work together with Members like Mike Ross to help you resolve the challenges you face every day to keep your doors open.

One of the first and foremost things we are working on is ensuring you have access to capital. Oftentimes banks are unable or unwilling to take a chance on a small business. True, these enterprises are very much a risk-reward venture. One of the most valuable resources available to small business owners are the SBA loan programs. These programs represent 40 percent of all long-term lending nationwide. I am working to make sure these programs are available for all that need it. And that they are easily accessible.

I think it is important to note that SBA loans to the health care industry --- that includes community pharmacists --- is in the Top 10 of all loans. So you DO have a stake in these program.

Of course, the ultimate access to capital issue is taxes. Recently, working with some other business groups, we released a report that detailed something that should come as no surprise to anyone in this room --- that our tax code places a disproportionate burden on small businesses.

While this Congress has focused a lot of attention on tax relief, very little has been provided to small businesses. The most recent tax cut was focused on individuals --- not incorporated enterprises --- so the tax cut actually ignored half of all small businesses.

What is clear from both the IRS and the treatment given to small businesses by Congress we need to address the lack of tax relief.

One area I believe would make a big difference is increasing a small business's ability to recoup the cost of equipment investments. With technology playing an increasing role in your industry, staying on the cutting edge is critical. This requires substantial investments because today's innovation is tomorrow's obsolescence. To help you afford continually updating technology, working with other Members we have introduced legislation to allow you greater deductions for the expense of these investments and to recoup these costs quick allowing you to continue to stay competitive in this new age.

The other area that can quickly eat into your bottom line is paperwork and regulatory burdens. These burdens on small businesses are twice that of big corporations. The Committee has estimated that the average cost for small business can be as much as $7,000 per employee!

To combat this my Committee has the responsibility to oversee the laws that ensure agencies' regulations do not unfairly impact small businesses.

One important tool in ensuring that regulations do not adversely impact small businesses is through the small business review panels. Through this process agencies and small business talk about the regulations before the agency moves forward it. This is currently done with EPA and OSHA. The Committee will be expanding this and my goal is to include the IRS and an agency you should all be familiar with --- CMS. These are important tools as we tackle some of the issues so vital to your industry.

We have a lot to keep us occupied, and there is even more coming. The House leadership recently proposed a comprehensive drug benefit plan for Medicare.

But I'm afraid the plan will simply enrich large corporations while giving confusing and uneven coverage for people who need it.

The assumption is that large Pharmaceutical Benefit Management companies will offer discount plans through Medicare. This is ridiculous. It is like letting a pack of wolves guard the henhouse. PBMs will first cut YOU out of the health care delivery system, to which you so vitally contribute.

Instead of providing a true, across-the-board drug benefit, these companies will spend more of their time figuring out how to line their pockets with Medicare money.

The Administration's drug discount card plan has similar problems. In fact, it was developed behind closed doors with five of the country's largest PBMs --- with absolutely no contributions by the small businesses it would most directly affect! No wonder in the end it benefits them at YOUR expense.

So perhaps it is no surprise that after promising discounts of 25 percent on drugs, its advocates now admit those savings will be about 10 percent. As you know, this doesn't even keep pace with inflation. It is a terrible idea, yet its backers seems intent on implementing it. In fact, working with local community pharmacists in my district, we sat down with seniors to talk about how this plan hurts them and small business.

As you can see, there are a lot of issues in Congress that affect you. That is why it is so important that you are here, meeting one-on-one with your representatives, and making your voice heard.

Your participation is in this process is at a premium. I encourage you in your meetings today not just to see your representatives, but to visit every member of your state delegation as well. And don't stop when you leave Washington! When you go home, follow up with phone calls and letters. Invite your representatives to your place of business and show them what you do each and every day. You will help understand the impact that their tax policies, prescription drug proposals and regulations have on you.

Community pharmacies like yours are a vital link in the medical care chain that provides the services needed to keep Americans healthy and strong. No health care system could survive without the critical contributions of our community pharmacists. We are committed to defending and extending your service.

It has been a privilege speaking to you today.

Thank you very much.