Quotes from Sam Graves

Trade agreements are important because they open up new marketplaces to small businesses, which ultimately translates into more jobs and greater economic growth.

The P2P marketplace extends into other markets where individuals are monetizing underutilized assets. Lodging is one example. Instead of finding a hotel room, in the sharing economy you can rent a spare room from a local resident.

Small business owners are experiencing great uncertainty because of the possibility of tax increases, the inconsistent flow of credit, an outrageous national debt, high energy costs, and overreaching federal regulations.

Small businesses all across this nation are tired of the uncertainty created by Washington.

The recession's high unemployment rates may have encouraged people to start sole proprietorships, but there are many obstacles in the way of growing a company to create jobs.

We have been fighting for solutions that will spur economic growth and create jobs for all Americans because we have been listening to what small business owners and employees have been telling us all along.

The sweeping, unfocused cuts of sequestration are certain to have unintended negative consequences, including for America's small businesses.

Many small businesses rely on small financial institutions, like credit unions and community banks, to meet their capital requirements. Without them, these small businesses would have to close their doors.

I want to thank the many Missourians who have reached out to me and asked me to consider running for the United States Senate.

I worry about whether SBA programs are still doing what they are meant to do - support lenders who fund good business startups and good expansion plans.

Legitimate small businesses are put at a huge competitive disadvantage when bad actors lie about their small business status and don't play by the rules.

As newly created P2P businesses disrupt the status quo and compete with established companies, they face the difficulty of fitting a square peg into a round hole when it comes to existing regulatory regimes that don't contemplate their business models.

There are over 20 federal agencies that provide some, or all, of the steps in the export process. This can paint a very confusing and intimidating picture for small companies who often don't have designated export officials or trade representatives on staff to navigate the process for their businesses.

Government should stand aside and let the business community prosper instead of imposing new regulations that will only stifle growth and limit access to capital.

When the EPA says that property owners, farmers, and livestock producers must stomach higher costs, longer delays, and bigger headaches, it's up to Congress to put up a roadblock.

Administrator McCarthy and the EPA will soon find out that Washington bureaucrats are becoming far too aggressive in attacking our way of life. Administrator McCarthy should be apologizing to Missourians. EPA aggression has reached an all-time high, and now it must be stopped.

The JOBS Act will allow entrepreneurs to utilize 'crowdfunding,' which permits them to raise equity capital from a large pool of small investors.

The VA does a lot of good things, but determining if a firm is a small business is not one of them.

I want to take a close look at the SBA to see what works, what doesn't, what is duplicative, and what isn't even being utilized. We'll focus on what they do well and strengthen those areas.

If we don't enforce visa laws, we basically have open borders.