The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) launched a national political program today casting the 2014 elections as a “referendum” on Washington’s ability to restore trust with the small business community. The “Vote for Main Street” campaign defines crucial policy priorities for small businesses and their employees and urges them to support and vote for candidates with a track record of keeping their promises to small businesses. Watch the video.

“It’s become clear that the NFIB’s 350,000 members are experiencing a crisis in confidence with their elected representatives in Washington,” said NFIB President and CEO Dan Danner.“For small businesses, this election is about one thing: restoring trust with Main Street America. We’ve all heard the campaign promises, but talk is cheap and empty promises aren’t going to cut it this year.”

The nationwide campaign also includes a paid media effort to support candidates who are “Small Business Certified” and to educate voters on exactly what’s at stake this year and how they can help bring real change to Washington. In the coming weeks, state-specific web pages will be unveiled with candidate endorsements and will include tools that make it easy for voters to support NFIB-backed candidates. 

NFIB is asking candidates who want the support of small businesses to become “Small Business Certified,” by committing to five common-sense solutions that will help small businesses thrive and create more jobs for millions of American workers. If elected, candidates must promise to vote to:

• Curb EPA overreach and keep environmental regulations sensible (H.R. 3826, the Electricity Security and Affordability Act)

• Repeal Obamacare’s small-business health insurance tax (HIT) (H.R.763, To repeal the annual fee on health insurance providers enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act)

• Require Congress to pass a balanced federal budget each fiscal year (H.J.Res.1, Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States)

• Call on the federal government to certify that Obamacare is not having a negative economic impact on small businesses (H.R.4728, Certify It Act of 2014)

• Restore the definition of a full-time work week to the traditional 40 hours, replacing the more recent 30-hour full-time definition (H.R.2575, the Save American Workers (SAW) Act)

“Each solution has been proposed in the past, yet none have made it to the president’s desk,” said Danner. “These legislative solutions are critical to small business owners and the millions who work for them, and candidates who cannot align themselves with these commonsense and bipartisan policies should not expect to receive Main Street America’s vote this November.”