Hoyer Recognizes Start-Up Day Across America

Wanted to be sure you saw today's blog post by Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) on Patch sites in Maryland marking Start-Up Day Across America,  which was launched in 2013 to raise awareness about the importance of start-up companies to our economy. To read the post, click here or see below:

One of the most effective ways Congress can help create new jobs is to help entrepreneurs create new companies. Start-ups create millions of new jobs each year, many of them in sectors like technology and manufacturing that pay well and offer competitive benefits. I'm proud to be marking "Start-Up Day Across America" today, first launched by my colleague Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado in 2013 to highlight the economic benefits of start-up companies and raise awareness of ways Congress and communities can help start-ups launch and thrive.

Here in Maryland, our state and local governments have been working hard over the last several years to create the conditions that not only attract innovators and entrepreneurs but also help young companies grow. Through upgrades to infrastructure, investments in strong public schools, and promoting the proximity to research institutions like the University of Maryland and defense installations such as Pax River and Fort Meade, Maryland has become one of the best places in the country to launch and grow a business, especially in the areas of technology and innovation.

But there is more we can do, both in Maryland and across the country, to help start-ups succeed. That's why House Democrats are continuing to promote policies that will make it easier for entrepreneurs to turn ideas into job-creating businesses. Over the past five years, I have been leading an effort in the House of Representatives to help businesses grow and create jobs, called the Make It In America plan. We've had some notable successes, including the America COMPETES Act to spur research and innovation, reauthorization of workforce skills training programs, and patent reforms that help make the filing process more efficient. Recognizing new challenges and new opportunities, though, House Democrats have been undertaking an effort to adapt and update the Make It In America jobs plan for 2015 and beyond.

Since July, we've been holding in-depth hearings on Capitol Hill to solicit feedback and new ideas from Representatives and from outside experts in order to identify how best Congress can invest in helping the private sector create good jobs. We heard testimony about the importance of supporting start-ups through updates to the tax code that prioritize growth and innovation, immigration reforms that bring talented technology innovators into our economy, funding for research and development, and investment in "maker spaces" and "fab-labs" where new products can be developed. We're going to continue to look for creative ways to make capital more readily accessible to entrepreneurs while making sure that investors are protected. We are also committed to ensuring that women and those from under-represented communities have the tools necessary to thrive as entrepreneurs and launch competitive start-ups.

There is no question that innovative start-up companies can transform our economy and our society: it's happened many times before. Some of the largest employers in America began with just a handful of tinkerers in a garage or entrepreneurs willing to bet on turning a good idea into a new product or service. Congress has a responsibility to make sure that the next generation of entrepreneurs can do so too – and that the start-up businesses they launch can help drive the growth of middle-class jobs so more people in Maryland and across the country can Make It In America.