U.S. Chamber Letter from Christel Slaughter Supporting Eugene Scalia to be Secretary of Labor

Re: Support for Eugene Scalia, Nominee for Secretary of Labor

Dear Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray:

Thank you for holding a hearing yesterday on the nomination of Eugene Scalia to be Secretary of Labor. I am writing in support of Mr. Scalia and urge the Committee to report favorably his nomination at the Committee’s Executive Session scheduled for next week.

I am Christel Slaughter, Ph.D., CEO of SSA Consultants based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the Chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Council. 96% of Chamber member companies have fewer than 100 employees and 75% have fewer than 10. The Small Business Council works to ensure the views of small business are considered as part of the Chamber’s policy-making process.

As the Small Business Council Chair, I am sensitive to how federal regulations, including those issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, disproportionately affect small firms. A study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation shows that the $1.9 trillion cost of federal red tape hits small businesses the hardest, with the smallest firms shouldering compliance costs that are 20 percent higher than the average for all companies.[1]

Mr. Scalia is uniquely qualified to ensure that small business has a legitimate voice in the Department’s regulatory agenda, so the burdens of federal mandates can be minimized without damaging the Department’s responsibility to oversee retirement security, health insurance options, wage requirements, and worker safety.

Thank you for considering our support for Mr. Scalia and please do not hesitate to contact Tom Sullivan, who heads our Small Business Council, if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Christel Slaughter, PhD

CEO

SSA Consultants

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

cc: Members of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

[1] The Regulatory Impact on Small Business: Complex. Cumbersome. Costly, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (March 2017), available at: https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/reports/small-business-regulation-study.