National Write Your Congressman Q2 2026 Index: Small Business Owners Prioritize Spending, Healthcare Costs, Immigration, Regulatory Relief in Call to Congress
Published Tuesday, July 21, 2026
National Write Your Congressman Q2 2026 Index: Small Business
Owners Prioritize Spending, Healthcare Costs, Immigration, Regulatory Relief in
Call to Congress
DALLAS—July 22, 2026—National Write Your Congressman (NWYC), an organization
that gives small businesses a voice in government, released its Q2 2026 Index, highlighting small business sentiment toward Congress, the U.S.
economy, and federal policies affecting business. Findings show government
spending remains the top policy issue for small business owners, followed by
healthcare costs and access to affordable coverage, immigration reform, and
regulatory relief to reduce compliance burdens.
"This
quarter's Index shows small business owners are still waiting for
follow-through: lower health insurance and business insurance costs, tax
certainty, relief from inflation, and help finding qualified workers,"
said Randy Ford, President and COO of
National Write Your Congressman. "Spending remains their top concern for
Congress, and until owners see real movement, trust in Washington will keep
lagging behind their optimism about their own businesses."
Beyond
policy priorities, business owners identified health insurance expenses, taxes,
business insurance expenses, inflation, and hiring qualified workers as the top
issues facing their companies today.
We
struggle to pay our employees, our business insurance, car insurance and now
health insurance is almost out of reach. We need reform in so many areas and
health care is one of the biggest," said Cindy Heck, President, Hecks Automotive, Hecks Lawn Care and
Hecks Hauling in Orange Park, Florida.
Business conditions and the U.S. economy
Business
performance remains mostly stable, with half of respondents stating their
business performance has remained flat, while 29.6 percent report growth and
19.6 percent report decline. Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, many owners
say they are cautiously planning for moderate growth in 2026.
"A
pro-business attitude by government, which has helped create capital investment
by our customers, has been one of the most important factors driving our record
revenues. Deregulation and avoiding tax increases have also been major factors.
Health insurance costs, however, have continued to be out of control, straining
our cash position and suppressing investment," said Bill Willis, Owner, Dyno
One, Inc.
in Edinburgh, Indiana.
Small
business owners expressed a cautiously mixed view of the economy. Just over 46
percent describe the U.S. economy as "good," while nearly 40 percent
say it is "fair" and 11 percent call it "poor." Only 2.7
percent rate the economy as "excellent."
"The
rising cost of equipment is not only a burden on small HVAC companies, it is a
huge burden on the consumer. We see this daily in our field — people cannot
afford the cost to heat and cool their homes," said Nancy Schellhamer,
Owner, Butler County Heating & Air Conditioning in Rose Hill, Kansas.
Trust and representation in Congress
Confidence
and trust in government, particularly in Congress and federal agencies, remain
low among small business owners. Thirty-nine percent of respondents say they
strongly distrust Congress and only 13 percent say they trust Congress.
Satisfaction with government action is similarly low, with 42.5 percent of
respondents reporting they are strongly unsatisfied with Congress's actions.
Forty-two
percent of business owners say they are 'very likely' and another twenty-seven
percent say they are 'likely' to contact their Congressional representative
about issues affecting their business in the next 12 months, a combined 69
percent. Only 15 percent say they are 'unlikely' or 'very unlikely' to reach
out."
"I
hope that Congress will do things to reduce government spending and cut taxes.
As a small business owner, taxes and healthcare costs affect my bottom line
intensely. I often have to consider holding back on bonuses and salary
increases, because of payroll tax burdens and healthcare costs," said Luke Moerke, President, Exodus Engineering, Inc. in Centralia,
Washington.
Methodology
NWYC
collected data from 518 small business owners in 45 states from June 23 to July
15, 2026. Fifty-six percent of respondents employ one to nine employees, and 77
percent employ fewer than 20 employees. The survey reflects a broad
cross-section of industries, with construction, services, and agriculture most
represented.
About National Write Your Congressman
Since
1958, National Write Your Congressman (NWYC) has empowered small businesses by
providing nonpartisan information, research, and tools to connect with their
representatives in Washington. As the nation's largest, privately held,
nonpartisan membership organization made up of small businesses, NWYC's team of
experts provides unbiased, nonpartisan information and research on top issues
and pending legislation relevant to small business owners today. NWYC presents
both sides of the issue so that members can form an educated opinion and let
their elected officials know their opinion.
