Sparring continues over small business bill, tax cuts

Senate Republicans were quick to strike back after President Obama urged passage of a long-stalled small business bill and possible plans to let tax cuts expire for those who make more than $250,000 a year, on Monday afternoon. 

"Instead of growing jobs as promised, Washington Democrats have grown the size of the national debt, the federal government and the unemployment rate," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said today in a statement. 

"And now the administration is calling for a massive tax hike on small businesses in the middle of a recession. So it’s no surprise that most Americans think the country is on the wrong track and that Democrat policies have failed to do anything to fix their top concern, the economy," he said. 

"It’s time to listen to the American people, lower the deficit by reducing out-of-control spending, prevent tax hikes and work with Republicans to create the environment necessary to grow sustainable, private sector jobs."

The Senate is scheduled to hold a cloture vote to end debate on several amendments to the small business bill on Sept. 14. Congress hasn't started the debate over what to do about the Bush-era tax cuts, although the White House has said they want to extend the middle-class tax cuts and let others for wealthier taxpayers expire. 

Obama policy advisor Austan Goolsbee said McConnell is wrong about the small business bill and the administration's policies saying "the president has cut taxes for small businesses across the board." 

Goolsbee said passing the small business bill is a top priority, followed by extending tax cuts for the middle class, then making changes to export policy. 

The White House announced changes on Monday to the nation's export controls. 

About a year ago, the administration began reviewing the system and "determined that we need fundamental reform in all four areas of our current system — in what we control, how we control it, how we enforce those controls, and how we manage our controls," Obama said in videotaped remarks set for delivery on Tuesday at the Commerce Department's Annual Export Controls Update Conference. 

Goolsbee said there could be "some other major moves in the area of exports" in the coming months. 

"For too long, we’ve had two very different control lists, with agencies fighting over who has jurisdiction," Obama said in his remarks. "Decisions were delayed, sometimes for years, and industries lost their edge or moved abroad."

Under the new structure there will be a "single, tiered, positive list — one which will allow us to build higher walls around the export of our most sensitive items while allowing the export of less critical ones under less restrictive conditions."

He also said all agencies will transition to a single IT system, making it easier for exporters seeking licenses and providing the government with better information. 

Also, the president is expected to sign an executive order that will create an Export Enforcement Coordination Center.