Contributor

Dan Danner

President and CEO, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)

Biography provided by participant

Donald A. "Dan" Danner was named President and CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation's leading small business association, in February 2009. Danner is only the 6th president in the history of the organization. Before rising to the top spot, Danner was executive vice president, overseeing NFIB's federal and state public policy and political activities as well as the organization's three 501(c) 3 operations: the Research Foundation, Small Business Legal Center and Young Entrepreneur Foundation. He came to NFIB in 1993 as vice president of the NFIB Education Foundation (now known as the Young Entrepreneur Foundation) and was named vice president of federal public policy in 1995. Previously, he was chief of staff to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Danner also worked in the White House Office of Public Liaison, where he was special assistant to the president and deputy director of the department. Before joining the White House staff, Danner was an executive with Armco Inc., a steel manufacturing company. He held leadership positions in sales and marketing, as well as state and federal lobbying on issues such as energy, environment, taxes, and trade. He also served four years as vice president of federal relations at George Mason University. A native of Middletown, Ohio, Danner has an MBA from Xavier University and an electrical engineering degree from Purdue University. He and his wife Bekki have three children and live in Arlington, Va.

Recent Responses

June 21, 2010 07:47 AM

Another Hit To Small Businesses

The government’s latest rules on grandfathered plans mean small businesses will be left with even less choice and flexibility. Due to these regulations, they will be faced with the difficult choice of paying more to maintain grandfathered coverage, shopping for a new (and more expensive) plan or possibly dropping coverage entirely.

Grandfathered plans are one of the few things consumers have left as a result of this new law. We should leave employers - not the government - in control of changing their existing healthcare plans to what works best for them and their employees. Besides, if the government is so sure these new exchanges will drive innovation, cost control and new choice – then let the market play out. Don’t eliminate options. If exchanges are built right…..consumers should come.

The insinuation that small businesses are heartlessly passing on huge cost increases to their employees is a stretch. When an increase comes, employers often discuss their options and possible changes with their employees. Sometimes they choose to make

June 14, 2010 07:32 AM

A 'Tragic Failure'

There are a lot of questions to answer here but I’ll start with three main points before discussing the health insurance tax and the much talked about tax credit.

1. This law did nothing to institute reforms that will result in lower health insurance costs for small businesses – we said it, CBO said it and now CMS says it. This is the tragic failure of the healthcare law because no one needed reform to help lower costs more than small business.

2. This law adds new costs (outside of their already skyrocketing premiums), paid for on the backs of small businesses. Examples include: new 1099 reporting requirements, new payroll taxes and new Medicare taxes. And, since I’m sure someone else here will mention it, yes, the new Medicare taxes areon incomes of $200,000 or more ….But what so many don’t know (or ignore) is that approximately 75 percent of small business owners file their taxes as individuals. These taxes will be levied on the capital a business owner has to re-invest in his company or put