SBA's Thomas Sullivan to Speak at ABA's Legislative Day

Thomas M. Sullivan

Thomas M. Sullivan, the U.S. Small Business Administration's chief counsel for advocacy in Washington, D.C., will be a featured speaker at the American Booksellers Association's first-ever Legislative Day, on May 17, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., at BookExpo America. In 2000, Sullivan was named by Fortune Small Business as one of the "Power 30 most influential folks in Washington," and Inc. called Sullivan "an entrepreneur's best friend in Washington, D.C." in 2006.

"The Office of Advocacy is the 'watchdog for small business' here in Washington," Sullivan told BTW via e-mail."Our job is to listen to the voice of small business, and make sure their voice is heard in the halls of Congress and the Administration. We are particularly concerned with proposed regulations that are not sensitive to their impact on the small business community. Last year, by working to filter out overly burdensome regulations, we were able to save small businesses over $6.6 billion. We work closely with trade associations like American Booksellers Association to make sure that your concerns are heard."

Sullivan, who was nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, is charged with independently advancing the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal regulatory bodies, and state policy makers.

As Chief Counsel, Sullivan heads a team of attorneys and economists who work to remove regulatory barriers to entrepreneurial growth, conduct economic research, and publish data on small businesses' contributions to the economy. Through the Office of Advocacy, he is working to elevate small business' visibility within all levels of government.

Prior to Sullivan's presentation, ABA will hold "Legislative Briefings," which will include an update on Small Business Health Plans, featuring Dawn P. Latham, CAE, director of public policy for the American Society of Association Executives. In addition, Neal Osten, federal affairs counsel for communications and interstate commerce at the National Conference of State Legislatures, will speak on the status of Streamlined Sales and Use Tax legislation in Congress. Other briefing topics include literacy initiatives, sales tax holidays, credit and debit card interchange fees, and Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines.

Also, from 2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., John B. Morris, Jr., of the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), in Washington, D.C., will present an update on free speech and the Internet. As a staff counsel and director of CDT's "Internet Standards, Technology and Policy Project," Morris has primary responsibility for efforts to protect and promote free speech on the Internet. Prior to joining CDT in April 2001, he was a partner in the law firm of Jenner & Block, where he litigated groundbreaking cases in Internet and First Amendment law.

The Legislative Day program begins at the Doubletree Crystal City at noon with a Welcome Lunch and remarks by Robert Barnett, senior partner at Williams & Connolly LLP and one of the premier authors' representatives in the world, and it will culminate with visits to Congressional Offices from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., followed by a Congressional Reception honoring First Amendment champion Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Booksellers who would like to participate must RSVP to ABA by May 1, in order for the association to set up appointments with congressional members and appropriate legislative staff, as well as to prepare for lunch. To RSVP, contact Margaret Petrie at (800) 637-0037, ext. 6614 or via e-mail at [email protected]. (Please put "Legislative Day" in the subject line of the e-mail.)

Additional information about Legislative Day, BookExpo America, and ABA's educational programming and special events is available at www.bookweb.org/aba/convention/.