Small Business to Washington: Reduce the Debt Congress's top priority should be reducing the national deficit, according to entrepreneurs.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

If it were up to small-business owners, lawmakers' No. 1 priority would be reducing the U.S. deficit.

The national debt is expected to shrink to $845 billion this year, or 5.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), according to a report from the Congressional Budget Office out this week. In the next decade, however, the deficit is projected to be equivalent to 77 percent of GDP if current laws don't change, according to the report from CBO, the nonpartisan agency that produces analyses of budgetary and economic issues.

Rising health-care costs for an aging population and ever-increasing interest payments on the debt are the primary reasons the deficit is expected to rise, the report from CBO says.

Related: Obamacare Made Simple, Courtesy of SBA

The ballooning budget deficit is a thorn in the side of small-business owners, according to a report released Wednesday from the National Small Business Association, a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan organization that advocates for entrepreneurs. Four in ten small-business owners surveyed say that reducing the national deficit should be Congress' No.1 priority, the report found. More than 400 small-business owner members of the NSBA were surveyed at the end of December and in early January for the report.

After reducing the deficit, simplifying the tax system and reducing the tax burden tied as the most critical issue Congress should address, the NSBA survey found.

Related: Entrepreneurs Could Benefit from New Research and Development Tax Credit

Business owners are planners: They like to be able to see into the future clearly and set an agenda. All of the turmoil in Washington has added to economic uncertainty, which is cited as the most pressing challenge to the growth and survival of small businesses, survey results show. Almost seven in 10 business owners picked economic uncertainty as one of three "most significant challenges."

What is your biggest challenge in running your business right now? How does the national budget deficit affect your decision-making strategies? Leave a note below and let us know.

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Social Media

How To Start a Youtube Channel: Step-by-Step Guide

YouTube can be a valuable way to grow your audience. If you're ready to create content, read more about starting a business YouTube Channel.

Leadership

Why Do Employees Resist New Ideas? How to Spot Hostility Towards Change (and Overcome It)

Say the word change, and people will go running for cover. If you pay attention, you can spot resistance to change and take three simple steps to get ahead of it.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Fans of Costco's $1.50 Hot Dog Combo Are In for a Big Surprise

Costco CEO Ron Vachris announced a change that's coming soon to the company's food courts.

Business News

Uber's CEO Says Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the jobs of human drivers are safe for the next decade, but after that, another type of driver will take over.