Saying It Out Loud July 2026, By Pat Soldano and Tim Schultz

More Lawmakers Join Congressional Family Business Caucus, with Focus on Wealth Taxes, Other Issues Facing Family-Owned Businesses

The numbers are starting to add up.

The bold experiment of America is now 250 years old, and 47 members of Congress have signed up on the side of family-owned businesses.

It’s good news for America and for those intrepid, hardworking families, of which there are 32 million, that started their own businesses, reached for the American Dream, and caught it.

Right now, the bipartisan Congressional Family Business Caucus has 47 members, about 55% Republicans and 45% Democrats. The Congressional Family Business Caucus is led by Co-Chairs Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY).

Three new members signed up in the last month, and all are interested in creating a healthy economy, good American jobs, and an affordable lifestyle. They are Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), Rep. John McGuire (R-VA), and Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA). More are expected this summer.

The most recent Caucus was held last month in the historic old House Members’ dining room and saw in attendance Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), Rep. John McGuire (R-VA), Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA), and Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK).

Why are lawmakers joining? They’re listening to the issues facing family businesses, the largest economic engine in the country. It’s good news.

 Bipartisan Caucuses are not easy to form, or keep, but when it comes to family businesses, our lawmakers are paying attention.

There are over 200 registered caucuses on Capitol Hill focused on specific industries, regional issues, or demographic representation. These typically range from 10 to 60 members. Soon, our Congressional Family Business Caucus will hit the top end of that range, and beyond.

 We think this will be especially important in our upcoming September 23 Caucus meeting entitled: “The Price of Prosperity: Family Business Strategies for Battling Wealth Taxes.”

If you haven’t noticed there is growing momentum across the country behind wealth taxes — and politicians at every level, state and national, are taking notice.

It sounds appealing on the surface, but the real victims are family-owned businesses and hardworking, successful families who’ve spent a lifetime creating value for their businesses and communities. It’s really a savings penalty tax.  It’s a tax on savings and assets that have already been taxed.

Nowhere is this more urgent than in California, where a Billionaire’s Tax is heading to the November ballot.

You might not think to worry about this if you live in Iowa, or Virginia, or Tennessee. But what starts in California has a way of showing up in statehouses across the country, and eventually in Washington, D.C.

In fact, California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, was thumbs down on the idea of a California Wealth Tax, especially as top business leaders are already relocating to other states, taking their assets and income with them. Yet, the governor is now promoting a federal wealth tax.

We’ve seen it before, and it will hurt family-owned businesses.

We don’t have a taxation problem in government. We have a waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, and overspending problem.

Over the coming weeks, we’re breaking down exactly why wealth taxes are bad policy — the economics, the track record, and what it means for hardworking families and family-owned businesses across the country.

We want you to have the facts. So, stick with us.

A Note from Pat: Welcome Tim Schultz

You may have noticed an additional name at the top of this column.

You’ll be seeing the name Tim Schultz more and more, as Tim is our new Chief Executive Officer of both Family Enterprise USA and Family Enterprise USA Action.

Tim started in his new position this month and comes to both organizations after over two decades of serving family-owned businesses as a leader, advisor, and convenor of family businesses, including Executive Vice President of Operations at Lundberg Family Farms.

Most recently, he served as Director of the Center for Family Business at California State University Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics in Fullerton, Calif., and as a Principle with LeadershipOne, advising family businesses on governance and generational transitions.

Tim knows the challenges family businesses face when it comes to taxation and transitioning businesses to the next generation. He also has experienced the important role family businesses play in the economy, the vital role they play in their communities, and the importance of advocating on Capitol Hill.

We welcome Tim to our organizations as we continue to educate our lawmakers on the critical issues facing family-owned businesses and as we work with our members, supporters, donors, and strategic partners to make sure our voice is heard.

Family Enterprise USA Action engages with legislators on Capitol Hill on behalf of family offices, hardworking families, and family-owned businesses. It is focused exclusively on the critical tax and economic policies that impact them. Since 1995, FEUSA Action has been the leading advocacy group working daily in Washington, D.C., to reduce and eliminate estate tax, gift tax, and generation skipping transfer tax while blocking increased income and capital gains taxes, the creation of a wealth tax, and other hostile policies that punish hardworking taxpayers and success in the U.S. It is a bipartisan 501.c4 organization.