Ranking Member Edward J. Markey highlighted on March 11 the difficulties faced by pet owners and small businesses in the pet industry due to economic policies under President Trump, during a Small Business Committee hearing titled “Main Street’s Top Dog: Growing the Small Business Pet Economy.” Markey and Rob Van Sickle, Co-Founder and CEO of Polkadog, discussed issues such as increasing health care expenses, higher business costs, and ongoing economic uncertainty.
The topic is significant because many Americans are struggling with affordability in pet ownership, while small businesses face mounting financial pressures. These challenges have been linked to recent policy decisions that affect both consumers and entrepreneurs.
“Pet owners are getting squeezed—and not in a cuddly way. Today’s ‘Pet-flation’ may mean that a trip to the vet, a visit to the pet store, or even keeping a pet at all is out of reach for many Americans, and Trump’s tariff taxes have only made small pet stores’ fight for survival that much more difficult,” said Markey. “Pet ownership should not be a privilege reserved for the wealthy. We must prevent our small pet stores—and every American small businesses—from being hounded by Trump’s destructive policy decisions.”
Van Sickle described how these pressures impact his company: “What small businesses like ours need most is stability, predictability and peace of mind to plan investments, hire workers, grow methodically, and to know and be able to say we can support our teams and their families. Our health care costs are increasing by 27% this year and that’s on the back of a 10 percent increase last year. We can’t attract and retain talent if we’re not providing reasonable health insurance to our employees. It’s challenging because we’re trying to balance many different things and all of them are a priority from raises for our employees to investing in new equipment to opening another retail location…It is literally one day at a time. We believe in doing things the right way, which more often than than not, is also not the easy way.”
Markey has taken several steps recently regarding these concerns. He introduced legislation with Senate Democrats aimed at protecting small business owners from further tariff-related harm under Section 122 tariff taxes. He also sent letters demanding transparency about economic impacts related to foreign policy actions and called for investigations into how Wall Street traders may be profiting from Main Street’s struggles with tariffs.
The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee plays an important role in supporting informed decision-making on national fiscal priorities according to its official website. The committee offers Congress comprehensive policy options on federal budget components according to its official website, features Lindsey Graham as chairman and Jeff Merkley as ranking member according to its official website, contributes through resolutions and reconciliation instructions according to its official website, was established through the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 according to its official website, and provides nonpartisan budgetary analysis via oversight of the Congressional Budget Office according to its official website.
Looking ahead, Markey said he will continue efforts “to protect small businesses, consumers, and families from rising costs as a result of the Trump administration’s reckless economic policies.”
