This allows nearly 90% of U.S. small businesses to gain effectively free coverage for their employees if they chose, a powerful incentive for hiring more skilled labor, and an arguable boon for small businesses. The ACA also provide a financially sound option for 83% of the currently uncovered employees of small businesses in the United States, effectively closing the, albeit small, coverage gap that existed before the ACA was implemented.
After identifying that the ACA seems to be a tentatively good policy for small business in the long run, how do the two candidates stand on the issue? Hillary Clinton, whose website claims she will "be the small business president," takes a strong stance on healthcare, vowing to defend the Affordable Care Act and strengthen its benefits while minimizing its detriments in regards to small business. A position which reflects the ACA's seemingly positive relationship with small business. Donald Trump on the other hand wholly opposes the Affordable Care Act, stating that he will request a congressional repeal of the act on his first day in office. In regards to small business, it is important to keep in mind how the ACA affects may manifest differently in the future, and to have a candidate ready to pounce on the potential benefits and protect against the potential detriments, rather than have a broad sweeping and preemptive policy.<!-- flush -->