[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 101 (Thursday, May 24, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 31149-31150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-12879]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 101 / Thursday, May 24, 2012 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 31149]]


                Proclamation 8826 of May 21, 2012

                
National Small Business Week, 2012

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                For centuries, America's progress has been driven by 
                pioneers who think big, take risks, and work hard. 
                Where their ideas take root, we find inventions that 
                can change the way we live. And when their businesses 
                take off, they fuel an engine of economic growth and 
                job creation that moves America forward. During 
                National Small Business Week, we celebrate the 
                generations of entrepreneurs who have given their all 
                to realize a dream, and we renew our promise to help 
                their businesses grow, hire, and succeed.

                Because small businesses are the backbone of our 
                economy, we must ensure our country recovers and 
                rebuilds not only from the top down, but also from the 
                bottom up and the middle out. That is how we will forge 
                an America built to last, and that is why my 
                Administration continues to widen the circle of 
                opportunity for our workers and our businesses. Since I 
                took office, we have repeatedly cut taxes for small 
                businesses and expanded access to the capital they need 
                to thrive. We launched the Startup America initiative, 
                which has connected entrepreneurs to mentorship 
                opportunities, cut red tape that would limit their 
                success, and accelerated innovation in critical 
                industries like health care, clean energy, and 
                education. I was proud to sign the America Invents Act, 
                which is helping entrepreneurs and businesses bring 
                their inventions to market as quickly as possible. 
                Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and 
                the Small Business Jobs Act, the Small Business 
                Administration has supported over $70 billion in 
                lending to small businesses nationwide, and agencies 
                across my Administration have taken action to make 
                Government a more effective resource for entrepreneurs.

                Yet, when Americans who want to work cannot find a job, 
                we know we must do more. Last month, I was proud to 
                sign the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, a 
                bipartisan bill that enables ordinary Americans to 
                invest in entrepreneurs they believe in. I was also 
                proud to announce the Small Business Network of the 
                Americas and the Women's Entrepreneurship in the 
                Americas initiative, which--coupled with new Free Trade 
                Agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama--will help 
                unlock new markets for companies of all sizes, expand 
                small business exports, and support the broad-based 
                economic growth that is essential to our prosperity. 
                And earlier this year, we launched Business USA--a new 
                online platform to give businesses full access to the 
                resources they need at every stage of development. 
                Moving forward, we will continue to promote tax reform 
                to ease burdens on small businesses and entrepreneurs. 
                And we will seek out new ways to help our companies 
                grow by opening up the global marketplace, leveling the 
                playing field, and forging strong partnerships between 
                government and private enterprise.

                Our Nation has always believed that anyone with a solid 
                plan and a willingness to work hard can turn even an 
                improbable idea into a successful business. For 
                generations, that powerful notion has been at the heart 
                of the American promise, forging a legacy of bold 
                entrepreneurship that lives on today and lights the 
                path to a brighter tomorrow. During National Small

[[Page 31150]]

                Business Week, let us reflect on that proud history and 
                resolve to carry it forward in the years to come.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim May 20 through May 
                26, 2012, as National Small Business Week. I call upon 
                all Americans to recognize the contributions of small 
                businesses to the competitiveness of the American 
                economy with appropriate programs and activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2012-12879
Filed 5-23-12; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F2-P