[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 93 (Wednesday, May 14, 2014)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 27721-27722]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11304]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 93 / Wednesday, May 14, 2014 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 27721]]


                Proclamation 9121 of May 9, 2014

                
National Small Business Week, 2014

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Small businesses represent an ideal at the heart of our 
                Nation's promise--that with ingenuity and hard work, 
                anyone can build a better life. They are also the 
                lifeblood of our economy, employing half of our 
                country's workforce and creating nearly two out of 
                every three new American jobs. During National Small 
                Business Week, we renew our commitment to helping these 
                vital enterprises thrive.

                From day one, my Administration has been focused on 
                cultivating an environment where small businesses can 
                succeed. During my first term, we added 18 direct tax 
                breaks for small businesses, including new tax credits 
                for hiring unemployed workers and veterans and for 
                investing in new equipment. Through the Small Business 
                Administration (SBA), we have supported hundreds of 
                thousands of loans. And to ensure small businesses have 
                a voice in economic decisions, I elevated the Small 
                Business Administrator to a Cabinet level position.

                My Administration is also working to ease burdens on 
                businesses. We cut in half the time it takes for the 
                Federal Government to pay small business contractors, 
                freeing up more resources for growth. To provide a 
                boost to the smallest new businesses, we have 
                eliminated SBA fees on loans under 150,000 dollars and 
                waived fees for veterans who take out loans under 
                350,000 dollars. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, it 
                is now easier for small business owners to purchase 
                quality health insurance, and they are now eligible for 
                tax credits that cover up to half of the cost of 
                providing coverage for their employees. And we continue 
                to implement patent reforms that are reducing the 
                application backlog, protecting American intellectual 
                property abroad, and helping entrepreneurs roll out 
                their inventions sooner.

                Yet we have more work to do. In the years to come, we 
                must protect tax credits that help small businesses 
                hire and add incentives for paying workers higher 
                wages. We must ensure entrepreneurs--even those who are 
                not rich--have the resources to take their businesses 
                to the next level. Because if we create a more level 
                playing field, the best ideas will rise to the top, 
                opportunity will flourish, and America will prosper.

                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 12 through May 
                16, 2014, 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.

[[Page 27722]]

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

[FR Doc. 2014-11304
Filed 5-13-14; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F4