    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [April 7, 2008]
    [Pages 482-483]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Meeting With Small and Midsize Business Owners
    April 7, 2008

        I just had a fascinating discussion with fellow citizens who happen
    to be small-business owners, people who run small businesses. And I'm
    talking about a variety of small business. We got a meatpacker, an apple
    processor; we've got a grinder, a large equipment manufacturer,
    education man. I mean, we got a lot of folks from different backgrounds
    and different States, all of whom were talking about the effects of the
    progrowth economic package that was passed by the Congress and how that
    package is causing them to make capital investments that they might not
    have made in the year 2008.
        And that's important, because in times of economic uncertainty, we
    want people making investment, so when a person buys an apple press,
    somebody is going to have to manufacture that press. When somebody
    manufactures that press, it means there's more likely to be work and
    income.
        And so I'm very pleased to have heard from the small-business owners
    here that the package is going to cause them to make decisions that will
    help us recover out of this economic slowdown.
        Now, having said that, they did share concerns with me. And I
    understand those concerns, and I feel the same way. One, there's concern
    about the high price of fuel. I mean, people have to make a living, and
    they're driving their cars and their trucks, and it's--fuel is hurting
    people. And so I fully understand that not only are people worried about
    their homes, they're worried about the cost of fuel--and one of the
    reasons why we got to keep taxes low.
        As a matter of fact, one of the things that's going to happen with
    this progrowth package is that not only is it going to affect small
    businesses like it's affected folks here, but 130 million families are
    going to get some money, their own money. And of course, the purpose of
    that is to help boost

    [[Page 483]]

    consumption. We're in a rough time right now. I'm confident we're going
    to come out of it. And when we do, we're going to be a stronger and
    better country.
        Congress, of course, is contemplating different measures. And my
    only advice to them is, one, make sure you give the progrowth package
    that was passed overwhelmingly a chance to work. Let's see what the
    effects are. Secondly, anything they do should not hurt the economy. And
    thirdly, I--you know, I think we ought to--in terms of progrowth
    packages--I think we ought to, again I repeat, give this one a chance to
    kick in. The experts tell me that this progrowth package is going to add
    some--you know, a percent, percent-and-a-half to the economy here in the
    latter part of this year. If that's the case, it's going to be an
    important part of recovering.
        Anyway, long and short of it is, I thank you all for coming--very
    useful meeting. I thank you for being entrepreneurs. Thanks for working
    hard to provide for your families. Thank you for looking after your
    employees the way you do. Appreciate the fact that you're making
    investments in the year 2008 which will get this economy going.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:46 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House.