[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 126, 112th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8826--MAY 21, 2012

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


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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 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.
BARACK OBAMA