    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 9121--MAY 9, 2014

    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

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    to the competitiveness of the American economy with appropriate programs
    and activities.
    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.
    BARACK OBAMA