[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