[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9270 of May 1, 2015

National Small Business Week, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

America's small businesses are the backbone of our economy, employing
half of our country's private sector workforce and creating nearly two
out of every three new jobs in our country. Representing the
quintessential American ideals of hard work and ingenuity, small
businesses--from startups to mom-and-pop shops--are crucial to our
national prosperity and economic security. During National Small
Business Week, we recommit to advancing these vital enterprises, and we
celebrate their contributions to our collective American story.
From day one, my Administration has made supporting our Nation's small
businesses a priority. We have fought to ensure our tax code reflects
our values and encourages growth, and part of that effort includes
making sure those who take risks and do the hard work of turning a good
idea into a great business get a fair deal. That is why I have signed
into law 18 different tax cuts for small businesses, which are helping
them thrive in the 21st-century economy. By investing in our
infrastructure, expanding access to credit, and assisting entrepreneurs
as they start out and scale up, we are continuing to bolster America's
small business community.
My Administration is committed to ensuring small businesses have the
tools, resources, and expertise they need to succeed. Last year, we
built on the success of my QuickPay initiative--which has already
generated over $1 billion in cost savings for small businesses--by
launching SupplierPay, a new partnership with the private sector to
strengthen small businesses by increasing their working capital. The
Affordable Care Act is working to expand insurance coverage, reduce
health care costs, and improve the quality of care--all of which help
small businesses and our economy. Additionally, the law allows small
businesses access to SHOP, a competitive marketplace where they can look
for coverage that meets their needs and where they cannot be charged
more for operating in blue-collar industries, employing women, or
insuring people with pre-existing conditions. We are also focused on
injecting capital into emerging, entrepreneurial communities, supporting
ventures operated by women, veterans, and underserved populations. And
we continue to work to open new markets for small exporters because we
know trade promotion bolsters our small businesses and their employees.

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Our small businesses represent what is best about our Nation--the idea
that with determination and responsibility, anyone can build a better
life for themselves and their loved ones. For more than two centuries,
American innovation has sparked ideas that have changed our lives and
the course of our history for the better. This week, we recognize the
role small businesses play as pillars of our communities and engines of
our growing economy, and we rededicate ourselves to fostering the
entrepreneurial spirit that has forged the strongest economy the world
has ever known.
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 4 through May 8,
2015, 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 first day of May,
in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.
BARACK OBAMA