    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 9877 of May 3, 2019

    National Small Business Week, 2019

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    During National Small Business Week, we honor America's entrepreneurs
    who take a risk on an idea, invest in their neighborhoods, and create
    jobs for others. Small business owners exemplify the American spirit by
    developing new ways to provide goods and services to consumers. As a
    Nation, we reaffirm our commitment to the free market so that American
    small businesses continue to thrive.
    America's 30 million small businesses are central to our economy and our
    communities. Their courageous innovation makes our cities and towns
    vibrant places to live, work, and raise families. Small businesses
    employ almost 59 million workers, more than one-third of our country's
    labor force. These companies foster environments that reward problem
    solving and accountability, enabling workers to develop skills and
    valuable hands-on experience that propel their careers.
    The success of our small businesses depends on leadership and vision
    from all perspectives and backgrounds. Approximately 10 million American
    small businesses are women-owned; 29 percent are minority-owned; and
    nearly 10 percent are veteran-owned. As our Nation continues to enjoy
    record low unemployment, with African-American, Hispanic-American, and
    Asian-American unemployment all having achieved historic lows, we
    recognize that much of this success is due to small businesses creating
    two out of every three net new jobs in our booming economy.
    My Administration is a strong ally and advocate of small businesses and
    their ability to help America reach its full economic potential. Most
    small businesses are now able to deduct 20 percent from their taxable
    business income due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This historic
    legislation and other pro-growth policies of my Administration,
    including the elimination of unnecessary and burdensome regulations,
    have enabled small business owners to reinvest their profits into their
    businesses. Additionally, we are investing in infrastructure and cyber

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    security to ensure America's entrepreneurs have the tools and
    technologies they need to compete in a global economy. New initiatives
    are making it easier for small businesses to offer healthcare coverage
    options that until now have been largely unaffordable. Moreover, once
    approved by the Congress, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement
    (USMCA) will better serve the interests of American workers and
    businesses, including through strong intellectual property protections
    that secure innovation and trade secrets. The USMCA is the first trade
    agreement in our Nation's history to include a chapter specifically
    focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises. All of these efforts to
    create a more friendly business environment have enabled business owners
    to pay bonuses, increase wages, and increase benefits--putting more
    money in the pockets of their workers.
    This week, we celebrate the pioneering spirit, creativity, and
    determination upon which America has always been built. This undaunted
    conviction drives our entrepreneurs and small business owners, whose
    hard work and perseverance give our Nation economic strength. Their
    initiative, combined with the greatest workforce in the world, is
    enabling us to convert the unlimited potential of America into great
    wealth and prosperity.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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 5 through May 11,
    2019, as National Small Business Week. I call upon all Americans to
    recognize the critical contributions of America's entrepreneurs and
    small business owners as they grow our Nation's economy.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of May,
    in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence
    of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.
    DONALD J. TRUMP