[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 15 (Monday, April 21, 2008)]
[Page 539]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 8241--Small Business Week, 2008

 April 17, 2008

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    In communities across America, small business owners are working 
hard to turn their dreams into enterprises. Small Business Week is a 
time to celebrate the many achievements of small business owners, 
entrepreneurs, and employees, who contribute to the vitality and 
prosperity of our Nation and create new job opportunities for our 
citizens.
    Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and my 
Administration is committed to fostering an environment in which the 
entrepreneurial spirit can thrive. By keeping taxes low, we leave more 
money in the hands of Americans to save, spend, and invest. This year, 
we have also temporarily expanded incentives to help small businesses 
invest in new equipment and expand their enterprises. We have also 
expanded market access and opened new markets for American goods and 
services abroad, helping our small businesses compete in the global 
economy. To make health care more affordable and accessible, we continue 
to support Association Health Plans so small businesses can band 
together to get the same discounts that big companies receive.
    The underpinnings of our economy are strong, competitive, and 
resilient enough to overcome the challenges we face, and in the long 
run, Americans can be confident that our economy will continue to grow. 
During Small Business Week and throughout the year, we recognize the 
determination and ingenuity of America's workers and entrepreneurs who 
play a vital role in building a more prosperous future for our country.
     Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States 
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 
and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 20 through April 
26, 2008, as Small Business Week. I call upon all Americans to observe 
this week with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs that 
celebrate the achievements of small business owners and their employees 
and encourage the development of new small businesses.
     In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth 
day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
second.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:40 a.m., April 21, 
2008]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on April 18, and it will be published in the Federal Register 
on April 22.