President Obama Calls on Congress to Pass a Small Business Jobs Package

(Para leer la versión en español ir a Noticias Relacionadas).
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, at an event honoring Small Business Owners of the Year from across the country, the President will urge Congress to pass a Small Business Jobs Package, including a proposal he put forth in early February to create a new Small Business Lending Fund to provide small businesses with the tools to access capital so they can grow and hire.

Earlier this month, the President sent legislation on the Small Business Lending Fund to Congress earlier this month, along with a new state small business credit initiative that will help expand lending for small businesses and manufacturers at a time when budget shortfalls are forcing states to cut back on lending programs. Today, the President will urge the House and Senate to move quickly on these and other proposals that encourage investment in our nation’s small businesses, which are crucial to our efforts to create new jobs across the country.

The President’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below:

Good afternoon, and welcome to the White House. This is the beginning of National Small Business Week, which every President has recognized since John F. Kennedy started the tradition in 1963. And with us are some of the most successful, hardworking entrepreneurs from across America. Each of you has distinguished yourself as the Small Business Owner of the Year in your state or region, and later today the national winner will be announced. But all of you should be extremely proud of what you’ve accomplished this year. I know I am.

Being a successful small business owner isn’t just about collecting a profit or outperforming your competitors. It’s about contributing to the success of this country’s economy. It’s about securing your piece of the American Dream.

What has always distinguished us as a nation is the belief that this is the place where anyone with a good idea and the will to work hard can succeed. It’s the belief that has brought millions to our shores, and carried us through even the toughest economic times.

And it’s how small businesses begin. Maybe someone finally decides to take a chance on his dream. Or maybe a worker decides it’s time she became her own boss. Either way, these entrepreneurial pioneers ...