CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE STATEMENT ON NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

May 12, 2014       

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee issued the following statement in recognition of National Small Business Week:     

“This week, we celebrate National Small Business Week and recognize the contributions of small businesses across the country and those right here in the 18th Congressional District. For more than 50 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation designating a week in which the nation applauds the important contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.

“With more than half of Americans either owning or working for a small business, it is clear these companies are a vital part of our nation’s fabric.  Every day, small firms and their employees across every sector and industry are working to grow and become stronger.  When they do, we all benefit from their innovations, their job-creating power, and their ability to make the U.S. more competitive globally. Democrats back an agenda that will help small business startup and grow.

“This includes supporting tax credits to help small businesses hire new employees.  It also includes calling for immigration reform, which would provide a solution for those businesses facing a maze of problems when hiring immigrant workers, expanding financing options for entrepreneurs, especially in low- and moderate-income communities. We must also oppose cuts to job training programs that help meet American businesses’ workforce needs. Lastly, we must include working on a long-term extension of the Highway Trust Fund, which is critical for small construction firms across the nation.

“It is against this backdrop that we stop and recognize the entrepreneurs that impact our lives every day. National Small Business Week provides such an opportunity. Whether it is opening a new storefront, training workers, or sponsoring activities in our cities and towns, we have many reasons to thank small businesses. This week we do so, and recognize these entrepreneurs not only for the contributions that they have already made, but also for their future work to strengthen our local communities.”

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