III 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 540 

Honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses in the United States 

during ‘‘National Small Business Week’’, beginning May 23, 2010. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 26, 2010 

Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself, Ms. SNOWE, Ms. CANTWELL, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. 

KERRY, Mr. BAYH, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. BOND, Mr. VITTER, Mr. ENZI, Mr. 

ISAKSON, Mr. WICKER, Mr. RISCH, and Mr. THUNE) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses in 

the United States during ‘‘National Small Business 

Week’’, beginning May 23, 2010. 

Whereas the approximately 29,600,000 small businesses in 

the United States are the driving force behind the economy of the Nation, creating more than 64 percent of all 

net new jobs and generating more than 50 percent of the 

non-farm gross domestic product of the Nation; 

Whereas small businesses will play an integral role in rebuilding the economy of the Nation; 

Whereas small businesses are the Nation’s innovators, producing 13 times more patents per employee as large 

firms, and advancing technology and productivity; 


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Whereas only 1 percent of all small businesses export and 

produce 31 percent of exported goods; 

Whereas Congress established the Small Business Administration in 1953 to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small businesses in order to preserve free and 

competitive enterprise, to ensure that a fair proportion of 

the total purchases, contracts, and subcontracts for property and services for the Federal Government are placed 

with small businesses, to make certain that a fair proportion of the total sales of Federal Government property 

are made to such small businesses, and to maintain and 

strengthen the overall economy of the Nation; 

Whereas every year since 1963 the President of the United 

States has proclaimed a National Small Business Week 

to recognize the contributions of small businesses to the 

economic well-being of the United States; 

Whereas in 2010, ‘‘National Small Business Week’’ will 

honor the estimated 29,600,000 small businesses in the 

United States; 

Whereas the Small Business Administration has helped small 

businesses with access to critical lending opportunities, 

protected small businesses from excessive Federal regulatory enforcement, played a key role in ensuring full and 

open competition for government contracts, and improved 

the economic environment in which small business concerns compete; 

Whereas for more than 50 years, the Small Business Administration has helped millions of entrepreneurs achieve the 

American dream of owning a small business and has 

played a key role in fostering economic growth; and 


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Whereas the President has designated the week beginning 

May 23, 2010, as ‘‘National Small Business Week’’: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) honors the entrepreneurial spirit of small 

3 businesses in the United States during ‘‘National 

4 Small Business Week’’, beginning May 23, 2010; 

5 (2) applauds the efforts and achievements of 

6 the owners of small businesses and their employees, 

7 whose hard work and commitment to excellence have 

8 made them a key part of the economic vitality of the 

9 Nation; 

10 (3) recognizes the work of the Small Business 

11 Administration and its resource partners in pro12 viding assistance to entrepreneurs and small busi13 nesses; and 

14 (4) recognizes the importance of ensuring 

15 that— 

16 (A) the applicable procurement goals for 

17 small businesses, including the goals for small 

18 businesses owned and controlled by service-dis19 abled veterans, small businesses owned and con20 trolled by women, HUBZone small businesses, 

21 and socially and economically disadvantaged 

22 small businesses, are reached by all Federal 

23 agencies; 


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1 (B) guaranteed loans and microloans for 

2 start-up and growing small businesses, are 

3 made available to all qualified small businesses; 

4 (C) the management assistance programs 

5 delivered by resource partners on behalf of the 

6 Small Business Administration, such as Small 

7 Business Development Centers, Women’s Busi8 ness Centers, Veterans Business Outreach Cen9 ters, and the Service Corps of Retired Execu10 tives, are provided with the Federal resources 

11 necessary to provide small businesses the tech12 nical assistance and counseling that they des13 perately need; 

14 (D) small business disaster assistance 

15 through the Small Business Administration is 

16 provided in a timely and efficient manner; 

17 (E) Federal tax policy spurs small business 

18 growth, creates jobs, and increases competitive19 ness; 

20 (F) the Federal Government reduces the 

21 regulatory compliance burden on small busi22 nesses; 

23 (G) advanced technology policy facilitates 

24 access to affordable broadband Internet service 

25 to foster rural small business growth; and 


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1 (H) systems of intellectual property protec2 tion continues to foster small business innova3 tion. 

Æ 


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