III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 589 

Designating November 24, 2012, as ‘‘Small Business Saturday’’ and supporting efforts to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small 

businesses. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 22 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 21), 2012 

Ms. SNOWE (for herself, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. RISCH, Mr. KERRY, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mrs. HAGAN, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. ENZI, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. HOEVEN, Mr. PRYOR, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. 

COONS, Mr. KIRK, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, 

Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Ms. AYOTTE, 

Mr. BEGICH, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. 

MERKLEY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BAUCUS, 

Mr. LEVIN, Mr. WARNER, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. TESTER, 

Mrs. SHAHEEN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. THUNE, Mr. 

CHAMBLISS, Mrs. BOXER, and Mr. BENNET) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating November 24, 2012, as ‘‘Small Business Saturday’’ and supporting efforts to increase awareness of 

the value of locally owned small businesses. 

Whereas small businesses represent 99.7 percent of all businesses having employees (commonly referred to as ‘‘employer firms’’) in the United States; 

Whereas small businesses employ 1⁄2 of the employees in the 

private sector in the United States; 


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•SRES 589 ATS 

Whereas small businesses pay 44 percent of the total payroll 

of the employees in the private sector in the United 

States; 

Whereas small businesses are responsible for more than 50 

percent of the private, nonfarm product of the gross domestic product; 

Whereas small businesses generated 65 percent of net new 

jobs during the last 17 years; 

Whereas small businesses generate 60 to 80 percent of all 

new jobs annually; 

Whereas small businesses focus on 2 key strategies: deepening relationships with customers and creating value for 

customers; 

Whereas, for every $100 spent with locally owned, independent stores, $68 returns to the community through 

local taxes, payroll, and other expenditures; 

Whereas 92 percent of consumers in the United States agree 

that the success of small businesses is critical to the overall economic health of the United States; 

Whereas 93 percent of consumers in the United States agree 

that small businesses contribute positively to the local 

community by supplying jobs and generating tax revenue; 

Whereas 91 percent of consumers in the United States have 

small businesses in their community that the consumers 

would miss if the small businesses closed; 

Whereas 99 percent of consumers in the United States agree 

that it is important to support the small businesses in 

their community; and 


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•SRES 589 ATS 

Whereas 90 percent of consumers in the United States are 

willing to pledge support for a ‘‘buy local’’ movement: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates November 24, 2012, as ‘‘Small 

3 Business Saturday’’; and 

4 (2) supports efforts— 

5 (A) to encourage consumers to shop lo6 cally; and 

7 (B) to increase awareness of the value of 

8 locally owned small businesses and the impact 

9 of locally owned small businesses on the econ10 omy of the United States. 

Æ 


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