President Obama Address 10/24/09

[1:40] ..." exchange. Which may offer better coverage at lower costs and won't provide tax credits for those that choose to do so. And this past week I called on congress to increase the maximum size of various SBA loans. So the more small business owners can set up shop and grow their operations. I also announced the will be taking additional steps to our financial stability plan"...

[2:34] ..." a car or home or pay for college. The idea was to jumpstart lending and keep our economy from spiraling into a depression. Fortunately it worked thanks to the American taxpayers we've now achieved the stability we need to get our economy moving forward again. -- credit may be more available for large businesses too many small business owners are still struggling to get the credit they need. These are the very taxpayers who stood by America's banks in a crisis."...

[3:30] ..." economy as a whole can't move ahead -- small businesses and the middle class continue to fall behind. This country was built by dreamers. For the workers who took a chance on their desire to be there own boss. The part time in bettors who became the full time onto the -- The men and women who helped build the American middle class keeping alive that most American of -- that all things are possible for all people. And we're limited only by the size"...

[0:01]" All across America even today on Saturday millions of Americans are harder work. The running the mom and pop stores and neighborhood restaurants we know when law. The building tiny startups with -- big ideas for could revolutionize an industry may be even transform our economy. They are the more than half of all Americans who work in small business or own -- small business. And embodied the spirit of possibility. The relentless work ethic and hope for something better that's at the heart of the American dream. They also represent a segment of our economy that has been hard hit by this recession. Over the past couple years small businesses have lost hundreds of thousands of jobs. Many of struggle to get the loans they need to finance their inventories and make payroll. Many options -- can't get financing to start small business in the first place. And many more are discouraged from even trying because of the crushing cost of health care. Cost that a force too many small businesses to cut benefits shed jobs we're shut their doors for good. Small businesses have always been the engine of our economy creating 65% of all new jobs over the past decade and half. And they must be at the forefront of our recovery. That's why the recovery act was designed to help small businesses expand and create jobs. It's provided five billion dollars worth of tax relief. As close temporarily reducing or eliminating fees on SBA loans and guaranteeing some of these loans up to 90%. Which is supported nearly thirteen billion dollars in new lending to more than 33000. Businesses. In addition our health reform plan will allow small businesses to buy insurance for their employees to an insurance exchange. Which may offer better coverage at lower costs and won't provide tax credits for those that choose to do so. And this past week I called on congress to increase the maximum size of various SBA loans. So the more small business owners can set up shop and grow their operations. I also announced the will be taking additional steps to our financial stability plan to make more credit available to the small local and community banks. That so many small businesses depend. The banks who know their borrowers who gave them their first loan and watch them grow. The goal here is to get credit where it's needed most to businesses to support families sustain communities and create the jobs that power economy. That's why we enacted the financial stability plan in the first place back when many of our largest banks were on the verge of collapse. Our credit markets were frozen and was nearly impossible for ordinary people to get loans to buy a car or home or pay for college. The idea was to jumpstart lending and keep our economy from spiraling into a depression. Fortunately it worked thanks to the American taxpayers we've now achieved the stability we need to get our economy moving forward again. -- credit may be more available for large businesses too many small business owners are still struggling to get the credit they need. These are the very taxpayers who stood by America's banks in a crisis. And now it's time for banks to stand by credit worthy small businesses and make the loans they need to open their doors grow their operations and create new jobs. It's time for those banks to fulfill their responsibility to help in short a wider recovery a more secure system. And a more broadly shared prosperity. And read -- take every appropriate step to encourage them to meet those responsibilities. Because it's one thing we've learned it's that here in America we rise and fall together. Our economy as a whole can't move ahead -- small businesses and the middle class continue to fall behind. This country was built by dreamers. For the workers who took a chance on their desire to be there own boss. The part time in bettors who became the full time onto the -- The men and women who helped build the American middle class keeping alive that most American of -- that all things are possible for all people. And we're limited only by the size of our dreams and our willingness to work for them. We need to do everything we can't ensure that they can keep taking those risks acting on those dreams and building the enterprises that fuel our economy. And make us who we are. Thanks."