WASHINGTON – More than 100 small business owners from around the country voiced concerns about taxes, regulations and the need for a skilled workforce at a forum hosted by President Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
“America is on the verge of a golden age for small business,” Trump said. “We are ending job-killing regulation, eliminating massive restrictions on American energy, and pursuing bold tax cuts so our companies can thrive, compete and grow. Together, we are unleashing a new era of American prosperity.”
The White House event was part of American Dream Week and recognized entrepreneurship as a pathway to success. Small business owners discussed their challenges during a Q&A session in the East Room with U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon and Ivanka Trump, First Daughter and Advisor to the President.
“As I travel and listen to small businesses all over the country, the themes are the same – I hear concerns about overly burdensome regulations and the need for tax reform and a skilled workforce, and the conversation at the White House was no different,” McMahon said. “I want them to know they have an advocate in Washington, not only in me, but in the President of the United States. He has lived his own American Dream. He believes in it, as do I. The American Dream exists for all of us.”
President Trump noted this is an opportune time for small businesses in America, as the stock market hit a record high and unemployment dropped to a 16-year low.
“We are setting economic records, jobs are coming back and factories are coming back into our country,” Trump said.
This week the SBA begins its 65th year as the federal agency that advocates for small businesses and helps them access capital, contracting, counseling, disaster assistance and international trade assistance. “When people think of the SBA, they automatically think loans. But SBA is much more than that. It is a counselor and mentor for networking and helping small businesses start, grow and succeed,” McMahon said.