Boost for Small Businesses as President Obama Elevates SBA Chief to Cabinet-Level

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Last edited Fri Jan 13, 2012, 12:55 PM - Edit history (1)

President Barack Obama is expected to announce Friday that he will exercise his executive authority to elevate the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration to a cabinet-level position, according to two senior administration officials.

The announcement will come along with a broader proposal from Mr. Obama to combine the Small Business Administration with five other government offices that would become a single, streamlined agency.

The senior administration officials said the decision speaks to the SBA's current administrator, Karen Mills' accomplishments at the agency, such as reducing lender paperwork for SBA-backed loans, enforcing stricter oversight of government contracting and rolling out several laws that facilitated more lending to small businesses.

Notable small-business advocates, including Senator Olympia Snowe (R., Maine), the ranking member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, have urged Mr. Obama to restore the SBA to cabinet level, as it was under the Clinton administration.

"On every small-business issue from day one, Karen has had the president's ear," said Gene Sperling, director of the White House's National Economic Council. "She is a tenacious, tireless and effective advocate for small business."


read: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204542404577158552529949064.html

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1. .

[DevonRex]

2. I had no idea

this was coming. Excellent! And thanks for telling us.

[zipplewrath]

3. More insanity

Here again we have the GOP insanity at work. Clinton and Obama both elevate the SBA to a cabinet level position. Bush LOWERS it. But it is Obama who is "hostile" to business. Maybe the Chamber of Commerce should change their name to the "Chamber of Big Business".