Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Small Business Committee Chair Mary Landrieu, and Senator Mark Warner joined Small Business Administrator Karen Mills and Terry Gardiner of the Small Business Majority at a press conference this morning to highlight efforts by Senate Democrats to strengthen and support America’s small businesses. The Democratic small business agenda includes provisions in the Wall Street accountability bill ensuring access to credit, the recently-passed HIRE Act, which is saving small businesses $8.5 billion in taxes, and new legislation to cut taxes for small businesses, increase access to credit, and promote job creation.

“We know that the road to recovery in Nevada and across the country runs through the private sector,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. “And we know the engines that run the private sector are our small businesses. They are in big cities and small towns, and they play the most critical role in crafting what our future will look like.”

“Small businesses are America’s engine for job growth, creating 2 out of every 3 new jobs across the country,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “We need to make sure small businesses continue to have the tools they need to drive our nation’s economic recovery and create jobs. Now is not the time to pull back. The President and Congressional Democrats have put forward a small business agenda that builds on the success of the Recovery Act by providing access to capital, tax relief and stability the credit markets.”

“For years, small businesses have been the job creators in America,” said Senator Landrieu. “The package of bills that the Senate is currently considering put much-needed capital into the hands of small businesses to hire workers, grow their businesses or expand their infrastructure, in addition to improving trade and counseling programs to support small businesses. On top of everything, it provides tax cuts to small businesses to the tune of $11.7 billion. It is time we put aside the games and start focusing on the real problems facing small businesses, so they can continue hiring workers and sustaining our economy.”

“Many Virginia small business owners tell me they are ‘recovering’ but they are not yet ‘recovered,’” said Senator Mark Warner. “It is vitally important that we work to support our nation’s small businesses by knocking-down the barriers that prevent them from getting loans and investing in the future.”

"This Congress has done a great deal to assist the country's 28 million small business owners--many of whom need help now more than ever as we struggle to pull ourselves out of this recession," said Terry Gardiner of the Small Business Majority. "Congress has passed crucial pieces of legislation, including healthcare reform, tax credits to hire new workers and increased SBA loans, that will go a long way in getting our entrepreneurs the help they desperately need."

The video of remarks by Senators Reid and Landrieu and Administrator Mills can be viewed by clicking here.