For immediate release

Washington – Today President Bush held a business roundtable, another photo op to retain Republican Congressional seats rather than improve a record that has done nothing to help small businesses struggling to get ahead. John Kerry, Senior Democrat on the Senate Small Business Committee, released the following statement:

“The President talks about the entrepreneurial spirit, but time and again, he has made choices that do anything but foster small business growth. He has cut the Small Business Administration more than any other Federal Agency, and SBA lending to minorities is proportionally stagnant, with loans to African Americans stuck at two percent. Not only is there a lack of growth, but he’s actually eliminated all funding for the SBA’s largest loan program, which provides 40 percent of long-term lending to small businesses in this country.”

Poverty under Bush’s leadership has remained about 12.6 percent, with 17.1 percent of children and 10.1 percent of the elderly living in poverty. Interest rates have gone up 17 times since June 2004, as experts portray the real estate market as a house of cards, and businesses in New Orleans are still waiting for help.