White House Blog: Economic development for Indian Country

Thursday, December 1, 2011  

"Tuesday night in Talequah, Oklahoma, SBA’s Deputy Administrator Marie Johns and I had the chance to talk with nearly 20 young Native American entrepreneurs. They had great ideas for building businesses, ranging from construction to IT, to defense contracting. As someone who grew up in a small-business family on a reservation in Cherokee, North Carolina, I could relate to their needs, concerns, and questions.

Today, I work with Native entrepreneurs and small business owners throughout the U.S., helping them find the tools they need to grow and create jobs. For example, we helped over 500 firms owned by Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians to get SBA loans and microloans in the fiscal year that just ended.

Today, the most important way we can continue to help these small businesses is through the President’s proposals in the American Jobs Act. For example, President Obama has proposed cutting in half payroll taxes, which will help more than 20,000 Native American owned businesses as they continue to grow and create jobs."

Get the Story:
Christopher James / Assistant Administrator for Native American Affairs, Small Business Administration: Empowering America’s Job Creators in Indian Country (White House Blog 12/1)