We're just getting started

Today looks to be a great day that’s been a long time coming.  Today the Senate finally starts the voting on the Small Business Jobs Act and with the word that Senator Voinovich will support the bill success is at hand.  Before the voting began a press conference was held in the Mansfield Room of the Capitol.  Speaking were Senators Landrieu, Boxer, Merkely and Cantwell .  Also speaking at the event was Gene Sperling, Counselor to Treasury Secretary Geitner, John Arensmeyer, president of the Small Business Majority and me.

Today I was acting not only as president of The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce but also as the spokesperson for the American Sustainable Business Council.  The ASBC is a growing coalition of 23 business networks representing more than 50,000 companies, investors, entrepreneurs, and business professionals.   Many of these ASBC member organizations were also represented at today’s event.

We appeared today to show the strong, unequivocal support the Small Business Jobs Act has from the small business community.  Our small business organizations have worked very hard to promote passage of legislation that will start the small business loans and lines of credit flowing once again.

On the Lending Fund and other provisions in this bill, we have spoken with a clear voice, with no hesitation, no reservations, no looking over our shoulders—this bill must pass for the good of our nation.

Small businesses are ready to lead the country out of this poor economy and—with the financial resources and other provisions in this bill—we will do just that.

We need Congress to stand with us in supporting the small business community and get this done now.

Yes, this looks to be a great day.  But it also represents a great 2010—a truly transformational year for the millions of small businesses across this country.  A year when Congress heard the real voices of small business and said yes to making health care more affordable and protecting small businesses from future financial crises and predatory financial practices.

And now expanding small business lending.

I am sure that none of these ASBC folks at the press conference were on any speed dials of the Capital press corps attending today’s event.  But with the track record we have laid down this year, the media needs to reach out to the ASBC and its members to hear the real voice of America’s small business.

We’re just getting started.

Frank Knapp Jr. is president & CEO of The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce.