View the Original .pdfAn analysis of Presidential Proclamation 10932, designating National Small Business Week for 2025.
The 1-Minute Brief
What: A presidential proclamation officially designating May 4 through May 10, 2025, as National Small Business Week and outlining the administration's economic policies aimed at supporting entrepreneurs.
Money: The proclamation itself does not appropriate funds. However, it references policies like tariffs and deregulation which have significant financial impacts. The administration claims to have cut $100 billion in regulatory costs, while its tariff policies have generated substantial revenue but also increased costs for many businesses.
Your Impact: For most Americans, the proclamation is symbolic. The real-world impact comes from the policies it champions: tariffs may increase the price of imported goods, while deregulation could lower costs for some businesses, potentially affecting prices and services.
Status: The proclamation was signed on May 5, 2025, and published in the Federal Register on May 8, 2025.
What's Actually in the Proclamation
This document serves two primary functions: first, to ceremonially honor American entrepreneurs, and second, to promote the administration's economic agenda. It frames small businesses as the "engine of the American economy" and contrasts the administration's policies with what it describes as past failures of "reckless Federal spending, and burdensome regulations."
Core Provisions:
- Designates the week of May 4 through May 10, 2025, as National Small Business Week.
- States that America's 33 million small businesses employ 61.7 million people, creating nearly two-thirds of new jobs.
- Asserts that the administration has implemented "targeted tariffs" to shield American businesses from what it calls "unfair trade practices."
- Claims the "Made in America Manufacturing Initiative" is cutting $100 billion in regulations that it argues disproportionately affect small businesses.
Stated Purpose (from the Sponsors):
The proclamation's stated goal is to celebrate the "unyielding spirit, creativity, and perseverance" of American entrepreneurs.
- To officially recognize the contributions of small business owners to the U.S. economy.
- To highlight the administration's policies of cutting regulations, maintaining low taxes, and implementing "fair and reciprocal" trade to foster a pro-growth environment.
Key Facts:
Affected Sectors: All sectors, with an emphasis on Manufacturing, Technology, and domestic industries.
Timeline: The designated week is May 4-10, 2025. The policies mentioned are ongoing.
Scope: National, affecting all small businesses across the United States.
The Backstory: How We Got Here
Timeline of Events:
The Tradition of National Small Business Week (1963-Present):
Since 1963, every U.S. President has issued a proclamation for National Small Business Week. The tradition was started by President John F. Kennedy to honor entrepreneurs and is organized by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which was created in 1953. The week typically includes award ceremonies and events to celebrate the achievements of small business owners nationwide.
The Economic Context (2020-2025):
The period leading up to this proclamation was marked by significant economic turbulence. Small businesses navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, subsequent supply chain disruptions, high inflation, and tight credit conditions. In response, the previous and current administrations implemented various economic strategies. This proclamation positions the administration's policies of deregulation and tariffs as the primary solution to these challenges, arguing they unleash growth by reducing domestic burdens and shielding businesses from foreign competition.
Why Now? The Political Calculus:
- Annual Tradition: The proclamation is timed to coincide with the traditional celebration of National Small Business Week in the first full week of May.
- Reinforcing a Core Message: The document is a vehicle to promote a central theme of the administration's "America First" economic policy. It uses the popular, non-partisan appeal of "small business" to frame its more controversial policies—like broad tariffs—as protective and beneficial for the average American entrepreneur.
- Economic Narrative: By highlighting challenges like inflation and a "broken global trade system," the proclamation aims to validate its policy choices as necessary corrections to long-standing problems.
Your Real-World Impact
The Direct Answer: The proclamation itself has no direct impact on most Americans, but the policies it promotes directly affect business owners, their employees, and consumers.
What Could Change for You:
Potential Benefits:
- For Some Business Owners: Companies in sectors shielded by tariffs may face less foreign competition. Deregulation can reduce compliance costs and administrative burdens, freeing up resources for investment or hiring.
- For Domestic Workers: If tariffs and "Made in America" initiatives succeed in boosting domestic manufacturing, it could lead to job creation in those sectors.
Possible Disruptions or Costs:
Short-term (1-2 years):
- For Consumers: Tariffs are taxes on imports, which can lead to higher prices for a wide range of consumer goods, from electronics to household items.
- For Businesses Using Imports: Companies that rely on imported materials or products for their supply chains face higher costs and potential disruptions, which can harm their competitiveness.
Long-term:
- Trade Wars: Aggressive tariff policies can lead to retaliatory tariffs from other countries, hurting American exporters like farmers and manufacturers who sell their products overseas.
- Regulatory Gaps: While deregulation can cut red tape, critics argue it can also weaken protections in areas like the environment and workplace safety.
Who's Most Affected:
Primary Groups: Small business owners, importers, exporters, and domestic manufacturers.
Secondary Groups: Consumers (through price changes), employees in trade-sensitive industries, and communities dependent on local manufacturing or export economies.
Regional Impact: Regions with a heavy manufacturing base may see benefits. Port communities and agricultural states that rely on exports could be negatively impacted by retaliatory tariffs.
Bottom Line: The policies championed in this proclamation could create winners and losers; some domestic industries may benefit from protection, while consumers and businesses reliant on global trade may face higher costs.
Where the Parties Stand
Republican Position: "America First Economic Policy"
Core Stance: The party's platform emphasizes domestic production, deregulation, and using tariffs to rebalance trade and protect American jobs.
Their Arguments:
- ✓ Reducing regulations and cutting taxes are the most effective ways to unleash economic growth for businesses of all sizes.
- ✓ Tariffs are a necessary tool to counteract unfair trade practices from countries like China and protect strategic industries.
- ✗ They generally oppose government intervention in the market unless it is to remove perceived barriers or correct trade imbalances.
Legislative Strategy: To support baseline tariffs on foreign goods, pass reciprocal trade acts, and continue rolling back federal regulations deemed burdensome to business.
Democratic Position: "Investing in Main Street"
Core Stance: Democrats support small businesses through targeted investments, access to capital, and ensuring a level playing field with large corporations.
Their Arguments:
- ✓ Support strengthening the Small Business Administration (SBA), expanding access to capital, and investing in infrastructure and innovation that benefits small firms.
- ⚠️ Cautious about broad deregulation, arguing it can harm workers and the environment, and prefer trade agreements that protect labor and environmental standards over unilateral tariffs.
- ✗ Oppose tax policies that they argue disproportionately benefit large corporations over small businesses and advocate for strengthening consumer protection regulations.
Legislative Strategy: To fully fund SBA programs, increase federal contracting opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses, and pursue trade policies through international agreements rather than broad tariffs.
Constitutional Check
The Verdict: ✓ Constitutional
Basis of Authority:
The President's authority to issue proclamations is an implied power derived from Article II of the U.S. Constitution.
Article II, Section 1: "The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America."
Constitutional Implications:
[Executive Power]: Issuing ceremonial proclamations like this one is a long-standing and accepted presidential practice used to declare holidays, recognize events, or make policy statements.
[Precedent]: Every president since John F. Kennedy in 1963 has issued a proclamation for National Small Business Week, establishing a firm precedent.
[Federalism]: This proclamation does not interfere with powers reserved for the states. While the policies it mentions (trade, regulation) involve federal authority, the proclamation itself is a federal declaration.
Potential Legal Challenges:
The proclamation itself is highly unlikely to face a legal challenge. However, the substantive policies it celebrates, particularly the broad use of tariffs under authorities like the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), have faced and could continue to face legal challenges questioning whether they represent an overreach of executive authority.
Your Action Options
TO SUPPORT THE POLICIES IN THIS PROCLAMATION
5-Minute Actions:
- Call Your Rep/Senators: Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121. "I'm a constituent from [Your City/Town] and I urge [Rep./Sen. Name] to support policies like deregulation and tariffs that protect American businesses, as highlighted in the National Small Business Week proclamation."
30-Minute Deep Dive:
- Write a Detailed Email: Contact members of the House Committee on Small Business or the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship to express your support for these pro-growth policies.
- Join an Organization: Groups like the National Association of Manufacturers or the America First Policy Institute often advocate for deregulation and protective trade policies.
TO OPPOSE THE POLICIES IN THIS PROCLAMATION
5-Minute Actions:
- Call Your Rep/Senators: Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121. "I'm a constituent from [Your City/Town] and I urge [Rep./Sen. Name] to oppose broad tariffs and deregulation that could harm consumers and exporters."
30-Minute Deep Dive:
- Write a Letter to the Editor: Submit a letter to your local newspaper explaining how tariffs on imported goods could raise prices for families in your community or how retaliatory tariffs could harm local industries.
- Join an Organization: Groups like the National Retail Federation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (on tariffs), or consumer advocacy organizations often oppose broad tariffs and advocate for a different approach to trade and regulation.