Whereas President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Small Business Act on July 30, 1953, to create an independent agency to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small business concerns (as defined under section 3 of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 632 )); Whereas there are more than 33 million small business concerns in the United States; Whereas small business concerns are the lifeblood of the United States economy, driving innovation and competitiveness in the private sector; Whereas 99.9 percent of businesses across the United States are small business concerns; Whereas nearly half of all United States employees are employed by a small business concern; Whereas small business concerns have created 12.9 million net new jobs over the past 25 years, accounting for 2 out of every 3 jobs added to the economy; Whereas the Small Business Administration helps small business concerns access capital through private sector lending intermediaries; Whereas the Small Business Administration supports entrepreneurial development with free and low-cost counseling and training in partnership with resource providers; Whereas the Small Business Administration helps small business concerns access Government contracts and works with other Federal departments to award 23 percent in prime contracting dollars to small businesses; Whereas the Small Business Administration advocates on behalf of small business concerns including regulation, workforce development, and other issues; and Whereas the Small Business Administration advocates for and supports access to capital for small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals (as defined under section 8(d)(3)(C) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 637(d)(3)(C) )), small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans (as defined in section 3(q) of such Act), and small business concerns owned and controlled by women (as defined under section 3(n) of such Act): Now, therefore, be it