( CNN ) -- Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a Democrat-backed bill that would have extended tax cuts to small businesses . Both sides indicated the vote was political one -- Democrats said Republicans blocked the bill to cost President Barack Obama political points . Republicans said that the legislation was a campaign stunt and was n't enough to have any impact on jump-starting the economy . By the numbers , here 's a look at small business in America : . CNN Money : Small Business . 3 - Small business tax cut bills that were rejected in the U.S. Congress this week . 1953 - Year the U.S. Small Business Administration was founded . 499 - Highest number of employees a business can have to be considered a `` small business . '' 249 - Maximum workers employed at a `` small business '' in the 1950s . 79 - Percent of American businesses that are non-employee businesses , with no employees other than the proprietor . Dear America : It 's time to up our entrepreneurial game . $ 7 million - Largest amount of average annual receipts to qualify as a small business . 20 - Percent of income eligible for tax deduction by small businesses under the Small Business Tax Cut Act , proposed by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor . $ 73 billion - Amount of the projected total increase in personal incomes if the Democrats ' Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act had passed in the Senate . $ 87 billion - Amount potentially added to the GDP . Health reform : What 's at stake for small business . 990,592 - Estimated number of jobs that would have been created . 10 % - Tax credit on new payroll , a hiring incentive for business owners under the Senate Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act . 7 - Shortage of votes needed for the Senate to be able to invoke cloture and end the debate on the bill . 5,749,797 - Firms in the U.S. with fewer than 500 employees , as of 2009 . Family business : How to pass the baton . 56,281,503 - Employees of small firms with fewer than 500 workers , in 2009 . 2.4 million - Businesses owned by veterans , making up 9 % of all businesses , as of 2007 . 45 - percent of new businesses established in 2004 that were still around in 2009 . 2 - Percent of Americans with incomes higher than $ 250,000 annually , those who would be affected by the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts , according to President Obama . 1 in 6 - Baby boomers surveyed in 2011 by AARP who expect to eventually have their own business .
Three small business tax cut bills were rejected by Congress this week . $ 7 million is the largest amount of annual receipts a business can have and still be `` small '' $ 87 billion is the potential amount added to the GDP by small business .