Obama Urges Banks To Loan More To Small Businesses 

President Barack Obama
U.S. President Barack Obama is calling on the nation's banks -especially those that received taxpayer bailouts - to give more loansto small businesses. Thepresident says small businesses are the engine that drives the U.S.economy.

President Obama says small businesses have createdabout two-thirds of all new jobs in America over the last 15 years, butnow they are having trouble getting credit.

"Over the pastcouple of years, small businesses have lost hundreds of thousands ofjobs," he said. "Many have struggled to get the loans they need tofinance their inventories and make payroll. Many entrepreneurs cannotget financing to start a small business in the first place."

Inhis weekly radio and Internet address Saturday, the president says his$787-billion economic stimulus package and other initiatives haveenabled banks to unfreeze credit and start lending again to bigbusinesses.

Now, he says, those banks should pay the taxpayers back by lending to small businesses.

"Itis time for those banks to fulfill their responsibility to help ensurea wider recovery, a more secure system, and more broadly sharedprosperity," said the president. "And we are going to take everyappropriate step to encourage them to meet those responsibilities."

Inthe past week, Mr. Obama called on Congress to increase the maximumsize of government loans to small businesses, and to make more creditavailable to small community banks.

The president also says hishealth reform plan will help small businesses by offering employeehealth insurance and giving tax breaks to the businesses.

Senator Mike Johanns (R-Neb) (file photo)In theRepublican Party message, Senator Mike Johanns, from the Central stateof Nebraska, says the Democrats' health overhaul proposals will makelife worse for many Americans.

"True health care reform shoulddecrease what you are paying and make it easier for you to receivecare," he said. "That should be a no-brainer. Yet current proposals inCongress do not accomplish this goal, and could even have the oppositeeffect."

And Senator Johanns says secret political deals arebeing made on health reform, contrary to President Obama's promise oftransparency.

"However, a 1,500 page bill, full of carve-outsand backroom deals, is currently being brokered behind closed doors,"he said. "We are about to significantly alter one-sixth of oureconomy. Now is not the time to shut Americans out."

Mr. Obamawants Congress to pass health care reform legislation by the end of theyear. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are discussingvarious bills.