
President Barack Obama met with a group of small-business owners Wednesday in a sub-shop in Edison, New Jersey to discuss his plan to support small businesses. The plan, which he proposed to Congress to help fuel economic recovery, would seek to encourage small businesses by facilitating access to investment capital.
“The recession has meant that folks are spending less. It means that small businesses have had a tougher time getting credit and getting loans,” President Obama said. “And that’s why when I took office, we put in place an economic plan specifically to help small businesses.”
At the meeting, the President ordered the “Super Sub,” with ham, salami, cappacola, proscuttini, cheese tomatoes and toppings.
Crowds, both supporters and protestors, awaited President Obama’s arrival. In his statements after lunch, the President expressed hope that both Democratic and Republican lawmakers would be able to reach an agreement on the policy. “This is as American as apple pie,” Obama remarked. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They are central to our identity as a nation. They are going to lead this recovery. The folks standing beside me are going to lead this recovery.”



Kirsten Salyer loves listening to people’s stories. From Houston, Texas, the U.S. State Department intern studies journalism and international studies at Northwestern University. She enjoys traveling and meeting new people.
Ned Collins-Chase is an intern with the U.S. Department of State, and a student at Colgate University in New York, studying International Relations and Chinese language.