SRES-201-119
Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2753; text: CR S2758)
Sponsored by Joni Ernst (R-IA)
What it does
This resolution expresses the Senate's support for designating the week of May 4–10, 2025, as "National Small Business Week." It honors the contributions of small businesses and entrepreneurs across the United States. The resolution is purely symbolic and does not create law, appropriate funds, or impose any requirements on any person or entity.
Who benefits
Small business owners and entrepreneurs who receive formal congressional recognition. Trade associations and advocacy groups representing small businesses, who may use the designation for promotional purposes. Local chambers of commerce and community organizations that organize events around the designation. The Small Business Administration, which has historically coordinated National Small Business Week activities since 1963.
Who is hurt
No group is materially harmed by this resolution. There are no mandates, spending changes, or regulatory effects. Congressional staff time is a negligible indirect cost borne by taxpayers.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that formal congressional recognition highlights the outsized role small businesses play in the U.S. economy — more than 34.5 million small businesses support over 59 million jobs, according to the resolution's own findings. They contend that symbolic recognition raises public awareness, encourages consumer support for local businesses, and continues a bipartisan tradition dating back to every presidential administration since 1963.
Opponents argue
Opponents could argue that purely symbolic resolutions consume limited floor time and legislative resources without producing any measurable policy outcome for small businesses. They might contend that the same congressional energy would be better directed toward substantive legislation addressing the specific challenges — such as access to capital, regulatory compliance costs, or workforce shortages — that small businesses actually face.
Constitutional context
No significant constitutional issues are raised by this resolution. It is a simple expression of congressional sentiment with no regulatory, spending, or enforcement components, and therefore does not implicate the Commerce Clause, Takings Clause, or any other constitutional provision in a meaningful way.
Checks and balances
The Senate expresses a non-binding opinion; no branch gains or loses power, and no executive or judicial action is triggered by this resolution.
Historical precedent
The Senate and House have passed similar National Small Business Week resolutions in prior Congresses, continuing a tradition of presidential and congressional recognition dating to 1963.