PETALUMA, Calif., Nov. 17, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2006 budget number for the Small Business Administration has been set at $456.5 million, down $123 million from 2005 and nearly 60% from 2001. The original budget proposal was $593 million, but the Bush Administration submitted an amended number to reflect further cuts. The SBA budget has made its rounds through the approval process of the House and Senate and is on its way to Bush for final approval.

As a result of previous budget cuts, personnel at the SBA who handle size protests, minority and disadvantaged business, and government contracts have been laid off or forced into early retirement. Undisclosed sources at the SBA have acknowledged that the Bush Administration is, in effect, trying to "starve the SBA to death."

John Kerry, ranking Democrat on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship had this to say about the new budget number, "The favorite target for President Bush's budget axe is small business. Since taking office, he's tried to cut the SBA's funding in half. The result is that over the last five years, the SBA has been cut more than any other agency."

"We're extremely disappointed that President Bush has slashed the SBA budget to this extreme," stated Lloyd Chapman, President of the American Small Business League. "This will undoubtedly have adverse effects on small and minority-owned businesses all over the country. I guess 'compassionate conservatism' does not apply to the 98% of companies in the United States that have less than 100 employees."

About the ASBL
The American Small Business League was formed to promote and advocate policies that provide the greatest opportunity for small businesses - the 98% of U.S. companies with less than 100 employees. The ASBL is founded on the principle that small businesses, the backbone of a vital American economy, should receive the fair treatment promised by the Small Business Act of 1951. Representing small businesses in all fields and industries throughout the United States, the ASBL monitors existing policies and proposed policy changes by the Small Business Administration and other federal agencies that affect its members.