Summary Box: At odds over small business fund
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Summary Box: Administration, lawmakers at odds over $30 billion small-business lending fund
TUSSLE OVER $30 BILLION: That's the amount proposed by President Barack Obama for a new small-business lending fund for banks. But many lawmakers want the $30 billion in federal bailout money sent directly to the federal Small Business Administration rather than funneled to banks that would lend it to businesses.
WHY IT MATTERS: Small businesses are seen as a linchpin for the recovery, with the potential to expand and soak up some of the high unemployment that has ravaged the country.
GRIPES AGAINST REGULATORS: Some lawmakers and small business owners complain that overly strict rules for banks lending and capital reserves have prevented crucial credit from flowing.
Copyright 2010 AP News
