We don't want to give a business that is not going to come through the troubled waters a loan that they can't pay back.

Health care is the No. 1 concern of small businesses and the status quo is untenable.

Small businesses are really the engine in the economy.

I think we've learned that the S.B.A. plays a critical role in providing access and opportunity when the market is not providing that access. We help banks get that money out into the hands of important and viable businesses, particularly those owned by minorities, women, immigrants and veterans.

One of the most important things we hear is the S.B.A. needs to be ubiquitous. We do all these things, but people still don't know.

Small businesses want things streamlined, and one of the great successes we're having is less paperwork, faster turnaround times.

The morale when I came in was not the best. It was because the agency had not been valued.