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This week, the country reacted to President Obama’s recent statement, “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”

The response from both business owners and non-business owners has been powerful and straightforward: Americans do not agree with the president, and for good reason. Entrepreneurs take great personal financial risk when starting new businesses, and put in countless hours making them succeed. To say that all of that risk was taken and all of that work was done by “someone else” is to insult the business leaders who have put their lives into their companies. 

Below are some of the week’s best articles reacting to President Obama’s statement: 

Did the state make you great?

And who might that somebody else be? Government, says Obama. It built the roads you drive on. It provided the teacher who inspired you. It “created the Internet.” It represents the embodiment of “we’re in this together” social solidarity that, in Obama’s view, is the essential origin of individual and national achievement.

Paul Ryan rips Obama’s comment 

It was Rep. Paul Ryan’s wife, Janna, who first saw — via Twitter — President Obama’s recent comments about American entrepreneurs, that “if you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” 

John Kass: Who else, Mr. President?

When President Barack Obama hauled off and slapped American small-business owners in the mouth the other day, I wanted to dream of my father. But I didn't have to close my eyes to see my dad. I could do it with my eyes open.

And here are some of the week’s best tweets about the subject:

Under Obama, happiness is a mirage, because everything is a co-production of the state @JonahNRO ow.ly/cnuEP #YouDidntBuildThat

— AEI (@AEI) July 20, 2012

Nice job, Bristol Palin. youtube.com/watch?v=WzZ0XN… #YouDidntBuildThat #tcot

— Martha (@txlatinchic) July 20, 2012

A #smallbiz tax hike that threatens 700K jobs? You DID build that, Mr. President j.mp/Oa229b #YouDidntBuildThat #stopthetaxhike

— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) July 18, 2012

If you are the elected President of the US, 'somebody else made that happen' #YouDidntBuildThat

— David Fisher MD (@DoctorFisher) July 18, 2012

Shorter Obama: you're lucky we allow you to keep a dime, chump. #YouDidntBuildThat

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) July 18, 2012

Today’s Agenda

Today, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of the National Campaign to Stop Violence, the Utah Association of Conservation Districts, Tobacco-Free Kids, Red Wing, Salt Lake City, and CenturyLink.

From the Senator’s Desk

Courtesy of the Senate Republican Conference:

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today said a new report by Ernst & Young is further evidence that President Barack Obama's small business tax hike would kill jobs and hurt the economy. The new study found that the president's proposed tax hike on nearly one million businesses would slash over 700,000 jobs, shrink the economy by 1.3 percent, reduce investment by 2.4 percent, and cut wages by nearly 2 percent.

“This report further confirms that President Obama's small business tax hike is a direct attack on the middle class," said Thune. "More than 700,000 Americans stand to lose their jobs if the president has his way and taxes are increased on nearly one million businesses nationwide. Many American families are struggling to make ends meet, yet the president's tax hike threatens to cut wages by nearly 2 percent.

“With over 23 million unemployed or underemployed, America cannot afford President Obama's election-year small business tax hike. Just two years ago, President Obama said allowing taxes to increase would have been "a blow to our economy" and 40 Senate Democrats agreed. Economic growth is worse today than it was in 2010. Raising taxes was a bad idea then, and it's a bad idea now.”

On Twitter

Here is my mobile office schedule for July.We invite all Utahns to take advantage of this great resource: ow.ly/bZXJ1 #utpol

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) July 16, 2012

MT @joecienkowski: @SenMikeLee thank you, and God bless for standing for America against this LOST treaty. shows our Pres and Dems are lost

— Brian Phillips (@SenLeeComs) July 17, 2012

@KeriKSL That's actually our own photo! We found that the small cups make it easy to serve. Come by for some if you're ever in DC!

— Emily Bennion (@SenLeePressSec) July 17, 2012

Around the Water Cooler

‘7 Habits’ gave business guru Stephen R. Covey fame, fortune

Perhaps the most well-known Utahn of his generation, Stephen R. Covey catapulted himself to international fame and fortune with the 1989 publication of his book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People."

DeMint: Law of the Sea treaty now dead

The United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty now has 34 senators opposed to it and thus lacks the Senate votes needed for U.S. ratification, a key opponent of the treaty announced Monday.

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of the Assistive Technology Program, Christians United for Israel, the Ute Indian Tribe, and National Teenage Republicans. He will also host a Jell-O bar for office visitors at 3:30 PM EDT (1:30 MDT).