III 110th Congress 2d Session S. RES. 524 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 22, 2008 Mr. Kerry (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Dole, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Thune, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Levin, Mr. Tester, and Mr. Coleman) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship April 28, 2008 Committee discharged; considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of the owners of small business concerns in the United States during National Small Business Week, beginning April 21, 2008.

Whereas the 26,800,000 small business concerns in the United States are the driving force behind the Nation's economy, creating more than 2/3 of all net new jobs and generating more than 50 percent of the Nation's nonfarm gross domestic product; Whereas small business concerns represent 99.7 percent of all businesses and employ 50 percent of the Nation’s workforce; Whereas small business concerns represent 97 percent of all exporters and produce 28.6 percent of exported goods; Whereas small business concerns are the Nation's innovators, advancing technology and productivity; Whereas the resilience, vitality, and growth of small business concerns are critical to the Nation’s competitiveness during a time of economic downturn; Whereas Congress established the Small Business Administration in 1953, to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small business concerns in order to preserve free competitive enterprise, to ensure that a fair proportion of the total purchases and contracts or subcontracts for property and services for the Federal Government be placed with small business concerns, to ensure that a fair proportion of the total sales of Government property be made to such small business concerns, and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of the Nation; Whereas for over 50 years, the Small Business Administration has provided aid and assistance to millions of entrepreneurs who have succeeded in achieving the American dream of owning a small business concern, and thus has played a key role in fostering economic growth; and Whereas the President has designated the week beginning April 21, 2008, as National Small Business Week: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)honors the entrepreneurial spirit of the owners of small business concerns in the United States during National Small Business Week, beginning April 21, 2008; (2)honors the efforts and achievements of the owners and employees of small business concerns, whose hard work, commitment to excellence, and willingness to take a risk, have made them a crucial part of the Nation's economy; (3)recognizes that small business concerns are essential to restoring the Nation’s economic health; (4)recognizes the vital role of the programs of the Small Business Administration and the work of its employees and its resource partners in providing assistance to entrepreneurs and the owners of small business concerns; (5)strongly urges the President to take steps to ensure that— (A)reasonable rules relating to the procurement program for women-owned small business concerns under section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) are expeditiously implemented to give women business owners a fair opportunity to compete for Federal contracts; (B)small business concerns have access to quality affordable health insurance; (C)the needs of veterans and reservists who own their own businesses, who work for small business concerns, or want to start their own businesses, are met during deployment and upon their return from duty; (D)proper measures are enacted to provide a stimulus for business lending during this economic downturn; (E)the tax burdens of small business concerns are reduced, and that there is a reduction in regulatory and bureaucratic barriers; (F)small minority owned businesses are supported in their efforts to access the Federal marketplace and gain access to capital; (G)small business concerns have the tools to become more energy efficient to survive rising costs of energy, increase profits, and reduce the Nation's reliance on foreign oil; (H)all Federal agencies adhere to the contracting goals for small business concerns, including the goals for small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, small business concerns owned and controlled by women, small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and HUBZone small business concerns; (I)venture capital and small business loans, including microloans and guaranteed loans that are delivered through private lenders, for start-up firms and growing small business concerns are available to all qualified small business concerns; and (J)the management assistance programs delivered by resource partners on behalf of the Small Business Administration, such as small business development centers, women's business centers, and the Service Corps of Retired Executives, are provided with the Federal resources necessary to do their jobs; and (6)urges that the Administrator of the Small Business Administration have an active role as a member of the President's Cabinet.