[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 154 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 154

 Honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of small business concerns in the 
 United States during National Small Business Week, beginning May 17, 
                                 2009.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 19, 2009

   Ms. Landrieu (for herself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Kerry, Mrs. 
   Shaheen, Mr. Wicker, Ms. Cantwell, and Mr. Isakson) submitted the 
        following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of small business concerns in the 
 United States during National Small Business Week, beginning May 17, 
                                 2009.

Whereas the approximately 27,200,000 small business concerns in the United 
        States are the driving force behind the Nation's economy, creating more 
        than 93 percent of all net new jobs and generating more than 50 percent 
        of the Nation's non-farm gross domestic product;
Whereas small businesses play an integral role in rebuilding the Nation's 
        economy;
Whereas Congress has emphasized the importance of small businesses by improving 
        access to capital through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 
        2009;
Whereas small business concerns are the Nation's innovators, serving to advance 
        technology and productivity;
Whereas small business concerns represent 97 percent of all exporters and 
        produce 29 percent of exported goods;
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 and competitive enterprise, to ensure that a fair 
        proportion of the total purchases, contracts, and subcontracts for 
        property and services for the Federal Government are placed with small 
        business concerns, to make certain that a fair proportion of the total 
        sales of Government property are made to such small business concerns, 
        and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of the Nation;
Whereas the Small Business Administration has helped small business concerns 
        with access to critical lending opportunities, protected small business 
        concerns from excessive Federal regulatory enforcement, played a key 
        role in ensuring full and open competition for Government contracts, and 
        improved the economic environment in which small business concerns 
        compete;
Whereas for over 50 years, the Small Business Administration has helped millions 
        of entrepreneurs achieve the American dream of owning a small business 
        concern and has played a key role in fostering economic growth; and
Whereas the President has designated the week beginning May 17, 2009, as 
        ``National Small Business Week'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) honors the entrepreneurial spirit of small business 
        concerns in the United States during National Small Business 
        Week, beginning May 17, 2009;
            (2) applauds the efforts and achievements of the owners of 
        small business concerns and their employees, whose hard work 
        and commitment to excellence have made them a key part of the 
        Nation's economic vitality;
            (3) recognizes the work of the Small Business 
        Administration and its resource partners in providing 
        assistance to entrepreneurs and small business concerns; and
            (4) strongly urges the President to take steps to ensure 
        that--
                    (A) the applicable procurement 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, HUBZone small business concerns, 
                and socially and economically disadvantaged small 
                business concerns, are reached by all Federal agencies;
                    (B) guaranteed loans, microloans, and venture 
                capital, for start-up and growing small business 
                concerns, are made available to all qualified small 
                business concerns;
                    (C) 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, veterans business 
                outreach centers, and the Service Corps of Retired 
                Executives, are provided with the Federal resources 
                necessary to do their jobs;
                    (D) reforms to the disaster loan program of the 
                Small Business Administration are implemented as 
                quickly as possible;
                    (E) tax policy spurs small business growth, creates 
                jobs, and increases competitiveness;
                    (F) the Federal Government reduces the regulatory 
                compliance burden on small businesses; and
                    (G) broader health reforms efforts address the 
                specific needs of small businesses and the self-
                employed in providing quality and affordable health 
                insurance coverage to their employees.
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