[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 17, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5870-S5871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COVERDELL:
  S. 925. A bill to provide authority for women' business centers to 
enter into contracts with Federal departments and agencies to provide 
specific assistance to women and other underserved small business 
concerns; to the Committee on Small Business.


            THE WOMEN'S SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS ACT OF 1997

  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Support 
for Women's Small Business Programs Act of 1997. As a member of the 
Senate's Small Business Committee, I have focused on helping small 
businesses succeed in an increasingly competitive environment. Women-
owned small businesses have made impressive strides in recent years. To 
me, this is no surprise.

[[Page S5871]]

  Women-owned businesses are an increasingly important part of our 
Nation's economy. In 1996, they accounted for an estimated $2.3 
trillion in sales and employed one out of every four workers totaling 
18.5 million employees. According to the National Foundation of Women 
Business Owners, the growth of women-owned business continues to 
outpace overall business growth nearly 2 to 1. In my home State of 
Georgia, there are 143,045 women-owned businesses both full time and 
part time.
  I believe it is important the Federal Government continue to support 
the development of these small businesses and assist them in overcoming 
the unique challenges facing them. Currently, the Office of Women 
Business Ownership administers women's demonstration sites where women-
owned small businesses can find critical support. These demonstration 
women business development centers at these sites are required to be 
completely self-sufficient a short period of time. I hope we succeed in 
the coming Small Business Administration reauthorization legislation to 
make these centers permanent.
  My legislation is simple. It allows these women business development 
centers to enter into contracts with other Federal departments and 
agencies to provide specific assistance to small business concerns. It 
expands their pool of available resources they can use to nurture 
women-owned small business.
  I have been working with the Senate Small Business Committee on this 
matter, and it is my understanding this proposal will become part of 
this year s SBA Reauthorization bill. I look forward to working with 
the committee to ensure the Federal Government provides women's 
business centers this critical support.
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