[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 157 (Sunday, November 9, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES

                                 ______
                                 

                    HON. JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, November 8, 1997

  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to announce that 
today my colleague, Sue Kelly, and I introduced an important resolution 
which recognizes important findings and makes recommendations on ways 
to assist women-opened businesses obtain more Federal procurement 
opportunities.
  On September 25 of this year, we cochaired an unprecedented 
bipartisan forum addressing the vast growth of women-owned firms and 
the contrasting poor rate of procurement to these firms. This was a 
historic day for women business owners, for it was the first time that 
women business owners have ever convened on Capitol Hill to share their 
stories with members of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues.
  On that historic day, the problems contributing to the dismal Federal 
procurement rate of 1.8 percent to women-owned firms became painfully 
clear. Despite the 5 percent Federal procurement rate goal which 
Congress established in 1994, the procurement rate remains low because 
of the lack of access to the Federal contracting process, the bundling 
of contracts frequently excluding small women-owned businesses, the 
ineffective outreach to women business owners, the poor and often 
incomplete feedback which is provided to businesses when their bid is 
not accepted, and the need for one certification for all women-owned 
businesses.
  The sense of Congress resolution we have introduced today is the 
first step in our plan to address these problems and ensure that there 
is indeed a level and fair playing field for all business owners. I am 
fully committed to ensuring that this goal is met and that women-owned 
businesses are given equal opportunity to obtain a piece of the more 
than $200 billion annual procurement pie. Women-owned businesses are 
growing at nearly twice the rate of all other U.S. firms, employ 18.5 
million people, and produce $2.38 trillion in revenues to the U.S. 
economy every year. We simply cannot allow this discrepancy to 
continue.
  There is a wealth of knowledge and skills steeped within these women-
owned businesses that we as an economic leader in the global 
marketplace cannot afford to ignore. Today, we take this first step to 
recognize the contributions the more than 8 million women-owned 
businesses are making to strengthen our economy. In the coming months, 
I will continue to recognize these achievements and take concrete 
actions to ensure equality of opportunity in obtaining Federal 
contracts.

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