[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 10, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   INTERNATIONAL WORKING WOMEN'S DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, today as we celebrate International Working 
Women's Day, I think it is fitting that we also celebrate the 
impressive presence of women-owned business owners in our Nation. Women 
business owners are impressive, wonderful people who are out there 
helping to generate small businesses that are vital to the well-being 
of our economy.
  As a former small business owner, I wholeheartedly believe that we 
must support these women-owned businesses as an integral part of the 
well-being of our economy. Nationally, women-owned firms make up 
approximately 36 percent of all U.S. firms in America. We employ more 
people than the Fortune 500 companies combined. We will own 50 percent 
of all businesses in America in the 21st century.
  In fact, in my State of New York, which was ranked third out of the 
50 States in the number of women-owned firms, there are more than 
527,000 women-owned firms in New York. They account for 36 percent of 
all New York firms. These women-owned firms employ nearly 1.4 million 
people and generate $205.8 billion in sales. Between 1987 and 1992, the 
National Foundation for Business Owners estimated that the number of 
women-owned firms in New York increased by 70 percent, and employment 
in women-owned businesses has grown by 141 percent with their sales 
rising by 180 percent.

  However, as we celebrate these women and their accomplishments, it is 
necessary that we also recognize that inequities exist. I would like to 
bring to the attention of my colleagues the fact that America's largest 
purchaser of goods and services is Uncle Sam, but Uncle Sam dispenses a 
mere 1.8 percent of all Federal procurement contracts to women-owned 
businesses. This sad underutilization of women-owned businesses is most 
unfortunate.
  I recently learned of a startling statistic that puts this inequity 
into perspective. On the heels of the exciting news that NASA appointed 
its first woman shuttle mission commander, it came to my attention that 
of the total of 516 shuttle astronauts, 40 have been women. This makes 
up 13.56 percent of our shuttle astronauts to date. It is shocking to 
think that with respect to their field, women have greater access to 
space travel than obtaining a Federal Government procurement contract. 
It is time for us to open government contract opportunities to women-
owned businesses.
  For this reason, I have introduced House Resolution 313 with my 
colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald). 
The resolution is designed to highlight problems in the Federal 
acquisition system, but more importantly, it makes concrete 
recommendations for Federal agencies striving to achieve the unmet goal 
of having at least 5 percent of Federal contracts awarded to women-
owned businesses.
  My commitment to improving Federal procurement access for women-owned 
businesses will not waiver until such access is assured. The time has 
come to open the doors for women business owners, level the playing 
field, and create real competition among our Nation's businesses. This 
will only be achieved when every Federal agency commits to improving 
access for women-owned businesses. House Resolution 313 helps set us on 
this path, and I believe its passage is a critical first step for women 
and for our country's economic prosperity.

                          ____________________