[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 10, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H934-H935]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History 
Month and in particular to pay special recognition to the millions of 
women business owners in the United States today. I think that it is 
particularly significant and important that we honor the nearly 8 
million women-owned businesses that exist in the United States, because 
the right of a woman to legally own or run a business has been won only 
very recently in the course of United States history.
  Women were historically denied the right to legally run a business or 
hold assets in their name, which prevented them from ever achieving 
financial self-sufficiency. This is not to say that women did not run 
businesses or make financial decisions every day. They not only ran 
shops and mercantiles, but farms and other businesses on a regular 
basis. But this was done in the name of a husband, a father, a brother, 
or a son. The economic contributions women have made to this country 
have been tremendous, but they remain largely unrecognized. We need to 
acknowledge this not only during Women's History Month but every month.
  As a former businesswoman, I know how difficult it is to break into 
business, period, and how particularly difficult it is if you are a 
woman. Every business needs capital to succeed. In our business-
friendly environment, one where we value hard work and 
entrepreneurship, one would think that all talented, educated 
individuals would have access to capital.
  Despite the tremendous advances women have made in every field, 
access to capital is still a significant problem for many women. There 
are still banks that deny business loans to qualified women 
entrepreneurs.
  The Congressional Caucus for Women's issues last year heard testimony 
from a number of businesswomen owners who stated that they were forced 
to use credit cards to finance their first business ventures. But 
despite the barriers that women business owners have had to face, they 
have continually proven themselves to be a success.
  The nearly 8 million women-owned firms in the United States provide 
jobs for 15.5 million people and generate nearly $1.4 trillion in 
sales. The number of women-owned companies increased at twice the rate 
of male-owned businesses from 1987 to 1992.
  Businesses owned by women are extremely stable. For example, nearly 
three-quarters of the commercially women-owned firms that existed in 
1991 are still successfully operating today. However, in comparison, 
only two-thirds of all commercially active firms in 1999 are 
successfully operating today.

                              {time}  1845

  I am especially proud of the fact that my home State of California 
leads the country in the number of women-owned business firms. There 
are nearly 1.1 million women-owned businesses in California, which 
employ approximately 2.3 million people and generate $314 million in 
sales.
  Women-owned businesses make a difference in the economic health of 
not only the State of California but the entire United States. In 
return, we must do more for them.
  Encouraging women to start their own businesses, for example, is an 
excellent way to move them off the welfare rolls. Microcredit programs 
across the country provide low-income women with marketable skills; 
many of them are moving from welfare to work with small loans to start 
their own businesses. These women might set up something as small as a 
stall in a flea market or as challenging as a catering service. 
Whatever business they choose to start, the fact is that they are 
working to make themselves and their families self-sufficient.

[[Page H935]]

  Women are twice as likely to start a business as men, and we must 
encourage that and ensure that a level playing field is available to 
women for access to capital and information. In 1995, as a small 
business owner, I was a delegate to the White House Conference on Small 
Business where many of these issues were discussed. Now, as a Member of 
Congress, I have not forgotten the issues that we discussed then and I 
believe that we need to bring them again to the forefront.
  I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the many women who 
fought so hard for the right of women to achieve economic self-
sufficiency. Let us carry on that tradition by honoring the millions of 
women business owners today and by supporting the millions of business 
owners we have to come.

                          ____________________