[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 58 (Thursday, May 11, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E720]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 THE E-COMMERCE ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 11, 2000

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, today I introduced the Electronic 
Enhancement Act of 2000, a bill that will identify the continuous 
challenges facing small and medium-sized businesses and will assist 
them in overcoming these obstacles when they enter the world of e-
commerce. I developed this legislation after recently hosting an E-
Commerce Forum in my District, which was designed to ensure that small 
and medium-sized businesses have access to the booming e-commerce 
industry. With more than 300 business people in attendance, it was 
obvious to me that while there is great interest from small and medium-
sized businesses for going online, these businesses face a number of 
challenges as they enter the world of e-commerce.
  Specifically, this bill will establish an outside Advisory Panel made 
up of representatives from the Technology Administration, the 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Small Business Administration, 
the Modernization Forum, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National 
Association of Manufacturers, along with other relevant parties, to 
determine the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. Based on the 
assessment of the Advisory Panel the Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership (MEP) will establish a pilot program for assisting small 
and medium-sized businesses in e-commerce. Competitive grants would be 
awarded to existing MEP centers that submitted e-commerce assistance 
proposals. The e-commerce needs of businesses will vary between regions 
of the country and along industry lines. Therefore, the needs of the 
community can be best served by relying upon the local expertise of 
current MEP centers rather than establish a national ``one size fits 
all'' program.
  E-commerce is a facet of our economy that will enable numerous 
businesses to experience strong growth. Last year, e-commerce was a 100 
billion dollar a year industry. in the next three years that number is 
expected to be 3 trillion dollars--a full \1/3\ of our current 9 
trillion dollar economy. The power of the Internet is the power to 
overcome the social, geographic and economic disparities that have 
traditionally stifled growth for all types of businesses. No longer is 
the small manufacturer in Michigan limited to buying his raw materials 
from one or two distributers or supplying his product to only nearby 
clients. Such business to business e-commerce will increase the 
efficiency of supply chains and even allow manufacturers to find new 
markets online. The same situation applies to the retailer. Up until a 
few years ago, the Main Street shop owner was limited to selling her 
goods to walk-in traffic. With the advent of online commerce, any 
retailer can sell to anyone in the United States and to almost anyone 
in the world.
  These are the kinds of advantages that e-commerce can bring to 
business owners across the country. We must be sure that we do not 
leave any business behind, especially America's small and medium-sized 
businesses who are the backbone of our economy and the realization of 
the American dream for so many. This legislation will allow small and 
medium-sized businesses to overcome the hurdles they face as they enter 
the e-commerce arena.
  I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join in 
supporting this important legislation.

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