[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 24, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4340-S4341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES

  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I am very pleased today to rise in 
recognition of Small Business Week 2000. As chairman of the Committee 
on Small Business, I have participated in a number of activities this 
week. I urge all of my colleagues who may not have done so to consider 
working with, identifying with, and listening to the small businesses 
in their State. I think today it is appropriate that we recognize some 
of the small business trends of the future.
  Most of us know that the prototypical entrepreneur of the last 
century--or of the 1900s; the manufacturing age--was a man, inventing 
something in his garage or basement, which became the basis for a 
Fortune 500 company. The prototypical entrepreneur of the 21st 
century--the information and service age--is a woman trying to run her 
household, keep her kids fed and cared for, who comes up with a good 
idea that she can turn into a business.
  Women have started businesses in record numbers over the last 10 
years. They are driving the economy. They are helping to expand 
opportunities and provide good payrolls for their workers. They are 
willing to use the new information technologies even more than men. The 
explosion of capabilities through information technologies certainly 
opens up a range for a whole new series of undertakings.

[[Page S4341]]

  The number of small businesses owned and controlled by women is 
expanding at a very rapid rate. Today, small businesses owned by women 
total 30 percent of all businesses in the United States. Their numbers 
are expanding at such a pace it is anticipated that women-owned small 
businesses will make up over 50 percent of all businesses by 2010. 
Given where we came from, that is a gratifying and astounding 
statistic.
  But for all the good news, women-owned small businesses still face 
some age-old obstacles in starting and running their businesses: work 
and family conflicts, a lack of access to capital, and complex 
regulatory and tax issues.
  In addition, yesterday the Senate adopted a resolution I sponsored, 
S. Res. 311, that was adopted unanimously. I express my appreciation to 
my colleagues for adopting it. It called attention to the Federal 
Government's failure to meet the statutory goal to award 5 percent of 
Federal contract dollars to women-owned small businesses.
  The members of the Small Business Committee who joined me in 
cosponsoring this resolution included my ranking member, Senator Kerry 
of Massachusetts, and also sponsoring it were Senators Burns, Snowe, 
Landrieu, Lieberman, Edwards, as well as Senator Abraham, who authored 
last year's initiative in the committee to help women reach the 5-
percent goal. In addition, Senators Bingaman and Murray joined us as 
cosponsors of the resolution.
  In 1994, Congress recognized the important role women-owned small 
businesses played in our economy. During the consideration of the 
Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act, the Senate approved a provision 
directing that 5 percent of all Federal procurement dollars be awarded 
each year to women-owned small businesses. The goal includes 5 percent 
of prime contract dollars and 5 percent of subcontract dollars, and was 
included in the final conference report enacted into law.
  The Federal Departments and Agencies have failed to meet that 5-
percent goal enacted in 1994. After Senator Abraham chaired a committee 
field hearing in Michigan on the state of women business owners, he 
offered an amendment addressing the failure of the Federal Departments 
and Agencies to meet the 5-percent goal during the Small Business 
Committee markup of the Women's Business Centers Sustainability Act of 
1999.
  That was adopted unanimously by the committee and enacted into law as 
Public Law 106-165, which directed that GAO undertake an audit of 
Federal procurement systems and their impact on women-owned small 
businesses.
  The statistics for Federal procurement in fiscal year 1999 have just 
been released. Again, the 5-percent goal for women-owned small 
businesses was not met. It fell over 50 percent short of the goal, 
reaching only 2.4 percent. The administration's failure to reach that 
goal was the subject of the resolution, which resolved that the Senate 
strongly urge the President to adopt a policy in support of the 5-
percent goal for women-owned small businesses, to encourage the heads 
of the Federal Departments to make a concentrated effort to meet the 5-
percent goal before the end of fiscal year 2000. I understand the 
President has now issued an Executive order. But the second part of the 
resolution says the President should hold the heads of Federal 
Departments and Agencies accountable to ensure that the 5-percent goal 
is achieved during this year.
  But these are just some of the issues confronting women-owned small 
businesses. I am very pleased to say I have been joined by Senator 
Kerry of Massachusetts, Senator Snowe, Senator Landrieu, Senator 
Feinstein, and Senator Hutchison of Texas to convene a National Women's 
Business Summit on June 4 and 5 of this year in Kansas City, MO. This 
summit will give women small business owners a chance to tell Congress 
and the next President what they need and what will work. Their agenda 
will serve as the women's small business agenda for the next Congress 
and the next President.
  I might add that we have nationally known women and professional 
business leaders, as well as bipartisan government servants, who will 
be talking with the participants in the conference. I invite women who 
are engaged in and concerned about small business to participate. More 
information can be found about the summit on my Senate office web site 
at www.Senate.gov/bond or they can call us through the Capitol number: 
(202) 224-3121. We would be happy to provide them information.
  I think it will be a very interesting and worthwhile endeavor in 
Kansas City. I am looking forward to participating. I know we will have 
many good ideas, based on the women participating in that conference, 
on how we can help the fastest growing and most important new sector of 
the economy--women-owned small businesses in the United States.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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