[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 90 (Monday, July 8, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S6432]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING SENSE OF SENATE THAT SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IS VITAL 
                        TO DEFENSE OF OUR NATION

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Small 
Business and Entrepreneurship Committee be discharged from further 
consideration of S. Res. 264 and the Senate now proceed to its 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 264) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate that small business participation is vital to the 
     defense of our Nation, and that Federal, State, and local 
     governments should aggressively seek out and purchase 
     innovative technologies and services from American small 
     businesses to help in homeland defense and the fight against 
     terrorism.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and preamble be 
agreed to en bloc; the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; 
that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record, with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 299) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Res. 299), with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 264

       Whereas on September 11, 2001, the people of the United 
     States were subject to the worst terrorist attack in American 
     history;
       Whereas in October 2001, the Pentagon's Technical Support 
     Working Group, which is responsible for seeking new 
     technologies to assist the military, sent an urgent plea, 
     seeking ideas on how to fight terrorism;
       Whereas in just 2 months, over 12,500 ideas were submitted 
     to the Technical Support Working Group, most of them from 
     small businesses;
       Whereas small businesses remain the most innovative sector 
     of the United States economy, accounting for the vast 
     majority of new product ideas and technological innovations; 
     and
       Whereas despite their achievements, small businesses often 
     have difficulty marketing and supplying goods and services to 
     Federal, State, and local governments: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) small business participation is vital to the defense of 
     the United States and should play an active role in assisting 
     the United States military, Federal intelligence and law 
     enforcement agencies, and State and local police forces to 
     combat terrorism through the design and development of 
     innovative products; and
       (2) Federal, State, and local governments should 
     aggressively seek out and purchase innovative technologies 
     and services from, and promote research opportunities for, 
     American small businesses to help in homeland defense and the 
     fight against terrorism.

                          ____________________