[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 29, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S10153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BINGAMAN:
  S. 1488. A bill to establish the Native American Entrepreneurs 
Program to provide $3,000,000 in grants annually to qualified 
organizations to provide training and technical assistance to 
disadvantaged Native American entrepreneurs; to the Committee on Indian 
Affairs.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Native American 
Entrepreneurs Act of 2003. The purpose of this legislation is 
straightforward: it authorizes grants of $3 million in 2004, $4 million 
in 2005, and $5 million in 2006 to qualified organizations to provide 
training and technical assistance to Native American entrepreneurs.
  In my State of New Mexico and all across the country Native Americans 
still confront the problem of economic development, this in spite of 
the many efforts that have been made over time, both by Congress and by 
the tribes themselves. Over the last decade, some tribes have found a 
way to address this problem by focusing on the creation of gambling 
centers. But while these clearly have assisted many tribes, from where 
I sit this is at best a short- or medium-term solution that does not 
address the foremost issue at hand--that being how we help individual 
Native Americans acquire the business skills to become self-sufficient.
  In the 106th Congress the Senate and the House passed legislation 
that created a program at the Small Business Administration that was 
designed to help disadvantaged individuals gain access to the technical 
training and funds. The bill--the Program for Investment in 
Microentrepreneurs Act of 1999, or PRIME--was drafted by several 
Senators, myself included, who felt it was imperative to encourage 
investment in microentrepreneurial activities in the United States. The 
reason for the effort was simple: microenterprise was a proven 
mechanism for enabling individuals on the periphery to obtain the 
capital and technical training needed to start their own business and 
move up the economic ladder in their community. It was also a proven 
mechanism for creating jobs, alleviating poverty, and stimulating 
economic development. It deserved to be pushed to the forefront of our 
legislative efforts in the Senate.
  Under the PRIME legislation, organizations that provide technical 
assistance and loans to Native American communities are eligible for 
grants. But while diversity in grant award are mandated under the 
legislation, specific amounts mandated for Native Americans are not. 
The legislation I am introducing today would change that. The 
legislation provides additional funding to the PRIME Act for 
organizations that work with Native Americans specifically. In other 
words, the funding does not negate the possibility that further funds 
be provided to Native Americans under PRIME, nor, because it is 
additional funds over and above current authorization levels, does it 
cut into the funds that are now available to microenterprise 
organizations under PRIME. But it does ensure that organizations that 
serve only Native Americans get specific funding for their efforts.
  I will be the first to admit that the authorization levels in this 
bill are modest, but they are feasible given the current budget 
environment. I will also admit that the bill carves out a small portion 
of the problem currently facing Native Americans, but I consider it to 
be a first step. I intend to address others problems in future 
legislation. The most important thing is that this bill, if enacted, 
will have an immediate and concrete impact in Native American 
communities in New Mexico and the rest of the country. I urge my 
colleagues to support it.

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