[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 136 (Tuesday, September 30, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1924]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORS THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ON THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 30, 2003

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to 
join the Gateway Small Business Center in celebrating the 50th 
Anniversary of the United States Small Business Administration. The SBA 
has played an integral role in developing and nurturing the spirit of 
entrepreneurs and thus, strengthening the foundation of communities 
across the country.
  We have been especially fortunate in my home state of Connecticut 
where, with nearly seventy percent of jobs found in small businesses, 
the SBA has forged strong bonds of partnership and--more importantly--
friendship with countless organizations and communities. I would like 
to extend a special note of thanks and appreciation to Marie Record, 
Connecticut District Office Director, not only for her dedication and 
commitment, but also for all the assistance that she has provided to 
myself and my staff over the years. She has and continues to be an 
invaluable resource for us all.
  I have often said that small business is the backbone of our nation's 
economy and the heart of our communities. From the General Mercantile 
to today's Mom & Pop storefronts, small businesses have been an 
important vehicle for delivering the American Dream. In addition, they 
are often what defines the character of a neighborhood, a town, or even 
a city. In my childhood neighborhood of Wooster Square, my grandmother, 
along with my mother and aunts, ran a small pastry shop, Canestri's. 
Many of our neighbors were also involved in the family businesses which 
lined the neighborhood streets--Sally's and Pepe's Pizza, Libby's 
Italian Pastry Shop, Lucibello's Pastry Shop, Iovanne's Funeral Home, 
and Lupoli's Funeral Home are just some of those which continue to 
thrive today.
  Small business comprises seventy-five percent of net new jobs added 
to the economy annually. To date, nearly twenty three million small 
businesses are operating across the United States. Representing over 
ninety-nine percent of all employers and employing over fifty percent 
of our nation's private workforce, small businesses are not only an 
invaluable piece of our heritage, but are vital to the growth and 
prosperity of any community. We, as a nation, recognized that with the 
establishment of the SBA. Throughout their history, the SBA has 
delivered nearly twenty million loans, loan guarantees, contracts, 
counseling sessions and other forms of assistance to small businesses. 
Over the past ten years they have helped over four hundred thousand 
small businesses receive loans totaling over ninety-four billion 
dollars. Last year alone, the SBA backed more than twelve billion 
dollars in loans. It has been through their assistance that so many 
have been able to make their dreams come true.
  Today, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the SBA, I am proud to 
join with the Gateway Small Business Center and all of those who have 
benefitted from the SBA in extending my deepest thanks and appreciation 
for all of their good work. Our communities would not be the same 
without the unparalleled contributions of the United States Small 
Business Administration and its dedicated staff.

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