[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 22, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3260-S3261]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 524--HONORING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT OF THE
OWNERS OF SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN THE UNITED STATES DURING NATIONAL
SMALL BUSINESS WEEK, BEGINNING APRIL 21, 2008
Mr. KERRY (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Vitter, Mr.
Cardin, Mrs. Dole, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Thune, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Enzi, Mr.
Bayh, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Levin, and Mr. Tester) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Small
Business and Entrepreneurship:
S. Res. 524
Whereas the 26,800,000 small business concerns in the
United States are the driving force behind the Nation's
economy, creating more than \2/3\ of all net new jobs and
generating more than 50 percent of the Nation's nonfarm gross
domestic product;
Whereas small business concerns represent 99.7 percent of
all businesses and employ 50 percent of the Nation's
workforce;
Whereas small business concerns represent 97 percent of all
exporters and produce 28.6 percent of exported goods;
Whereas small business concerns are the Nation's
innovators, advancing technology and productivity;
Whereas the resilience, vitality, and growth of small
business concerns are critical to the Nation's
competitiveness during a time of economic downturn;
Whereas Congress established the Small Business
Administration in 1953, to aid, counsel, assist, and protect
the interests of small business concerns in order to preserve
free competitive enterprise, to ensure that a fair proportion
of the total purchases and contracts or subcontracts for
property and services for the Federal Government be placed
with small business concerns, to ensure that a fair
proportion of the total sales of Government property be made
to such small business concerns, and to maintain and
strengthen the overall economy of the Nation;
Whereas for over 50 years, the Small Business
Administration has provided aid and assistance to millions of
entrepreneurs who have succeeded in achieving the American
dream of owning a small business concern, and thus has played
a key role in fostering economic growth; and
Whereas the President has designated the week beginning
April 21, 2008, as National Small Business Week: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) honors the entrepreneurial spirit of the owners of
small business concerns in the United States during National
Small Business Week, beginning April 21, 2008;
(2) honors the efforts and achievements of the owners and
employees of small business concerns, whose hard work,
commitment to excellence, and willingness to take a risk,
have made them a crucial part of the Nation's economy;
(3) recognizes that small business concerns are essential
to restoring the Nation's economic health;
(4) recognizes the vital role of the programs of the Small
Business Administration and the work of its employees and its
resource partners in providing assistance to entrepreneurs
and the owners of small business concerns;
(5) strongly urges the President to take steps to ensure
that--
(A) reasonable rules relating to the procurement program
for women-owned small business concerns under section 8(m) of
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) are expeditiously
implemented to give women business owners a fair opportunity
to compete for Federal contracts;
(B) small business concerns have access to quality
affordable health insurance;
(C) the needs of veterans and reservists who own their own
businesses, who work for small business concerns, or want to
start their own businesses, are met during deployment and
upon their return from duty;
(D) proper measures are enacted to provide a stimulus for
business lending during this economic downturn;
(E) the tax burdens of small business concerns are reduced,
and that there is a reduction in regulatory and bureaucratic
barriers;
(F) small minority owned businesses are supported in their
efforts to access the Federal marketplace and gain access to
capital;
(G) small business concerns have the tools to become more
energy efficient to survive rising costs of energy, increase
profits, and reduce the Nation's reliance on foreign oil;
(H) all Federal agencies adhere to the contracting goals
for small business concerns, including the goals for small
business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled
veterans, small business concerns owned and controlled by
women, small business concerns owned and controlled by
socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and
HUBZone small business concerns;
(I) venture capital and small business loans, including
microloans and guaranteed loans that are delivered through
private lenders, for start-up firms and growing small
business concerns are available to all qualified small
business concerns; and
(J) the management assistance programs delivered by
resource partners on behalf of the Small Business
Administration, such as small business development centers,
women's business centers, and the Service Corps of Retired
Executives, are provided with the Federal resources necessary
to do their jobs; and
(6) urges that the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration have an active role as a member of the
President's Cabinet.
Mr. KERRY. I am pleased to take this opportunity during National
Small Business Week to introduce a bipartisan Senate resolution
honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners and urging
the federal government to continue to improve upon its efforts to
provide the guidance and assistance that has proven so valuable to
small businesses across the nation. As Chairman of the Senate Committee
on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I am privileged to have as my
Ranking Member Senator Olympia Snowe from Maine, and other Committee
members who provide a voice for small business concerns and who
advocate for the efficient and effective implementation of small
business programs.
Almost 27 million small businesses power this Nation's economy,
representing 99.7 percent of all businesses, creating more than \2/3\
of all new jobs, and producing more than a quarter of our exports.
Additionally, America's entrepreneurs are the minds responsible for
innovations and advancing technologies that make this country resilient
and competitive in the global economy and keep us on the cutting edge
of technology.
The marketplace can be a daunting arena for entrepreneurs to wade
into, and, though they rise to the challenge with great ideas,
inventive products, and thorough business plans, there remains a great
deal of financial risk and uncertainty in running a small business. The
support, guidance, and financial assistance offered by Small Business
Administration programs have been of incredible importance to small
businesses working to succeed.
Mr. Robert Delhome from Wilmington, Massachusetts, is being honored
by the Small Business Administration as the Massachusetts 2008 Small
Business Person of the Year for his work as President of Charter
Environmental, Inc. This civil and environmental contracting firm is
not only at the forefront of the emerging green collar industry, but is
also an example of a tremendously successful business that was able to
take advantage of the SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program and
transform $300 in seed capital into a $30 million a year business. What
began with two determined employees and a good idea has become a
business of over 100 employees providing vital services and solutions
to confront challenging environmental problems. The 8(a) program offers
assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged small business
owners competing for Federal contracts, and Robert is but one of many
entrepreneurs to have benefitted from this program.
As we celebrate Earth Day today and discuss the necessity of acting
quickly to find workable solutions to our environmental problems,
Robert's business is both an inspiration and an indication of the
economic and environmental success this industry promises. As we
consider the gravity of our environmental challenges, I will continue
to promote the essential role that small businesses must play in the
process of turning America green, moving us away from our dependence on
foreign oil, and creating the innovative industry that will help
strengthen our economy. Already our Nation's entrepreneurs are leading
the way to economically smart and environmentally sound business
practices, and we need to ensure that the tools to become energy
efficient are accessible to every
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small business in the country. Our rapidly rising energy costs only
serve to underscore the urgency with which we must address these
environmental challenges.
I also continue to be concerned about the lack of small business
inclusion in Federal contracts. In an effort to level the playing
field, Congress set forth specific procurement goals in law, including
goals for women, veteran, and minority owned businesses, but the Bush
administration has proven unwilling to work quickly to meet these
goals. The Women's Procurement Program is a troublesome example of a
larger trend. In 2000, this program was created to ensure the Federal
Government sets aside at least 5 percent of all procurement
opportunities for women-owned businesses. More than 7 years later, only
3.4 percent of Federal contracts are reaching those businesses.
Janet Ceddia, president of a security and fencing company in Hudson,
Massachusetts, is just the type of business owner who would benefit if
the Federal Government improved its efforts at reaching out to all
types of small businesses.
A small, disadvantaged, 8(a) certified, woman-owned company, Security
Construction Services, Inc. in Hudson, Massachusetts, has grown
enormously in recent years, doubling its workforce and expanding its
services as the company has received $15 million in government
contracts. Today, Janet's business has completed contracts for the Air
Force, Army Reserve, Coast Guard, and Veterans Administration, among
other agencies, and Janet was honored as the 2008 Region I Prime
Contractor of the Year for her success. As Janet has proven, when given
the chance, small businesses prove to be excellent partners in Federal
projects.
I would also like to highlight the work of Maria Gooch-Smith, who is
being honored for her work as the Executive Director of the South
Eastern Economic Development, SEED, Corporation in Taunton,
Massachusetts. Over the last eight years, SEED has made an average of
150 loans each year, and has operated as the largest SBA 504 and Micro
Lender in Massachusetts. Last year alone, SEED granted or leveraged
over $105 million, which directly contributed to the creation of 637
new jobs, and, in doing so, demonstrated the vast capability of SBA 504
Certified Development Companies. It is imperative that these small
business loan programs receive the necessary resources for them to
maintain quality, effective programs and services to support small
businesses and our local communities in a positive way.
I am proud of all of the hardworking Americans who face the
challenges of opening and running a small business, and I encourage us
all to take this week of special recognition to reflect on the
possibilities for further improving the operating climate for small
business owners and to reaffirm our resolve to fight for the necessary
resources to assist small businesses. I applaud the dedication,
innovation, and achievements of America's entrepreneurs, and I pledge
to continue to advocate on their behalf.
Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, as we celebrate National Small Business
Week, which runs April 21 through April 25, 2008, I rise in support of
a Senate Resolution--which I introduced along with Chairman Kerry, and
other members of the Senate Committee on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship--that honors the entrepreneurial spirit of our
Nation's nearly 27 million small businesses and the tremendous
contributions they make to our economy.
Small businesses are the driving force behind our nation's economic
growth and job creation. Representing 99 percent of all employers,
small businesses create nearly \3/5\ of all net new jobs and generate
more than 50 percent of the Nation's nonfarm gross domestic product.
They are the foundation, the engine, the core of our economy. Clearly,
the greatest source of jobs in this country are the small businesses
that are constantly responding to new challenges with innovations and
creativity.
As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship, I have made it one of my top priorities to be an
advocate for small businesses, and to help raise the needs and concerns
of our countries' job creators. With more than 600,000 small businesses
having opened in 2006, this is clearly a sector that deserves our
accolades, recognition, and support.
Indeed, hope embodies the spirit of the 26.8 million small business
owners. They are willing to take risks that others don't, they
transform their ideas and dreams into realities, their hobbies become
their professions, and their entrepreneurial spirit can be seen in the
products and services that make up America. Frankly, this week as we
celebrate our Nation's entrepreneurs, we will undoubtedly fall short of
fully recognizing what our country's small businesses truly add to our
economy.
Given the sluggish state of our economy, it is all the more
imperative that we fully equip our small businesses, our true job
generators, and provide them with the tools--not just to mitigate and
stem this crisis--but to be a catalyst for helping to address and
ultimately solve it. We must take advantage of the opportunities to
help our small businesses thrive. We in Congress should reduce their
tax burdens, ensure they receive the business counseling they deserve,
and that they have affordable and reliable health insurance options for
their employees.
One of our most valuable assets for ensuring the success of small
businesses is the Small Business Administration, SBA. The SBA is
pivotal in overseeing the delivery of financial and business
development tools for millions of aspiring entrepreneurs and existing
small businesses across the United States. With the SBA being the only
Federal agency with the mandate to foster small business growth, we
must work to provide the agency with the resources needed to help our
nation's entrepreneurs right this economy.
So as we celebrate our Nation's small businesses, we must be mindful
of Congress's responsibility to ensure that each business has the
opportunity to flourish. When accounting for inflation the SBA has seen
its core lending and business development program budget cut by 28
percent since 2001, and this trend must simply be reversed. While the
SBA touts its ``doing more with less,'' the agency's resources,
programs, and employees are stretched too thin, which in the end
negatively impacts our Nation's small business and the economy as a
whole. As we look ahead, rest assured, I will not hesitate to take
action and ensure that this vital sector continues to have the valuable
resources it deserves.
The SBA has been, and will continue to be, a critical partner to
millions of small enterprises as well as aspiring entrepreneurs as they
embark on the path to prosperity and job creation. The least we can do
is strengthen, not erode, the SBA's core loan and technical assistance
programs that have proven time and again to be the keystone in aiding
the efforts and dreams of America's entrepreneurs.
Today we celebrate our Nation's entrepreneurs and honor America's
small businesses. I urge my colleagues to show their support for the
small businesses in their states and support this resolution. We must
remember that this country's future will be determined by today's small
businesses, and the faster we can help them create more jobs, the
quicker the economy will rebound, and the stronger its foundation will
be.
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