[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

[[Page S3261]]

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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