[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 77 (Tuesday, May 19, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5646-S5647]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT OF SMALL BUSINESS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 154.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 154) honoring the entrepreneurial 
     spirit of small business concerns in the United States during 
     National Small Business Week, beginning May 17, 2009.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, there be no intervening action or debate, and any 
statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 154) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 154

       Whereas the approximately 27,200,000 small business 
     concerns in the United States are the driving force behind 
     the Nation's economy, creating more than 93 percent of all 
     net new jobs and generating more than 50 percent of the 
     Nation's non-farm gross domestic product;
       Whereas small businesses play an integral role in 
     rebuilding the Nation's economy;
       Whereas Congress has emphasized the importance of small 
     businesses by improving access to capital through the 
     American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009;
       Whereas small business concerns are the Nation's 
     innovators, serving to advance technology and productivity;
       Whereas small business concerns represent 97 percent of all 
     exporters and produce 29 percent of exported goods;
       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 and competitive enterprise, to ensure that a fair 
     proportion of the total purchases, contracts, and 
     subcontracts for property and services for the Federal 
     Government are placed with small business concerns, to make 
     certain that a fair proportion of the total sales of 
     Government property are made to such small business concerns, 
     and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of the 
     Nation;
       Whereas the Small Business Administration has helped small 
     business concerns with access to critical lending 
     opportunities, protected small business concerns from 
     excessive Federal regulatory enforcement, played

[[Page S5647]]

     a key role in ensuring full and open competition for 
     Government contracts, and improved the economic environment 
     in which small business concerns compete;
       Whereas for over 50 years, the Small Business 
     Administration has helped millions of entrepreneurs achieve 
     the American dream of owning a small business concern and has 
     played a key role in fostering economic growth; and
       Whereas the President has designated the week beginning May 
     17, 2009, as ``National Small Business Week'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) honors the entrepreneurial spirit of small business 
     concerns in the United States during National Small Business 
     Week, beginning May 17, 2009;
       (2) applauds the efforts and achievements of the owners of 
     small business concerns and their employees, whose hard work 
     and commitment to excellence have made them a key part of the 
     Nation's economic vitality;
       (3) recognizes the work of the Small Business 
     Administration and its resource partners in providing 
     assistance to entrepreneurs and small business concerns; and
       (4) strongly urges the President to take steps to ensure 
     that--
       (A) the applicable procurement 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, HUBZone 
     small business concerns, and socially and economically 
     disadvantaged small business concerns, are reached by all 
     Federal agencies;
       (B) guaranteed loans, microloans, and venture capital, for 
     start-up and growing small business concerns, are made 
     available to all qualified small business concerns;
       (C) 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, veterans business outreach centers, 
     and the Service Corps of Retired Executives, are provided 
     with the Federal resources necessary to do their jobs;
       (D) reforms to the disaster loan program of the Small 
     Business Administration are implemented as quickly as 
     possible;
       (E) tax policy spurs small business growth, creates jobs, 
     and increases competitiveness;
       (F) the Federal Government reduces the regulatory 
     compliance burden on small businesses; and
       (G) broader health reforms efforts address the specific 
     needs of small businesses and the self-employed in providing 
     quality and affordable health insurance coverage to their 
     employees.

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