[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 132 (Thursday, September 17, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2310]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING THE MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY ON ITS 40TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. CORRINE BROWN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 15, 2009

  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H. Res. 215, a resolution congratulating the Minority Business 
Development Agency on its 40th anniversary and commending its 
achievements in fostering the establishment and growth of minority 
businesses in the United States. I know in my own district MBDA is an 
integral part of the economic development of Orlando. In fiscal year 
2008, the MBDAs Florida Minority Business Opportunity Center (MBOC) in 
Orlando helped minority businesses get $13.6 million in contracts and 
$29 million in financial transactions.
  This year in 2009, one of their local success stories includes APC 
Workforce Solutions, a contract labor, acquisition and management 
company. With the assistance of the MBDAs Florida Minority Business 
Opportunity Center, APC recently received a three-year renewable $45 
million per year contract from Sunoco, Inc. to provide staffing 
services. The contract is that resulted in the creation of 30 new jobs.
  MBDA and its network of centers across the country are helping 
businesses like APC every day. That's why last year MBDA helped 
minority businesses get over $1 billion worth of contracts, $1 billion 
worth of financial transactions that helped create more than 5,300 jobs 
across the country. In this tough economy, agencies like MBDA are 
helping minority-owned firms succeed and Congress needs to do a better 
job of recognizing the important job MBDA has been doing over the past 
40 years. I am ashamed to say that MBDA was overlooked in the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and there was no specific language 
in ARRA for minority businesses.
  In 2050, the minority community will represent 54 percent of the 
total U.S. population. It is imperative to the continued strength of 
the U.S. economy to provide for the growth and expansion of minority 
businesses. The nation is failing to reap the benefits of economic 
parity through the creation of 16 million jobs, generating $2.5 
trillion in gloss receipts and an unrealized tax base of more than $100 
billion per year. Congress must do more to help the minority business 
community.
  I like to say when America has a cold, the African-American community 
has pneumonia. Right now, Congress is ignoring the long-term health of 
our economy by ignoring the needs of minority businesses.
  Minority-owned firms are in the position to generate long-term 
employment and economic sustainability in their communities. Minority 
firms provide nearly 5 million people with steady jobs and create 
wealth in minority communities. They create jobs, impact local and 
state economies and pursue global marketplaces
  MBDAs long term strategic direction is achieving economic parity for 
minority firms. Economic parity is a benchmark measured by the 
proportion of U.S. business owned by minorities being roughly equal to 
the percent of their population. MBDA is focused on creating a new 
generation of $100 million dollar minority businesses creating the 
foundation that helps to close the gap in annual revenues between 
minority-owned firms and non-minority owned firms. At economic parity, 
the diverse business community will be larger than the economies of 
Russia, Italy or Spain. At economic parity, we reduce the unemployment 
rate from the current level of about 9.4 percent to 7.5 percent. At 
economic parity, the tax-base that is generated could fund 100 percent 
of Head Start, 100 percent of State Children's Health Insurance Program 
or a full 10 percent of the cost estimate to reform healthcare.
  In closing, I'd like to again congratulate the Minority Business 
Development Agency on their 40th Anniversary and reiterate the 
importance of minority businesses to the economy.

                          ____________________