[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E240]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FULL-YEAR CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2011

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                               speech of

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense and the other 
     departments and agencies of the Government for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes:

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the Department of 
Defense Mentor-Protege Program. This successful program was created in 
fiscal year 1990 to develop the technical capabilities of small 
disadvantaged businesses by allowing major contractors to transfer and 
develop technology with them. The Mentor-Protege Program has been 
essential to diversifying our defense supplier industrial base by 
expanding the number of qualified small businesses that can 
realistically compete for DOD contracts.
  Current estimates show that protege businesses make up 12 percent of 
all small disadvantaged business awards from DOD. However, a sunset 
clause in the original bill set the program to expire in 2010, and 
language extending the authorization to 2015 was removed from the FY11 
National Defense Authorization Act. At a time when our small businesses 
and defense industrial base are both struggling, this program, which 
has a successful track record, is a critical tool for keeping our 
defense industrial base and our national security strong. I look 
forward to working with my colleagues in the House to ensure we 
reauthorize this critical program in fiscal year 2012.

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