[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 148 (Thursday, September 29, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S6275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 595--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL 
                      VETERANS SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

  Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Markey, Mrs. Fischer, Ms. 
Hirono, Ms. Ayotte, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Coons, Mrs. Ernst, 
Mr. Booker, and Mr. Peters) submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship:

                              S. Res. 595

       Whereas the Armed Forces of the United States train 
     individuals with the skills, discipline, and leadership 
     necessary to establish and operate a successful business;
       Whereas there are approximately 2,500,000 veteran-owned 
     small businesses in the United States, employing nearly 
     6,000,000 individuals;
       Whereas veteran-owned businesses make up nearly 10 percent 
     of all businesses in the United States;
       Whereas veterans account for more than $1,200,000,000,000 
     in business receipts every year;
       Whereas veterans are 45 percent more likely to be self-
     employed than non-veterans;
       Whereas, from 2007 to 2012, veteran-owned small businesses 
     grew at nearly twice the rate of non-veteran-owned small 
     businesses;
       Whereas women veterans' business ownership has increased 
     significantly, from 97,114 in 2007 to 384,549 in 2012;
       Whereas the Office of Veterans Business Development of the 
     Small Business Administration is dedicated to maximizing the 
     availability and usability of small business programs for 
     veterans, members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces 
     of the United States, members of the Armed Forces of the 
     United States serving on active-duty, transitioning service 
     members, and the spouses, dependents, or survivors of those 
     members and veterans;
       Whereas the Small Business Administration serves more than 
     200,000 veterans, service-disabled veterans, women veterans, 
     and military spouses annually;
       Whereas, in 2014, the Small Business Administration 
     increased loans to veterans by more than 100 percent, 
     guaranteeing more than $1,000,000,000 in small business 
     loans;
       Whereas the entrepreneurship training program of the Small 
     Business Administration, Boots to Business, has trained more 
     than 30,000 service members, veterans, and spouses of service 
     members and veterans since launching in 2013;
       Whereas the Small Business Administration will be hosting 
     events honoring National Veterans Small Business Week from 
     October 31 through November 4, 2016;
       Whereas the Committee on Small Business and 
     Entrepreneurship of the Senate will be commemorating National 
     Veterans Small Business Week during the week of October 31 
     through November 4, 2016; and
       Whereas the week of October 31 through November 4, 2016, 
     would be an appropriate time to celebrate National Veterans 
     Small Business Week: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate joins with the Small Business 
     Administration in--
       (1) supporting the goals and ideals of National Veterans 
     Small Business Week;
       (2) celebrating the millions of people in the United 
     States, especially the veterans of the United States and the 
     spouses of those veterans, who benefit from the programs of 
     the Small Business Administration; and
       (3) expressing appreciation for the continued service to 
     the United States by the veterans of the United States 
     through small business ownership and entrepreneurship.

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