[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 21883]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   PRAISING THE PRESIDENT FOR HIS EXECUTIVE ORDER PROMOTING FEDERAL 
          CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISADVANTAGED BUSINESSES

 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I speak today to commend the 
President for issuing Executive Order 11625, designed to help 
strengthen the Federal Government's commitment to providing contracting 
opportunities to disadvantaged businesses.
  In 1998, I took to the floor to successfully defend the 
Transportation Department's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) 
program from those who sought to weaken it. Today, I am pleased to 
speak out in favor of the President's efforts to strengthen programs 
like the DBE, along with all minority-owned business government 
contracting programs.
  It should come as no surprise to anyone in this Chamber familiar with 
small businesses, especially minority owned firms, that government 
contracting can help provide a strong foundation to build a prosperous 
small business. As any successful graduate of the Small Business 
Administration's 8(a) program will tell you, it provides the 
opportunities, but you have to supply the entrepreneurial spirit and 
hard work.
  And this hand-up approach is what I mean by assisting minority-owned 
firms. These programs are not a handout. Rather, they exist to help 
level the playing field and to combat the inequities in our society 
that may prevent these firms from receiving the same opportunities 
available to other businesses.
  These contracts are beneficial not just because they provide initial 
contracts to small disadvantaged firms, they also help minority firms 
establish a record of providing goods and services to the Federal 
Government. This is of critical importance because it assists these 
businesses in obtaining future contracts. In turn, these firms help 
provide jobs and competition to larger businesses, saving the taxpayers 
money through reduced costs and time saving innovations. Thus, these 
programs have direct and indirect benefits to our economy at all 
levels.
  The Executive Order signed by President Clinton on Friday will help 
strengthen minority business ownership by directing Federal agencies to 
take affirmative steps to increase contracting between the Federal 
government and Small Disadvantaged Businesses, 8(a) Businesses, and 
Minority Business Enterprises. The Executive Order also holds Federal 
agencies accountable for carrying out the terms of the Order by 
requiring them to develop a long-term strategic plan and to submit 
annual reports to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of their 
efforts to increase contracting with disadvantaged businesses; requires 
Federal agencies to ensure the participation of small and disadvantaged 
businesses when procuring information technology and telecommunications 
services; and directs Federal departments and agencies to ensure that 
all creation, placement, and transmission of federal advertising are 
fully reflective of the nation's diversity.
  I applaud President Clinton's action to help ensure the vitality of 
minority- owned small businesses. As the Senior Democrat on the Senate 
Committee on Small Business and a long time supporter of these 
programs, I urge OMB to forward the agencies' plans and their 
implementation reports to the House and Senate Committees on Small 
Business for further review.

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