[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7569]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



      RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANT ROLE PLAYED BY THE SMALL BUSINESS 
                             ADMINISTRATION

  Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 86, submitted earlier 
by Senator Bond for himself and others.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 86) to express the sense of the 
     Senate recognizing the important role played by the Small 
     Business Administration on behalf of the United States small 
     business community.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, as has been the tradition for the past 38 
years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation 
calling for the celebration of Small Business Week. Today, we are in 
the middle of Small Business Week 2001, which is being sponsored by the 
Small Business Administration. The purpose of this week's celebration 
is to honor over 25 million businesses that make up the U.S. small 
business community. It is very appropriate for us, today, to recognize 
the importance of America's small businesses, and the significant role 
played by the Small Business Administration, SBA, in our Nation's 
economic growth.
  Congress established the SBA in 1953 to provide financial and 
management assistance to start-up and growing small businesses. Over 
the past 48 years, the success of SBA in meeting its missions is 
legend. It maintains a portfolio of guaranteed small business loans and 
disaster loans totaling more than $45 billion. And the Agency has 
guaranteed another $13 billion in venture capital investments to small 
businesses. To compliment it successful credit programs, the SBA's 
management assistance programs were delivered to more than one million 
small businesses during the past fiscal year.
  Over the past decade of record economic growth and prosperity, U.S. 
small businesses have been the engine driving our economy. More than 
99% of all employers in the United States are small businesses, 
providing nearly 75% of the net new jobs added to our workforce. Small 
businesses have proven, year-in and year-out, that they are a potent 
force in the economy, accounting for 51% of the private sector output. 
And their sights are not set just at home; leading the way toward a 
global economy, the small business community represents 96% of all U.S. 
exporters.
  Over the past 6 years I have been the chairman of the Committee on 
Small Business, and I have witnessed the enormous potential of 
America's small businesses at work. They are flexible; they are 
creative; they give us jobs; they provide economic growth; and most 
importantly, they provide hope and a future for millions of families 
and communities across our great nation.
  The resolution now before the Senate recognizes the critical role 
played by small businesses and the Small Business Administration in 
this business community. It is appropriate that we take a moment from 
our hectic lives to acknowledge the success of small businesses and to 
encourage our federal government to continue to provide its help to 
insure future successes.
  I urge each of my colleagues to vote for the Small Business 
resolution as a way to thank the SBA and the small business community 
for its contributions to our Nation.

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