[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 7404]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       KERRY PLANS TO ELIMINATE SMALL BUSINESS FEDERAL CONTRACTS

  (Mrs. BLACKBURN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, the Nashville Business Journal recently 
ran an article entitled ``Kerry Plan Would Cut 100,000 Government 
Contracting Jobs.'' This was reporting on John Kerry's plan to 
eliminate 100,000 private sector contractor jobs. Apparently, he does 
not feel that the private sector provides much bang for the taxpayer 
buck. His solution is bigger government, less competition.
  According to the Professional Services Council, small businesses 
would bear the brunt of Kerry's return to big government. Last year, 
small businesses competed for and won $63 billion in government 
contracts, equaling more than 25 percent of the Federal Government's 
contracting budget.
  Study after study has shown that contracting with our Nation's small 
business sector reduces the cost to taxpayers, conserving taxpayer 
dollars. That should trump favors to special interests and big business 
any day.
  Mr. Speaker, those of us in touch with folks outside the Beltway know 
small businesses make this country run.

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