WASHINGTON – United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., selected today as Chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the 112th Congress, commented on the makeup of the Committee. Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., released Committee assignments for the caucus.

Sen. Landrieu said:

“I am looking forward to continuing to work with the Members of this Committee in the new Congress. We have taken some extraordinary steps over the last two years to improve access to capital for small businesses, to promote trade and exporting opportunities and to ensure that small businesses receive their fair share of federal contracts, but our work is not finished. We have built the foundation for small businesses to lead our economic recovery and to create jobs; now it is time for us to strengthen those initiatives so that our nation’s job creators can truly succeed in today’s competitive global marketplace.”

Members of the Small Business Committee for the 112th Congress include Carl Levin, D-Mich., Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, John Kerry, D-Mass., Joseph Lieberman, ID-Conn., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Mark Pryor, D-Ark., Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Kay Hagan, D-N.C., Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, David Vitter, R-La., Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Scott Brown, R-Mass. and Jerry Moran, R-Kan.