WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.) and Ranking Member Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) yesterday called on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide a detailed plan for how the Agency plans to rectify vulnerabilities plaguing its various contracting programs.  Specifically, Senators Landrieu and Snowe requested information on how the SBA would implement recommendations from a series of Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports demonstrating waste, fraud, and abuse in the 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business (or HUBZone), and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) programs. 

“There is no denying that federal procurement is vital to our nation’s small businesses,” the Senators wrote in their letter.  “For small firms that are struggling to stay afloat and maintain their workforce, federal contracting can be an instrumental part of a larger strategy for broadening their customer base and creating jobs.  Therefore, it is imperative that the SBA act quickly to eradicate fraud and abuse in the small business contracting programs to provides the maximum practicable opportunities for America’s true job generators.”

To view a copy of the letter please click here.

###