WASHINGTON – Today Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, introduced a Senate resolution to honor the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses in the United States and celebrate this year's National Small Business Week. The resolution, cosponsored by Senators Joe Lieberman (I/D-Conn.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), David Vitter (R-La.), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), is expected to pass the Senate later today.
"Small business owners are the driving force behind new innovations, technologies and ideas," said Kerry. "They represent 99 percent of all employers and create more than two-thirds of all new jobs in the United States. Today we honor their hard work, accomplishments, contributions to our economy, and role in keeping America competitive."
"Small businesses are the driving force behind our nation's economic growth, creating nearly three-quarters of all net new jobs and employing nearly 51 percent of the private sector workforce," said Senator Snowe. "While National Small Business Week provides us with a perfect opportunity to recognize the immense value small businesses bring to this nation's economy, it is essential that we in Congress use all 52 weeks of the year to support small businesses' ability to thrive and create more jobs."
President Bush designated the week beginning April 22, 2007, as National Small Business Week. The joint Senate resolution urges the President to take the necessary steps to ensure the success of start-up and growing small businesses with respect to procurement goals, guaranteed loans, management assistance programs, and disaster loans.
Small businesses generate more than 50 percent of our country's non-farm gross domestic product, represent 97 percent of all exporters and produce more than 28 percent of exported goods.
The text of the resolution follows:
RESOLUTION
Honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of America's small businesses during National Small Business Week, beginning April 22, 2007.
Whereas 25,800,000 million small businesses in the United States are the driving force behind the Nation's economy, creating more than two-thirds of all net new jobs and generating more than 50 percent of the Nation's nonfarm gross domestic product;
Whereas small businesses are the Nation's innovators, advancing technology and productivity;
Whereas small businesses represent 97 percent of all exporters and produce 28.6 percent of exported goods;
Whereas the Congress established the Small Business Administration in 1953 to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small business concerns in order to preserve free competitive enterprise, to ensure that a fair proportion of the total purchases and contracts or subcontracts for property and services for the Federal Government be placed with small business enterprises, to ensure that a fair proportion of the total sales of Government property be made to such enterprises, and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy for the Nation;
Whereas the Small Business Administration has helped small businesses access critical lending opportunities, protected small businesses from excessive Federal regulatory enforcement, played a key role in ensuring full and open competition for Government contracts, and improved the economic environment in which small businesses compete;
Whereas the Small Business Administration for over 50 years has helped millions of entrepreneurs achieve the American dream of owning a small business, and has played a key role in fostering economic growth;
Whereas the President has designated the week beginning on Sunday, April 22 as "National Small Business Week": Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate-
(1) honors the entrepreneurial spirit of America's small businesses during the National Small Business Week, beginning April 22, 2007;
(2) applauds the efforts and achievements of owners of small business concerns and their employees, whose hard work and commitment to excellence have made them a key part of the Nation's economic vitality;
(3) recognizes the work of the Small Business Administration and its resource partners in providing assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses;
(4) strongly urges the President to take steps to ensure that –
(5) urges that, as was the case in the President's Fiscal Year 2008 Budget, the Small Business Administration continue to be designated as a major agency in the President's budget submitted pursuant to section 1105 title 31, United States Code, and that the Administrator of the Small Business Administration have an active role as a member of the President's Cabinet.
"Small business owners are the driving force behind new innovations, technologies and ideas," said Kerry. "They represent 99 percent of all employers and create more than two-thirds of all new jobs in the United States. Today we honor their hard work, accomplishments, contributions to our economy, and role in keeping America competitive."
"Small businesses are the driving force behind our nation's economic growth, creating nearly three-quarters of all net new jobs and employing nearly 51 percent of the private sector workforce," said Senator Snowe. "While National Small Business Week provides us with a perfect opportunity to recognize the immense value small businesses bring to this nation's economy, it is essential that we in Congress use all 52 weeks of the year to support small businesses' ability to thrive and create more jobs."
President Bush designated the week beginning April 22, 2007, as National Small Business Week. The joint Senate resolution urges the President to take the necessary steps to ensure the success of start-up and growing small businesses with respect to procurement goals, guaranteed loans, management assistance programs, and disaster loans.
Small businesses generate more than 50 percent of our country's non-farm gross domestic product, represent 97 percent of all exporters and produce more than 28 percent of exported goods.
The text of the resolution follows:
Honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of America's small businesses during National Small Business Week, beginning April 22, 2007.
Whereas 25,800,000 million small businesses in the United States are the driving force behind the Nation's economy, creating more than two-thirds of all net new jobs and generating more than 50 percent of the Nation's nonfarm gross domestic product;
Whereas small businesses are the Nation's innovators, advancing technology and productivity;
Whereas small businesses represent 97 percent of all exporters and produce 28.6 percent of exported goods;
Whereas the Congress established the Small Business Administration in 1953 to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small business concerns in order to preserve free competitive enterprise, to ensure that a fair proportion of the total purchases and contracts or subcontracts for property and services for the Federal Government be placed with small business enterprises, to ensure that a fair proportion of the total sales of Government property be made to such enterprises, and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy for the Nation;
Whereas the Small Business Administration has helped small businesses access critical lending opportunities, protected small businesses from excessive Federal regulatory enforcement, played a key role in ensuring full and open competition for Government contracts, and improved the economic environment in which small businesses compete;
Whereas the Small Business Administration for over 50 years has helped millions of entrepreneurs achieve the American dream of owning a small business, and has played a key role in fostering economic growth;
Whereas the President has designated the week beginning on Sunday, April 22 as "National Small Business Week": Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate-
(1) honors the entrepreneurial spirit of America's small businesses during the National Small Business Week, beginning April 22, 2007;
(2) applauds the efforts and achievements of owners of small business concerns and their employees, whose hard work and commitment to excellence have made them a key part of the Nation's economic vitality;
(3) recognizes the work of the Small Business Administration and its resource partners in providing assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses;
(4) strongly urges the President to take steps to ensure that –
a) the applicable procurement goals for small business concerns, including the goals for small business concerns owned and controlled by service disabled veterans, small business concerns owned and controlled by women, HUBZone small business concerns and small business concerns owned and controlled by socialy and economically disadvantaged individuals, are reached by all Federal agencies;
b) guaranteed loans, including microloans and microloan technical assistance, for start-up and growing small business concerns and venture capital are made available to all qualified small business concerns;
c) the management assistance programs delivered by resource partners on behalf of the Small Business Administration, such as the Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, and SCORE, are provided with the Federal resources necessary to do their jobs;
d) reforms to the disaster loan program are implemented as quickly as possible;
(5) urges that, as was the case in the President's Fiscal Year 2008 Budget, the Small Business Administration continue to be designated as a major agency in the President's budget submitted pursuant to section 1105 title 31, United States Code, and that the Administrator of the Small Business Administration have an active role as a member of the President's Cabinet.
