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Week Ending May 4, 2006

S.RES.174 A resolution honoring the entrepreneurial spirit of small business concerns in the United States during National Small Business Week, beginning April 22, 2007.

There are 25.8 million small businesses in the US providing 2/3rds of net new jobs and more than 50% of the non-farm gross domestic product. 97% of exporters are small businesses.

The preamble alludes to the establishment of the Small Business Administration fifty years ago and the impact it has had helping small businesses prosper.

More resolution below….

Sponsor:  Senator John Kerry (D-MA0

Vote: Passed Senate by voice vote May 1, 2007

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost

Earmark Certification:   Not applicable to this resolution.

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MORE INFORMATION

   Whereas the 25,800,000 small business concerns in the United States are the driving force behind the Nation's economy, creating more than 2/3 of all net new jobs and generating more than 50 percent of the Nation's nonfarm gross domestic product

   Whereas small business concerns are the Nation's innovators, advancing technology and productivity;

   Whereas small business concerns represent 97 percent of all exporters and produce 28.6 percent of exported goods;

   Whereas 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 concerns, to ensure that a fair proportion of the total sales of Government property be made to such small business concerns, and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of the Nation;

   Whereas the Small Business Administration has helped small business concerns access critical lending opportunities, protected small business concerns 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 business concerns compete;

   Whereas for over 50 years, the Small Business Administration has helped millions of entrepreneurs achieve the American dream of owning a small business concern, and has played a key role in fostering economic growth; and

   Whereas the President has designated the week beginning April 22, 2007 as ``National Small Business Week'': Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--

    (1) honors the entrepreneurial spirit of small business concerns in the United States during National Small Business Week, beginning April 22, 2007;

    (2) applauds the efforts and achievements of the 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 business concerns;

    (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 socially 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 small business development centers, women's business centers, and the Service Corps of Retired Executives, are provided with the Federal resources necessary to do their jobs; and

    (D) reforms to the disaster loan program of the Small Business Administration are implemented as quickly as possible; and

    (5) urges that, as was the case in the President's budget for fiscal year 2008, the Small Business Administration continue to be designated as a major agency in the President's budget submitted pursuant to section 1105 of 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.

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