Expanding Entrepreneurship Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today in support of H.R. 1842, the ``Expanding Entrepreneurship Act of 2009.'' I would like thank my colleague, Representative LUETKEMEYER, for introducing this act of solidarity, as well as the cosponsors.

When people think of the American Dream, there are few things they are more likely to think of than opening a small business. Our President called them the dreamers who built this country. In his words, ``They're the workers who took a chance on their desire to be their own boss, the part-time inventors who became the full-time entrepreneurs, the men and women who have helped build the American middle class, keeping alive that most American of ideals.'' My home city is very much a part of this dream--according to Fortune Small Business magazine, Houston, Texas, is one of the five best cities in which to start a small business.

That is what makes the Expanding Entrepreneurship Act such an important bill. It would make several changes to the Small Business Administration's, SBA, entrepreneurial development programs including establishment of planning standards, greater coordination of SBA programs, maintenance of an entrepreneurial development database, creation of an entrepreneurial development portal, and the introduction of community specialists to the program.

Under this legislation, the Administrator of the SBA would be required to develop a job creation strategy for 2009-2010. This plan would include the agency's intent for using existing programs, including Small Business Development Centers, SBDCs, Women's Business Centers, WBCs, Service Corps for Retired Executives, SCORE, Veterans' Business Outreach Centers, Native American Outreach, and other appropriate initiatives, to create and retain jobs throughout the United States. The SBA Administrator would establish performance measures and criteria including job creation, job retention and job retaining goals, to evaluate the agency's progress in this effort.

Also, under this act the Administrator would be required to oversee the coordination of SBA's Entrepreneurial Development Programs with other Federal agencies when it's appropriate. The Administrator would be required to report to Congress annually on opportunities to foster coordination, limit duplication, and improve Federal entrepreneurial development programs, without regard to the agency that houses an entrepreneurial outreach effort.

To ensure easy access for entrepreneurs, a portal will be designed on the SBA website with links to all of the SBA's entrepreneurial development programs. This portal will also have links to relevant web content organized by industry type, stage of business, and level of need. A separate database of providers of entrepreneurial development services will also be established on the SBA's website.

A community specialist would also be recruited to serve in every SBA District office. Their sole purpose would be working with local entrepreneurial development service providers to improve coordination with Federal resources. This will make the bill especially helpful for minority owned businesses.

This legislation is particularly efficient because it develops a cost effective way to reach a larger number of entrepreneurs in need and coordinates all entrepreneurial development programs eliminating duplication and government waste.

That is why I am supporting this legislation--because of what it will do to help women, minorities, and veterans who gave the ultimate service to our great country to be a part of its great dream.

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