Hot Topics!

All Americans deserve to be given an equal opportunity to pursue the American dream and a top priority for the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is to foster entrepreneurship across all sectors of our society. However, while Hispanics are opening businesses at three times the national average and entrepreneurship has spurred the expansion of the black middle class, minorities are receiving disproportionately fewer small business loans and federal contracts than non-minority business owners.

The Committee is working on bipartisan legislation that will create an Office of Minority Small Business Development at the Small Business Administration to advocate on behalf of minority-owned small businesses, increase the number of loans they receive, and ensure they have a level playing field to win federal contracts. Additional legislation will help foster entrepreneurship as a career option for minority students by providing competitive grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Hispanic-Serving Institutions to develop entrepreneurial curricula and increase the number of minority-owned small businesses in the 21st century.

Press Releases
09/11/08	Statement of Senator John F. Kerry on Business Start-up Hurdles in Underserved Communities: Access to Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship Training
06/06/07	Tribute to Former Congressman Parren J. Mitchell
05/22/07	Kerry Opening Statement on Minority Entrepreneurship Hearing
01/17/07	Kerry Statement on the Minority Entrepreneurship Development Act of 2007

Statements
09/11/08	Statement of Senator John F. Kerry on Business Start-up Hurdles in Underserved Communities: Access to Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship Training
05/22/07	Kerry Opening Statement on Minority Entrepreneurship Hearing

Articles
12/08/08	What Will Obama's SBA Be Like?
09/22/08	Women, minorities still struggle for capital
09/16/08	Senate Committee Addresses Hurdles Faced by Underserved Entrepreneurs
05/08/08	Capital Crunch for Black Businesses
03/17/08	Senate Boosts Small - Business Budget