09/11/08 Business Start-up Hurdles in Underserved Communities: Access to Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship Training Hearing
09/09/08 Opportunities and Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs on the 20th Anniversary of the Women's Business Ownership Act Roundtable
07/30/08 S.3362, A bill to reauthorize and improve the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs Markup
06/25/08 Examining Solutions to Cope with the Rise in Home Heating Oil Prices Hearing
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Women business owners comprise the fastest growing segment of the U.S. business community totaling an estimated 7.7 million firms contributing more than $1.1 trillion to the economy. The Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship oversees the Women's Business Center program run by the Small Business Administration and serves as an advocate for leveling the playing field for women entrepreneurs in the federal contracting arena. The Committee continues to push the Bush Administration to enact the Women's Procurement Program. Enacted into law in 2000, this program creates a set-aside program to help women fairly compete for federal contracts. Women receive only 3.4 percent of federal contract dollars - far short of the five percent goal. Despite repeated bipartisan calls for action, the Bush Administration has failed to implement this program over the last seven years, costing women-owned businesses an estimated $6 billion in lost potential revenue.
The Committee has worked on bipartisan legislation to strengthen the more than 100 Women's Business Centers across the country, streamline paperwork and oversight of the grant process for the Centers, and promote greater consultation with the National Women's Business Council and the Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise.
In 2007, the Committee successfully passed legislation to ensure successful Women's Business Centers receive a steady stream of funding and are working with the Small Business Administration to successfully implement the program.