National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017

Floor Speech

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Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Chairman, the Small Business Administration's, or SBA's, Women's Business Centers, the WBCs, fill a critical gap in our economy.

Despite being more than 50 percent of the population, women own just 30 percent of all businesses, and the same obstacles that keep some from starting a business keep others from growing theirs.

By providing specialized resources, Women's Business Centers are designed to make sure women-owned businesses succeed. That is why it is imperative that female entrepreneurs are able to access these resources in a convenient way.

The reality is that in large, densely populated areas, the need for these centers is greater due to the higher concentration of women entrepreneurs. In fact, Los Angeles County was home to more women-owned businesses than any other county in the entire country in 2012, yet some women had to wait weeks or months or were forced to travel long distances in order to visit a WBC because the center closest to them was unable to meet the demand.

My amendment would address this reality by ensuring that the SBA considers the population density of the area to be serviced when reviewing and selecting eligible organizations for the Women's Business Center grants. We must continue to work to ensure that these centers are convenient and accessible for all women because, when women succeed, America succeeds.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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