Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act Of 2009
Floor Speech
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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2352, the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act of 2009. This legislation reauthorizes some of the SBA's most critical programs, those that prepare America's entrepreneurs to start and maintain successful small businesses.
The Small Business Administration, or the SBA, accomplishes this important mission through its Office of Entrepreneurial Development and its use of programs such as Small Business Development Centers, or SBDCs; the Women's Business Centers, WBC; the Service Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE; the Office of Veterans Business Development; the Office of Native American Affairs; and its distance learning program. These programs have not been reauthorized in a comprehensive way in nearly 10 years, and given the changes in the economy, it is long overdue.
Starting and maintaining a successful business has always been a daunting task, fraught with unforeseen and unavoidable problems and pitfalls for American entrepreneurs. In the past, a solid business plan, a loan from friends or a banker that you knew and good old-fashioned hard work was a recipe for success. The entrepreneurial development programs at the SBA were available to assist fledgling and seasoned small business owners in navigating the difficult entrepreneurial terrain of developing a business plan and growing their businesses.
However, times are more difficult now. Financing is harder to get. Competition does not just come from the business down the street but comes from businesses all around the world. In acknowledgment of these new challenges and their need for immediate attention, the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act of 2009 addresses the changing climate for entrepreneurs and makes minor tweaks to programs that have a record of success.
These programs are even more critical today as the country's economy is more focused on small businesses. As more large corporations begin to close or downsize, many more Americans have chosen to go into business for themselves and are in need of the type of guidance the entrepreneurial development programs at the SBA provide.
But it is not just fledgling entrepreneurs and those downsized from large corporations who have the desire to run their own businesses. When the men and women who have chosen to serve their country honorably in the armed services leave, they are faced with beginning new careers. Often they choose to serve their country in another way. These Americans frequently choose to open up a small business and contribute to the growth of America's economy. For these great Americans, we must provide them with the very best training to make their transition to civilian life as equally secure.
This bill seeks to expand and improve the educational and training resources provided by the SBA to our veterans. Although the SBA currently runs a veterans outreach and education program, no such program is authorized under the Small Business Act. This legislation would correct that and expand the number of centers available to serve our veterans. It is a small price to pay for the sacrifice they have made for us.
Many aspiring entrepreneurs live in rural areas or work out of their homes. Neither may have access to physical locations at which the SBA and its partners offer education and training. Given today's technology, we can provide these entrepreneurs with appropriate education through quality distance learning programs. H.R. 2352 requires the SBA, working with private vendors, to develop online courses that will educate entrepreneurs about starting and expanding their businesses, including having the opportunity to obtain online counseling from other business owners.
Often forgotten are our Native Americans located in very remote areas of the country. They, too, can contribute to economic growth if they have access to education and training programs offered by the SBA. H.R. 2352 codifies the Office of Native American Affairs at the SBA and directs that office to expand its service to Native Americans through the use of Tribal Business Information Centers. These centers will provide entrepreneurial education programs that meet the unique needs of Native Americans.
The broadest effort at entrepreneurial development is the Small Business Development Center program, a joint program between the SBA and institutions of higher learning. Changes in the bill modernize the management and establish, without risk to core funding, competitive grant programs designed to provide businesses with the best practices for things such as raising capital in constricted lending markets.
Half of all small business owners are women. Many small business owners who are women have benefited from training they have received at Women's Business Centers over the years and, as a result, have made great contributions to their communities. This bill makes several changes to the Women's Business Centers to ensure that they are functioning at their optimum level and reaching as many women as possible. In addition, the bill also makes provisions to ensure that the centers are on a sound path to self-sufficiency.
This will free up funds to allow new centers to open and serve areas not currently served by the Women's Business Centers.
These entrepreneurial programs frequently rely on the dedication of volunteers. Advice from executives, whether active or retired, proves invaluable to small business owners.
The SCORE Program at the SBA oversees a core of 11,000 knowledgeable volunteers willing to offer guidance to small business owners. It is an effective program that should offer more services. H.R. 2352 does just that by expanding the ability of SCORE to offer greater outreach and improved counseling to small business owners.
It is obvious that the SBA operates a number of entrepreneurial development programs. Many provide an overlapping service. While it is important to ensure that small businesses are receiving the necessary training, it is also important that these programs operate in the most efficient manner possible. And this bill before us requires the SBA to increase its oversight of these programs, improve coordination, eliminate waste and duplication.
Mr. Chairman, this legislation makes critical changes to vital programs at a critical time. And, in short, this bill sharpens already existing tools employed by the SBA to cultivate one of our Nation's greatest natural resources, its entrepreneurs. Mr. Shuler and my fellow Missourian, Mr. Luetkemeyer, should be commended for their work on this bill. And I would like to thank the chairwoman very much for her bipartisan efforts in moving this key bill through the committee. I'd also like to thank Ms. Fallin, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Schock and Mr. Thompson for their vital contributions to this legislation. And I'd encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation with me.
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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chairman, Chairwoman Velázquez's amendment makes very much needed technical changes to the bill. In addition, the amendments clarify and strengthen the ability of Reservists and veterans to access the full range of SBA training and education programs. I fully support those changes.
The amendments also provide for more detailed criteria in evaluating applications for the Women's Business Center. These additional criteria will help the SBA select the worthiest of the applicant pool.
I have to say, Mr. Chairman, I know there's a lot of thank-yous going around today, but I do sincerely want to thank the gen tle lady, Chairwoman Velázquez, because she spent a lot of time working on issues facing rural America, and it's kind of a hard area to understand in a lot of cases. And I appreciate that. I know a lot of people appreciate that. It doesn't go unnoticed at all.
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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chairman, I certainly concur with the gentleman that it is important to make sure that individuals wishing to start a very small business have access to appropriate training and technical assistance. However, where I part company with the gentleman is the need to create a program that duplicates services already available through the SBA. Microloan intermediaries are required by section 7(m) of the Small Business Act to provide counseling and training to individuals wanting to start microenterprises. In addition, such services also are available from Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers, Tribal Business Centers and Veterans Business Centers. Nothing exists in the record before the committee that suggests individuals who are interested in starting microenterprises do not have access to necessary training and technical assistance. So creating another program that duplicates existing efforts through the SBA is not a sound use of scarce taxpayer dollars.
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