Authorizing The SCORE Program

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Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

I rise today in strong support of my legislation to modernize the Small Business Administration's small business counseling program. The Service Corps of Retired Executives program, also known as SCORE, provides entrepreneurs with the small business advice of working and retired executive volunteers.

For years, SCORE has been providing entrepreneurship with free, confidential, and valued small business advice. With double-digit unemployment rates, more people will be trying to start their own business today. Their success is vital to an economic recovery. This bill will help ensure that qualified volunteers are available to provide one-on-one advice and counsel to small businesses.

Research shows that small businesses are five times more likely to start if they get assistance from a government-supported program such as SCORE. This bill will require SCORE administrators to actively recruit and maintain volunteer mentors and track their success. Counselors will be required to have at least 10 years of similar experience.

Earlier this year, the chairwoman from the Manasota SCORE chapter, Jeannette Mills, testified in support of my bill before the small business Subcommittee on Rural Development, Entrepreneurship and Trade. She said, ``SCORE fulfills a vital role for America's small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs by providing much needed technical assistance. As you know, many small businesses continue to struggle with layoffs, access to capital, cash flow and overall management issues advise. SCORE has a proven track record of both being creative and saving jobs by improving business survival rates as well as accelerating small business formation.''

Here are some facts about SCORE for people that aren't aware. They have assisted in more than 523,000 people in the last year; they provided counseling to more than 8.5 million business owners; they've conducted more than 322,000 counseling sessions; they've received 3.2 million visitors to their Web site in just the last year; they have helped create more than 20,000 new small businesses.

I know from my own experience in the 1980s, I remember the U.S. Chamber came out with a statistic, as I remember today, 92 percent that start up small businesses fail in 5 years. But the IFA had a statistic during that time, the International Franchise Association, that 80 percent of businesses succeed. Because of that partnership, they could be in business for themselves, but not by themselves. That's what SCORE provides. We want a much higher probability of success, not a 92 percent failure rate. We want an 80 percent or better-type success rate for small businesses that will create jobs.

Also, currently SCORE has 389 chapter locations throughout the United States with over 10,000 volunteers nationwide.

I'd like to close by thanking my good friend, and her incredible leadership on small business, Chairwoman Velázquez, as well as Ranking Member Graves for their support and assistance with this important bill.

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