Summary: Maryland Senator Benjamin Cardin announces the shortcomings of the federal government to reach its small business contracting goals and how minority and women-owned businesses are not receiving these contracts.
Topic: Should the new administration offer incentives for investing in women-owned businesses?
Category: Institutional
What is it? The pdf transcript of a field hearing before the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. The United States Senate One Hundred Tenth Congress.
Title: Access to Federal Contracts: How to Level the Playing Field
Field hearing before the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. First Session, October 29, 2007
Senator Cardin’s Opening Statement on Leveling the Playing Field for Small Business.
Publication Information:
Publication: Washington: U.S. G.P.O.: For Sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O.
Year: 2008
Description: iv, 175 p. ; 24 cm
Series: S. hrg. ; 110-373; Variation: United States.; Congress.; Senate.; S. hrg. ;; 110-373.
Standard Number: ISBN: 9780160809705; Stock no: 552-070–37495-7
Author: Maryland Senator Benjamin Cardin
Location: For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing office. Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo/gov/congress/senate
Accessed: February 5, 2009. 18:15 PST
Support:
Senator Benjamin Cardin- Maryland State Senator. He is considered a national leader on health care, retirement security and fiscal issues since coming to congress in 1987. In 2006, he was elected by the people of Maryland to become state senator.
a national leader on health care, retirement security and fiscal issues since coming to Congress in 1987. In 2006, he was elected by the people of Maryland
Small Business Administration- Created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns
Eagle Eye Publishers- An independent source for federal contracting statistics.
Audience and Agenda: The hearing is an important part of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee’s records regarding the access of businesses to federal contracts. The reason for the hearing is to put on record the findings of the SBA and to provide an image of the progress being made through the testimony of witnesses. The federal departments and agencies affiliated with the federal contracting procedure are certain to have paid great attention to the issues raised in the hearing. Senator Cardin states that, ” All of us seated here are interested in one thing- and one thing only- finding solutions to the problems that minority and women owned business confront in their efforts to contract with the federal government.” The audience is the Senate, Congress and the American citizens.
Usefulness: The transcript provides an inside look at the dynamic relationships among senators and committees. It outlines the priorities and perspectives of the members of the senate, as well as responses from the Small Business Administration and similar agencies to the GAO’s recommendations. The hearing provides a factual account of the current state of federal contract opportunities. The shortcomings of the agencies and committees attempting to “level the playing field” is a sign that additional government involvement or alternate problem-solving techniques must be initiated in order for progress to be made on this issue.
Works Cited:
Filed under: Institutional Sources, Source Notes Tagged: | Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
[...] October 29, 2007, Maryland Senator, Benjamin Cardin, announced before the U.S. One Hundred Tenth Congress on that the Small Business Administration failed to meet any of the small business contracting goals [...]
[...] Access to Federal Contracts: How to Level the Playing Field [...]