To: State Desk

Contact: Lloyd Chapman of the American Small Business League, 707-789-9575 or lchapman@asbl.com

PETALUMA, Calif., Nov. 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- There is a growing body of evidence that the Bush Administration would like to eliminate affirmative action and all federal programs that benefit small, minority-owned, women-owned, and disabled veteran- owned firms. If Republicans retain control of Congress next week millions of dollars in federal small business contracting opportunities could be in jeopardy. This could spell disaster for Missouri's half a million small businesses.

A report issued by the Bush-appointed Civil Rights Commission could be a bad omen for minority-owned businesses in Missouri and other states around the country. The Commission, which is supposed to be bi-partisan, has been stacked with conservative Republicans ( www.epluribusmedia.org/features/crc_p2.html ). The Commission's report on affirmative action in small business contracting ( www.usccr.gov/pubs/080505_fedprocadarand.pdf ) concluded that the government is doing too much business with minority- owned businesses and needs to scale back. This finding is in stark contrast to the government's record of rarely, if ever, meeting its 5% minority-contracting goal.

According to the 2006 Scorecard Report issued by House Small Business Committee ranking member Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), women- owned firms lost $5.2 billion in federal contracting opportunities and minority companies lost $4.5 billion in contracting opportunities last year because the government failed to meet either of its small business contracting goals for these groups. ( www.house.gov/smbiz/democrats/Reports/ScoreCardVIIFINAL.pdf )

To make matters worse, the Bush Administration has slashed the Small Business Administration's (SBA) budget and staff for six consecutive years and proposed to cut it for nine. The SBA's dismal response to Hurricane Katrina is a glaring example of the negative impact that Bush has had on the only federal agency designed to protect the interests of the companies where most Americans work.

Closing the SBA would be one more nail in the coffin for federal contracting programs for small and minority-owned businesses. Infuriated by Republican threats to close the SBA, the Black Chamber of Commerce issued this statement earlier this year, " 1/8Conservatives 3/8 are furious that not all lending and contractual opportunities go strictly to white males. Congress should be put on notice: Trying to kill the SBA will be like trying to kill your political career . . . We are watching."

American Small Business League president, Lloyd Chapman, has waged a four-year battle with the Bush Administration to ensure that every small firm in America has access to its fair share of federal contracts. "Missouri small business owners need to stop listening to Republican pro-small business rhetoric and start looking at what they are doing. The dismal Republican small business record raises a red flag that this party intends to eliminate the SBA and all federal small business programs unless the Democrats take over at least one house of Congress. Otherwise, these programs will be in serious jeopardy until the end of the Bush presidency."

About the ASBL

The ASBL is founded on the principle that small businesses, the backbone of a vital American economy, should receive the fair treatment promised by the Small Business Act of 1953. See http://www.asbl.com.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

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/© 2006 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

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