John Kerry to Lead Small Business Panel

[ProSense]

John Kerry to Lead Small Business Panel

33 minutes ago

To: National Desk, Business Reporter

Contact: Kathryn Seck, 202-224-9431

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Today Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) was named Chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the 110th Congress. Kerry has served on the Committee for 21 years proving to be a tireless advocate for small businesses by working to increase access to capital, ensure small firms get their fair share of federal contracts, improve business development opportunities, and enact common sense tax proposals and small-business-friendly regulations. Following is a statement from Senator Kerry:

"Small businesses are the heart of the American economy and the place where American dreams rise and fall every day. I can't wait to lead the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship so we can focus on really fighting for small businesses to have a fair shot, to increase competition, to foster innovation, and to drive our economy.

"There are countless challenges small businesses face today. Twenty seven million Americans without health insurance work for small businesses that can't afford to cover them. Minority and women entrepreneurs are growing in numbers, but the dollars they receive in small business loans has remained stagnant under the Bush Administration. Service disabled veteran owned businesses only received a mere 0.6 percent of federal contracts in 2005. And, while 80 percent of America's businesses are small firms, they aren't even getting the 23 percent of federal contracts they're entitled to under the law - but somehow Washington has been so upside down that big businesses have obtained nearly $2 billion in federal contracts that should have gone to small firms.

"Next year, we will change that and we will make Washington a friend of small business once again. We need to focus on making health care affordable for small businesses. We need to reduce the burden of paperwork and bureaucracy for small businesses. We need to remove the obstacles that minority, women and veteran entrepreneurs encounter. We need to promote tax incentives to encourage investment in small businesses and restore fairness in the tax code for small firms.

"Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma revealed a need for serious reform of the SBA's Disaster Loan Program, so I will continue to push legislation that provides short-term relief for struggling businesses after a disaster and to cut through the red tape so that disaster victims get much-needed assistance quickly.

"As Chairman, I will look beyond the SBA for ways to foster the entrepreneurial spirit and assist small businesses across America. And, as I have in the past, I will continue to work across party lines to create sensible legislation that eases the burden on our entrepreneurs and helps them succeed."

Kerry has served as the senior Democrat on the Committee since 1997, serving as the Chair of the Committee in 2001-2002, and as Ranking Member from 1997-2001, and 2002-present. Earlier this year, Kerry was named as one of the entrepreneur's "best friends in Washington" by Inc. magazine.

A strong critic of the reduced funding for the SBA over the last five years, Kerry is fighting to preserve key programs at the SBA, including the popular 7(a) lending program, the Microloan program and Microloan technical assistance program, Women's Business Centers, and Small Business Development Centers, among others.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid also announced the rest of the Democratic Members on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship today. They are:

Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record) (D-Mich.)

Sen. Tom Harkin (news, bio, voting record) (D-Iowa)

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I/D-Conn.)

Sen. Mary Landrieu (news, bio, voting record) (D-La.)

Sen. Maria Cantwell (news, bio, voting record) (D-Wash.)

Sen. Evan Bayh (news, bio, voting record) (D-Ind.)

Sen. Mark Pryor (news, bio, voting record) (D-Ark.)

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)

Sen. John Tester (D-Mont.)

[LittleClarkie]

1. That was a no brainer, him being the ranking Dem and all

But good to see. Now he can get some work done. Huzzah.

[Mass]

2. Barbara Boxer in charge on the environment instead of Inhoffe.

Big change everywhere, but it is probably the biggest change.

[ProSense]

6. Cool! Thanks! n/t

[karynnj]

7. Wow that is a huge change

Snowe to Kerry may be one of the smallest - but so much better this way

[Rainscents]

3. Excellent!

I'm not sure about LIEberman, since he is for MAGA Corporation.

[Mass]

4. Great that Tester is in this committee. He will bring a direct and recent

knowledge of what it is to lead a small business in a domain like organic farming.

[Rainscents]

5. My thought exactly.

[_dynamicdems]

13. I'm glad to see him on this committee too.

I think he'll work well with Senator Kerry.

[blm]

14. I hope Lieberman doesn't try to gum up the good works.

.

[StoryTeller]

8. And isn't this the committee that will deal with net neutrality?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I'd heard that it was. If so, this is great news for bloggers and anyone who has an online business--regardless of political persuasion. John Kerry understands and has deep appreciation for the blogging and online community, and will be a good ally to have in the fight to retain equal access to the internet.

[blm]

9. net neutrality AND can go after Big Media for strongarming the smaller guys.

.

[StoryTeller]

10. That's really great news!

I do almost all my business online, and there's no way I or my editing clients could pay huge premiums in order to access my site. If that were to happen, I'd be out of business. Net neutrality is hugely important to me.

Net neutrality (or the removal of) is something that will affect all bloggers and small online businesses, regardless of political affiliation. It's something we need to all work together on in order to preserve. Otherwise, to use my new favorite freeper malapropism, we're "screwn." :D

[blm]

12. Contact his office - they'll listen to your concerns. Here's Kerry on FCC decision

and, no doubt, why media attacked him relentlessly in recent years.

Kerry Seeks to Reverse FCC's "Wrongheaded Vote"

Commission Decision May Violate Laws Protecting Small Businesses; Kerry to File Resolution of Disapproval

Monday, June 2, 2003

WASHINGTON - Senator John Kerry today announced plans to file a "Resolution of Disapproval" as a means to overturn today's decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to raise media ownership caps and loosen various media cross-ownership rules.
Kerry will soon introduce the resolution seeking to reverse this action under the Congressional Review Act and Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act on the grounds that the decision may violate the laws intended to protect America's small businesses and allow them an opportunity to compete.

As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Kerry expressed concern that the FCC's decision will hurt localism, reduce diversity, and will allow media monopolies to flourish. This raises significant concerns about the potential negative impacts the decision will have on small businesses and their ability to compete in today's media marketplace.

In a statement released earlier today regarding the FCC's decision, Kerry said:

"Nothing is more important in a democracy than public access to debates and information, which lift up our discourse and give Americans an opportunity to make honest informed choices. Today's wrongheaded vote by the Republican members of the FCC to loosen media ownership rules shows a dangerous indifference to the consolidation of power in the hands of a few large entities rather than promoting diversity and independence at the local level. The FCC should do more than rubber stamp the business plans of narrow economic interests.

"Today's vote is a complete dereliction of duty. The Commissioners are well aware that these rules greatly influence the competitive structure of the industry and protect the public's access to multiple sources of information and media. It is the Commission's responsibility to ensure that the rules serve our national goals of diversity, competition, and localism in media. With today's vote, they shirked that responsibility and have dismissed any serious discussion about the impact of media consolidation on our own democracy."

[LittleClarkie]

11. Maybe Kerry can get his fairness in media bill out of committee now

Or is it already out of committee? I can't remember where it ended up last session. That would be this committee too wouldn't it?