Rep. Johnson fights for small businesses, applauds League for work on federal contracts
July 21, 2009
WASHINGTON -- Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), who represents DeKalb, Rockdale and parts of Gwinnett counties, and is a strong supporter of improving federal small business contracting programs, applauds the American Small Business League (ASBL) and its President Lloyd Chapman for their efforts as an advocate for small businesses, specifically businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans.
Working closely with Chapman and the ASBL, Congressman Johnson proposed bipartisan legislation on May 21 known as the “Fairness and Transparency in Contracting Act of 2009” or H.R. 2568.
H.R. 2568 would provide small businesses across the 4th District of Georgia – and the entire country – with significant additional federal contracting opportunities.
Small Businesses are the engine of our economy and are responsible for more than three quarters of net new jobs and more than half of the private sector workforce. The Fairness and Transparency in Contracting Act would help stimulate the economy and redirect billions of dollars in federal infrastructure spending to the small businesses where most Americans work.
In 2002, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigated the diversion of federal small business contracts to large corporations. As a direct result of the investigation, Congress held a hearing into the widespread abuses in small business contracting programs on May 7, 2003.
Since then more than 15 investigations have separately confirmed that Fortune 500 corporations – and other companies – which exceed the government’s small business size standards, are receiving billions of dollars in federal small business contracts.
Chapman and the ASBL have been instrumental in spurring government inquiries into this issue. In one such report, 5-15, the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General stated, “One of the most important challenges facing the Small Business Administration and the entire Federal government today is that large businesses are receiving small business procurement awards and agencies are receiving credit for these awards.”
“Lloyd Chapman and the American Small Business League deserve recognition for the hard work they have done trying to bring an end to the diversion of federal small business contracts to corporate giants,” Johnson said. “Their efforts, along with the passage of H.R. 2568, will provide a significant boost to our nation’s middle class economy.”
The bill is currently before the House Committee on Small Business.
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