STATEMENT
of the
Honorable Nydia M. Velázquez
House Small Business Committee
Hearing on Small Business Success Stories
May 8, 2002
We take time this week to recognize the
huge contribution that small business makes to this country.
It is absolutely incredible the work small businesses
do for America. They anchor our neighborhoods and communities.
They create three-fourths of all new jobs and employ half
our workers. While corporate America sheds jobs and shifts
production overseas, small businesses are busy hauling
us out of recession.
Today it is truly an honor to have the opportunity
to hear from some of the leaders in the small business
community.
Kimberly Francis and her husband, John,
own Northern Virginia Roofing in Falls Church, Virginia.
When the Pentagon was attacked and burned on September
11, they worked with other roofers across the country
to volunteer their services to rebuild over an acre of
destroyed slate roofing over the Pentagon. Hard at work
ever since, they aim to finish the job along with the
rest of the headquarters by September 11, 2002.
Belinda Guadarrama is President and CEO
of GC Micro Corporation in Novato, California. She started
her company more than 15 years ago with just two employees.
When she tried to get a small, $5,000 loan, the bank turned
her down for lack of collateral. A prime contractor told
her, "No company wants to work with a little Mexican
company in Novato." But three years later, she secured
an SBA loan of $300,000 and expanded into a business park.
Today she employs 28 workers with sales of $34 million,
as one of the leading suppliers of computer hardware and
software to the defense and aerospace industries.
Congratulations, Belinda!
While these small businesses do so much
for our nation, we should be doing more them. And while
this Committee has continued to work tirelessly to help
small business, the needs still greatly outweigh the gains.
On issues like tax fairness and regulatory equity, most
of the change has helped corporate America rather than
small business.
Many of these issues remained unresolved.
It was heartening about a month ago to hear the President
outline his agenda for small businesses. I am glad to
hear him return to the issue that he raised during the
campaign. It is my hope that there is action to follow
up on these promises.
Small businesses built this country. From
the industrial revolution to the information age, American
enterprise has shaped our economy and way of life.
Since this is Small Business Week, it is
appropriate that during this hearing we can learn what
small businesses that have done for our country and our
communities.
Small enterprise is not uniquely American
--- but Americans have harnessed small enterprise like
no other nation. Alexis de Tocqueville remarked two centuries
ago that "boldness of enterprise is the foremost
cause of America's rapid progress, its strength, and its
greatness."
The history of this country --- and the
mission of this Committee --- has been the dogged pursuit
of equal opportunity for all with the dream of a better
life through commerce. That is why I am disappointed,
Mr. Chairman, in the House leadership that decided to
pull two of our bills from the Floor this week that would
have strengthened small business.
But today is less about politics than it
is about reminding ourselves why we work for small businesses.
In addition to the entrepreneurial drive, small companies
most often embody another unique American characteristic
--- our patriotic obligation to "give something back"
to the country that rewards talent and hard work with
prosperity.
We honor this spirit today. Small businesses
are constantly giving back, just as Kimberly and John
Francis envisioned during our country's darkest hour ---
and just as Belinda Guadarrama in contributing to our
nation's defense.
We thank you, again, for all that you have
given us.
