The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce today issued a challenge to the Small Business Administration Administrator Hector Barreto and Senator John Kerry to stop misleading women business owners about the implementation of the women‘s procurement program (PL 106-554). Both have made misleading claims to the media this week that the program is either implemented or being implemented even though the program is not even close to implementation.
“We are alarmed at the clear attempts to mislead women business owners, their employees and the families that are affected by this distortion of the truth,” said Margot Dorfman, CEO of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce. “The SBA has not committed to a time frame for implementation, hasn’t written a single regulation and not one single woman business owner has benefited from the targeted program which this law was to provide.”
“The verb “implement” is defined – ‘to give practical effect to and ensure of actual fulfillment by concrete measures,’” adds Dorfman. “The SBA has taken absolutely no concrete measure whatsoever. There is nothing new today other than more press releases seeking to mislead women business owners, their employees and families.”
“However – there is another word that would be appropriate for the actions of Administrator Barreto and Senator John Kerry,” continues Dorfman. “That word is ‘grandstanding’ - to play or act so as to impress onlookers. Unfortunately, we have a lot of grandstanding going on but not any implementation.”
“I know that the SBA would like women to believe they are doing their job even though after one thousand six hundred and eighteen days have passed since this legislation was signed into law, the SBA still has not implemented this law in support of women business owners. While Senator Kerry may have his own political reasons to impress women business owners, women understand the meaning of the word ‘implement’ and will not be mislead by these obvious attempts to impress them with hallow rhetoric.”
“In the last four years alone, women business owners have lost over $20 billion dollars due to the governments failure to meet its very modest five percent goal for contracting with women-owned firms,” added Dorfman. “Women business owners are losing over one million dollars every single day.”
Background
The Women’s Procurement Program, which was signed into law one thousand six hundred and eighteen days ago as part of the Equity in Contracting for Women Act of 2000, established a program through which federal agencies could target women-owned firms for contracts in industries that have been historically closed to them. Congress established this law because, even though women-owned firms represent over thirty-five percent of all firms in the U.S., they secure less than 3% of government contracts. This incredibly low level of contracting with women comes in spite of a ten year old government wide goal of five percent.
In late 2004, the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce filed a claim against the SBA and Administrator Barreto for failure to implement this important law. On May 26, 2005 a broad coalition of seventy-one members of congress filed an amicus brief in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in support of the United States Women's Chamber of Commerce (USWCC) lawsuit. (Details of this press conference can be found at http://www.uswomenschamber.com).
At six p.m. on the evening before the press conference to announce the support of these congressional leaders, the SBA sent out a press release indicating they were implementing the program – even though no date had been set, no regulation written and not one woman assisted. This was followed by a press release by Senator Kerry late on May 26th claiming a personal victory for the implementation of this program.
About the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce™ (www.uswomenschamber.com) is the pre-eminent national women’s chamber of commerce network whose mission is to develop leaders, accelerate economic growth and provide a community voice for women. The USWCC, a not-for-profit 501(c)6 organization founded in 2001, is growing through councils and strategic alliances across the U.S. Creating and representing the next generation of leadership for women, the USWCC is women’s connection to influence, education, opportunity and advancement. Its headquarters offices are located in Washington, D.C.
For more information:
U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce™ media contact:
Jill Van Dierendonck
JMV Communications
(800) 738-0653
U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce™ contacts:
Margot Dorfman, USWCC CEO
(888) 41-USWCC / (888) 418-7922
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