SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE SBA PROPOSED RULING CURTAILING GROWTH OF WOMEN'S BUSINESSES

Speak Out Against SBE Proposed Ruling:
At this historic financial crossroads, a proposed ruling curtailing the growth of a major economic engine, women's businesses, is being railroaded into approval by the Small Business Administration and the Office of Management and Budget. The women's business community has waited seven years for implementation of the Women's Procurement Program, part of The Equity in Contracting for Women Act passed into law in 2000. This would enable women's businesses, representing 41% of all privately-held firms in the U.S., to access 5% of Federal contracts, which is more than the 3.3% they receive today. Yet the SBA and OMB are instead seeking to finalize a proposed ruling that would limit that access to only four of 140 industries - or only 1,400 of the total 10.4 million women owned companies. Moreover, it would require federal agencies to make a finding of past discrimination before being able to implement the program - creating a liability few, if any of these agencies, would accept.

The difference in Federal spend between 5% and 3.3% was $7.5-billion in 2006. This will negatively impact communities where women-owned firms employ more than 12.8 million people and generate $1.9 trillion in revenues.

This inequitable ruling must be stopped and replaced, for the good of women's businesses, the millions of people they employ and the country as a whole.

Take action by voicing your opposition at the Women Impacting Public Policy website: http://capwiz.com/womenimpacting/home/