Political Quotes

“I rise to support S. 2267, the ``Women's Sustainability Recovery Act of 2004'' which I recently introduced. There is today a critical need to preserve the operations of existing the Women's Business Centers currently serving women entrepreneurs in almost every State and territory. Buy adopting this bill today, the Senate is signaling its intention to preserve much-needed funding for the business centers currently in operation. Today, more than 10.6 million women-owned small businesses are helping to fuel our economic recovery: they employ over 19 million Americans and contribute $2.46 trillion in revenues. In my home State of Maine, there are more than 63,000 women-owned firms, generating more than $9 billion in sales. Numbers like these speak for themselves, clear evidence of the success of the Women's Business Centers Program, which helps women achieve their dreams of owning a small business, and other programs like it. As chair of the Small Business Committee, I am committed to a wide range of efforts designed to assist women business owners, so that they, in turn, can continue to make a significant contribution to our economy.”