Olympia Snowe: “I rise to speak to the second-degree amendment currently pending today that Senator Kerry and I have introduced along…”

“I rise to speak to the second-degree amendment currently pending today that Senator Kerry and I have introduced along with Senator Sununu. I would first like to commend my colleague Senator Sununu for taking the initiative and offering the original women's business center amendment that includes critical legislation to keep this longstanding program operating. This second-degree amendment expands upon Senator Sununu's amendment by addressing the continuation of the women's business center sustainability program, a 5-year pilot program that expired in October 2003. I am pleased to have worked closely with Senator Kerry, the original author of this program, to find a permanent solution to keep the most experienced centers funded and operating. We cannot afford to ignore, or minimize, the extraordinary contributions America's businesswomen are making to our economy, our culture, and our future. The achievements of women entrepreneurs are undeniable. Women-owned firms generate almost $2.5 trillion in revenues. They employ more than 19 million workers and are the fastest growing segment of today's economy. In my home State of Maine alone, more than 63,000 women-owned firms generate an astounding $9 billion in sales. That is truly a record we can all be proud of. There can be no doubt the Small Business Administration's, SBA, women's business center program has been an indispensable party on the path to success.”