Nydia M. Velazquez: “It is important that the small business goals apply to contracts performed overseas. For too long there has been an…”

“It is important that the small business goals apply to contracts performed overseas. For too long there has been an exclusive club of contractors for overseas work. This needs to change. Extending the small business goals to apply to these contracts will expand the pool of contractors available to the government. This amendment will help bring overseas opportunity to small businesses. A recent study of $6 billion in overseas contracts showed only $122 million was awarded to small businesses, just 2 percent. This amendment gives agencies an incentive to award overseas contracts to small businesses. Agencies that do use small businesses for overseas contracts will now be able to get credit. The Federal Government should be looking to small businesses for overseas work. Ninety-seven percent of all exporters are small businesses; 30 percent of all goods made for export are made by small businesses. Technological improvements give small businesses much greater access to worldwide markets than in the past. It is important to help small businesses gain access to overseas contracting opportunities they have been locked out of. This amendment will accomplish this by helping encourage agencies to look to American small businesses for this work. I thank both gentlemen, Mr. Shuler and Mr. Chabot, for their work on this legislation. I urge adoption of this amendment.”