Petaluma, Calif. - President Barack Obama's stimulus bill spending ignores America's 27 million small businesses and may have failed so far, in part because of that omission.  The Dow has now plunged to its lowest levels in 12 years.

President Obama's stimulus plan lacks any language that would direct any of the stimulus bill's spending to the small businesses that create over 98 percent of all new jobs. President Obama has also refused to address widely reported abuses in existing government economic stimulus programs for small businesses. (https://www.asbl.com/news.php) 

Critics from Rush Limbaugh to Bill Clinton have acknowledged the bill should have done more for small businesses. (http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_030209/content/01125106.guest.html, http://blogs.wsj.com/independentstreet/2009/02/17/bill-clinton-stimulus-package-should-do-more-for-small-business/) 

According to the latest statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, over 98 percent of all U.S. firms have 100 employees or less. These firms employ over 50 percent of the private sector work force and are responsible for 98 percent of new jobs in America. (https://www.asbl.com/documents/INKSBAReport.pdf) 

Economic experts agree that directing federal infrastructure spending to small businesses is the most efficient path to creating jobs and stimulating America's economy, but President Obama has refused to adopt any such plans. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR-fWcpkOHM) 

Since 2003, more than 15 federal investigations have found hundreds of billions of dollars in federal contracts earmarked for small businesses have been diverted to Fortune 500 firms. President Obama seemed to acknowledge the magnitude of the problem during his campaign when he released the statement, "It is time to end the diversion of federal small business contracts to corporate giants."
(ABC, https://www.asbl.com/abc_evening_news.wmv; CBS, https://www.asbl.com/cbs.wmv; CNN, https://www.asbl.com/showmedia.php?id=1170,  http://www.barackobama.com/2008/02/26/the_american_small_business_le.php) 

To date, President Obama has refused to support legislation and policies that would stop fraud and abuse in federal small business contracting programs.

The American Small Business League (ASBL) has urged President Obama to adopt policies that address the abuses in existing government economic stimulus plans for small businesses, and to include language in the stimulus bill that directs more federal spending to small businesses.

"It defies all reason and logic to try and stimulate the economy, and create millions of jobs by directing 100 percent of the stimulus bill spending to the top 1 percent of U.S. firms, when government statistics clearly show small businesses create 98 percent of all new jobs in America," ASBL President Lloyd Chapman said.

-###-

Petaluma, Calif. – President Barack Obama is expected to support legislation or policy that will allow wealthy venture capitalists to dominate federal programs designed to assist small businesses.  If he is successful, it will force thousands of small businesses to close their doors and cost countless American jobs. (http://www.vcjnews.com/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=46450)

The Small Business Act requires that a small business be “independently owned.”  Firms that are owned and controlled by venture capitalists are not considered small businesses in federal small business contracting and grant programs.

The venture capital industry, led by the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) has spent millions of dollars lobbying members of Congress to change the current definition of a small business to allow even billionaire venture capitalists to own a controlling interest in a small business and still qualify as participants in federal small business programs. Small business advocates are concerned that such a change would set a dangerous precedent for venture capital participation in all federal small business programs, and lead to the diversion of billions more in federal small business contracts to wealthy venture capitalists.

The American Small Business League (ASBL) is concerned that President Obama may attempt to sell federal small business programs to the venture capital industry by pushing Congress to add language to the omnibus spending bill, making changes to existing Small Business Administration policy or by issuing an executive order.
 
According to MAPLight.org, the venture capital industry contributed more than $1.2 million to President Obama's campaign. Additionally, the venture capital lobby has focused its campaign to buy political influence on key democratic leaders like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D - CA) and Senator John Kerry (D - MA). (http://www.maplight.org/map/us/interest/F2500)

Small business advocates point to the appointments of venture capitalist and Tootsie Roll heiress Karen Gordon Mills to run the Small Business Administration (SBA), and Julius Genachowski of Rock Creek Ventures to head the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as further indications that President Obama may support the interests of the venture capital industry over small businesses.

“Small businesses are the engine that drives this nation’s economy in the car that takes American’s to work.  That ‘car’ is responsible for nearly all-new jobs. President Obama needs to consider America’s 27 million small businesses before he facilitates the wholesale diversion of billions of dollars in small business grants and contracts to some of our nation’s wealthiest investors,” ASBL President Lloyd Chapman said. “Legislation or policy that will allow venture capitalist owned-firms to participate in small business programs would damage our nation’s small businesses, cost America’s middle class billions and push our country further towards a depression.  It is just not reasonable.”

Petaluma, Calif. - President Barack Obama's new fiscal 2010 budget proposal does not contain any specific funding for, or mention of the Small Business Administration's (SBA) biggest challenge, the diversion of federal small business contracts to large corporations.

Since 2003, more than 15 federal investigations have found fraud, abuse, loopholes and a lack of oversight in federal small business contracting programs that have allowed Fortune 500 firms to take billions of dollars in federal contracts earmarked for small businesses. (https://www.asbl.com/documentlibrary.html) ABC, CBS and CNN have aired stories on the investigations. (ABC, https://www.asbl.com/abc_evening_news.wmv; CBS, https://www.asbl.com/cbs.wmv; CNN, https://www.asbl.com/showmedia.php?id=1170)

Report 5-15 from the SBA Office of Inspector General (OIG) stated, "One of the most important challenges facing the Small Business Administration and the entire Federal government today is that large businesses are receiving small business procurement awards and agencies are receiving credit for these awards."  (http://www.sba.gov/IG/05-15.pdf)

In Report 5-16, the SBA OIG found large businesses had committed felony federal contracting fraud by making "false certifications" and "improper certifications." (http://www.sba.gov/IG/05-16.pdf)  

A report from the SBA Office of Advocacy found a number of large businesses had illegally received federal small business contracts through, "vendor deception." (https://www.asbl.com/documents/eagkeeye_report 2002.pdf)

In February of 2008, President Obama stated, "It is time to end the diversion of federal small business contracts to corporate giants." While President Obama's budget mentions a number of specific small business programs; the proposal contains no mention of this issue, which small business advocates maintain is responsible for pulling up to $100 billion in federal small business contracts out of the middle class economy every year.     (http://www.barackobama.com/2008/02/26/the_american_small_business_le.php)

In the last year, President Obama has consistently refused to offer a solution to the diversion of billions of dollars in federal small business contracts to Fortune 500 corporations, their subsidiaries and other clearly large firms.  President Obama's fiscal 2010 budget proposal represents his 6th opportunity to mention solutions to this devastating problem.

"I would like a member of the White House Press Corps to ask President Obama one question for America's 27 million small businesses," ASBL President Lloyd Chapman said. "Why are you allowing Fortune 500 firms to take federal contracts that have been legally set-aside for small businesses?"

-###-