PETALUMA, Calif., August 15, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- In the face of 13 federal investigations and stories in major media outlets including the Associated Press, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, ABC, and CBS News, the Bush Administration continues to refuse to publicize the names of the firms that received $79.6 billion in small business contracts.

In June, the Small Business Administration released a statement announcing that the government awarded a "record-breaking" $79.6 billion to small businesses in 2005. The American Small Business League made a public plea to Steve Preston for the names on July 12th, shortly after he was sworn in as President Bush's choice to head the SBA. On July 24th, the ASBL sent a formal request to Preston to again request the list of contractors be made public. To date, Preston has refused to respond.

Members of the media have complained to the ASBL that they've been frustrated by the government's efforts to cover up this list of firms. Government officials have directed reporters to obtain the names from the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation–a database infamous for its inaccurate and missing contract information.

A recent article in Federal Times confirmed what acquisition personnel have long known, that the FPDS-NG is "unreliable when it comes to finding out almost anything about the government's procurement practices, such as how many contracts go to small and disadvantaged businesses . . ."

New York Representative Nydia Velazquez uncovered 2,500 large businesses listed among the recipients of small business contracts in 2005. Raw data obtained from FPDS-NG indicates that a number of Fortune 500 companies are receiving small business awards in amounts exceeding $500 million each per year.

Lloyd Chapman believes that the federal government does not want the public to know the truth of the matter that up to $100 billion in prime and subcontracts to giant corporations are being reported as small business awards, with a concentration in the defense and aerospace industries.

"If the Bush Administration is so proud of their record with small businesses, then they should be happy to make the list public," stated Chapman. "I challenge President Bush to publish this list of firms, from the largest to the smallest, on the White House website. If he refuses to do it, he's a liar."

Chapman added, "Democrats and Republicans alike need to realize that when the President allows billions of dollars in small business awards to be diverted to large corporations, it hurts every American no matter what their political affiliation."

About the ASBL
The American Small Business League was formed to promote and advocate policies that provide the greatest opportunity for small businesses - the 98% of U.S. companies with less than 100 employees. The ASBL is founded on the principle that small businesses, the backbone of a vital American economy, should receive the fair treatment promised by the Small Business Act of 1953. Representing small businesses in all fields and industries throughout the United States, the ASBL monitors existing policies and proposed policy changes by the Small Business Administration and other federal agencies that affect its members.

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