PETALUMA, Calif., July 12, 2006 /PRNewswire/ Earlier this week, Steven C. Preston was sworn in by President Bush as the new Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. During his confirmation hearing last month, Preston promised to improve oversight for small business contracting, which has been plagued by fraud, abuse, and a lackadaisical attitude by the SBA. American Small Business League President, Lloyd Chapman, is calling on Mr. Preston to live up to his pledge by, first of all, releasing the complete list of firms that were coded as small businesses for the purpose of federal contracting during fiscal year 2005.

On June 21, 2006, the SBA announced that a "record-breaking" $79.6 billion in federal contracts were awarded to small businesses last year. However, research conducted by the ASBL several federal investigations have exposed the fact that giant defense contractors, such as Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and L-3 Communications, have received billions in small business contracts over the last several years.

A 2005 list of the top 100 contractors that ASBL obtained from Eagle Eye Publishing, a Virginia-based research firm, shows that this trend is continuing and may be growing worse. Chapman would like to see the new Administrator come forward with the details of what companies the SBA is including in its total small business procurement calculation.

"Steve Preston can prove what kind of Administrator he intends to be by allowing the public access to the truth about federal small business contracting–that large businesses are walking away with the lion's share of small business awards," stated Chapman. "It's my hope that Mr. Preston will have enough integrity to admit the facts and implement the necessary reforms to keep Fortune 500 companies off of the small business contractor list. We'll soon know whether Preston will be part of the problem or part of the solution."

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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