It’s hard to disagree with former Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s belief that small and large businesses alike can mutually benefit from a decrease in regulatory burdens. However, when accessing just who is truly advocating for small businesses, we must always take a second look.

Year after year, the SBA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has named the diversion of small business contracts to large corporations as the top management challenge facing the SBA. In 2005, the OIG’s report 5-15 stated this problem as “one of the most important challenges facing the Small Business Administration and the entire Federal Government.”

If the SBA’s Office of Advocacy’s intentions are to help small businesses, why do they remain silent about this issue? Why do they focus on lending and regulation when some of the largest corporations in the world are receiving contracts intended for small businesses? Each year Coca-Cola, Verizon, General Electric, Pepsi and countless other Fortune 500 firms each receive millions of dollars in small business contracts. The SBA Office of Advocacy does absolutely nothing to address this problem and Sen. Lincoln’s group, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), won’t even acknowledge the issue.

As the chairwoman of the NFIB’s Small Businesses for Sensible Regulations Coalition, Sen. Lincoln represents a group that calls itself “the voice of small business.” However, in February Politico reported that Sen. Lincoln was hired by Walmart as an outside consultant. In addition, reports have recently exposed the NFIB for lobbying for large corporate interests that counter the interests of small businesses.

So while Sen. Lincoln defends the intentions of the SBA, why don’t we look at her intentions? As she preaches her support for small businesses, just know she receives a paycheck from Walmart. Lincoln, the NFIB and the SBA’s Office of Advocacy are a bunch of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/290109-sba-should-speak-up-in-defense-of-real-small-businesses#ixzz2OZw3Delu
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