SBA’s Progress Implementing Women’s Procurement

Comments on the hearing
“SBA’s Progress in Implementing
the Women’s Procurement Program"

January 17, 2008

The Honorable Nydia Velázquez
Chair
House Small Business Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
2361 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chair Velázquez,

I am writing to submit comments on the hearing, “SBA’s Progress in Implementing the Women’s Procurement Program," held on January 16, 2008.

Despite the clear intentions of Congress regarding this Program, I am very dismayed that the SBA has created yet additional hurdles for women business owners who strive to be successful federal contractors.

I. Women-owned businesses received only a mere 3.4% of federal procurement contracts in 2006. We are losing billions in contracts every year simply because this Program has not been implemented. I have first hand experience in that there remain active barriers preventing women-owned businesses from open competition in federal procurement.

II. The SBA, in the proposed rule, states an impossible situation in that an agency must perform an internal audit of its past contracting actions to show that it has exhibited past discrimination before the contract can be designated for restricted competition. This is ludicrous and an extreme burden that no federal agency will perform thereby assuring that women will never receive a fair share of contracting opportunities. What agency will self-incriminate?

III. The creation of this artificial standard at the federal level will have chilling and highly detrimental consequences at the state and local level. If the federal government, by actions such as this proposed rule, articulate that women owned businesses are not “underrepresented” in federal contracting, the message flows down that women-owned businesses are not “underrepresented” at any level.

Thank you for allowing me to share my views.

Sincerely,

Gloria Berthold
President