Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, a member of the House Committee on Small Business, will participate in a hearing entitled, “SBA’s Progress in Implementing the Women’s Procurement Program.”  The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 10am.

Tomorrow’s hearing will review the Small Business Administration’s recently proposed rule to establish the program that Congress mandated under the Equity in Contracting for Women Act 2000.  This hearing serves as a follow up to a hearing held in October where Rep. Clarke challenged SBA on discrimination against women-owned business as it relates to receiving federal contracts.

“I am anxious to continue the much needed dialogue with SBA about moving from theory to practice on implementing the Women’s Procurement Program. Chairwoman Velasquez has done a great job of raising this issue to the surface and I am honored to be a part of the committee that is doing the heavy lifting.   Simply put, the time is now for women-owned businesses have a place at the table when it comes to getting their fare share of government contracts.”

Participants in tomorrow’s hearing include:

Ms. Steve Preston, SBA Administrator

Ms. Elizabeth Papez, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice

Ms. Margot Dorfman, Chairman & CEO, U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce,

Washington, DC

Ms. Jennifer Brown, VP & Legal Director, Legal Momentum, NY, NY

During the October  hearing Rep. Clarke noted that , “women-owned businesses are underrepresented in as many as 87% of all industries in the federal marketplace and for seven years, the SBA has yet to implement the Women’s Procurement Program.”

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