FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Hearing on Minority and Women-Owned Business Contracting

Original title: REALIZING THE VISION OF PARREN MITCHELL-- UNTAPPING THE POTENTIAL OF MINORITY AND WOMEN CONTRACTING

January 1, 2022

small business federal contracting minority-owned businesses women-owned businesses economic development SBA

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing examines how federal contracting policies impact the ability of minority and women-owned small businesses to compete for government work, which accounts for a significant portion of the economy in states like Maryland.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Minority-owned small businesses

These businesses are eligible for specific federal contracting programs and set-asides discussed in the hearing.

Women-owned small businesses

These businesses are the focus of specific SBA programs aimed at increasing their participation in federal contracting.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2022.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship held a hearing to discuss federal efforts to support minority and women-owned businesses in securing government contracts. The discussion focused on the legacy of Congressman Parren J. Mitchell and the role of Small Business Administration (SBA) programs in promoting economic equity.

Key Facts

The hearing was held on May 19, 2021, by the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Congressman Parren J. Mitchell created the first minority set-aside program in 1977 by attaching an amendment to a $4 billion public works bill.
The 1977 amendment required state and local governments to set aside 10% of funds for minority-owned businesses.
Federal contracting accounts for 8% of Maryland's annual GDP.
The Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) extended the participation limit for the 8(a) Business Development Program from nine years to 10 years.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) delivered over $1 trillion in aid to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The hearing focused on the 8(a) Business Development Program and the Woman-Owned Small Business Program.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 8(a) Business Development Program?

It is an SBA program designed to help small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the federal marketplace.

How long can a business participate in the 8(a) program?

Following the Fiscal Year 2021 NDAA, the limit is 10 years.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Extension of 8(a) Program Eligibility

The 2021 NDAA successfully extended the 8(a) program participation limit from nine to 10 years, a change highlighted by the Chairman as a key accomplishment.

Small Business Administration Benjamin L. Cardin

Connected Entities

personBenjamin L. Cardin“Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship”Map →

personParren J. Mitchell“Former Congressman and advocate for minority business set-asides”Map →

organizationSmall Business Administration“Federal agency managing small business development programs”Map →

personEuripides Rubio“Witness, President and CEO of Ops Tech Alliance, LLC”Map →

organizationNational Urban League“Submitted testimony for the record”Map →

personRosa Q. Caldas“Witness, President and CEO of ZemiTek, LLC”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance60
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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