06/19/02 Roundtable

To read the transcript of this roundtable, please click here.

To read Senator Kerry's press release from this roundtable, please click here.

Event participants:

     Ms. Susan Au Allen
           President and CEO, US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce
      Mr. Steven App
           Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Department fo the Treasury
      Mr. Fred Armendariz
           Associate Deputy Administrator, Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, U.S. SBA
      Mr. Major Clark
           Assistant Advocate for Procurement, U.S. SBA Office of Advocacy
      Mr. Steve Denlinger
           President and CEO, Latin American Management Association
      Major General Charles Henry, U.S.A. (Ret.)
           President and CEO, National Veterans Business Development Corporation
      Mr. Morris Hudson
           Program Director, Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance
      Ms. Barbara Kasoff
           Vice President, Women Impacting Public Policy
      Ms. Pamela Mazza
           Senior Partner, Piliero, Mazza & Pargament
      Mr. Ron Newlan
           Chairman, HUBZone Contractors National Council
      Ms. Patricia Parker
           President and CEO, Native American Management Services, Inc.
      Ms. Joann Payne
           President, Women First National Legislative Committee
      Mr. Michael Robinson
           Program Manager, Massachusetts Small Business Development Centers, University of Massachusetts
      Mr. Ramon Rodriguez
           Chief Operating Officer, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
      The Honorable Angela B. Styles
           Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, Office of Management and Budget
      Mr. Ralph Thomas, III
           Associate Administrator for OSDBU, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
      Mr. John Turner
           Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund
      Mr. James Turpin
           Director, Government and Industry Relations, American Subcontractors Association, Inc.
      Mr. Henry Wilfong
           President, National Association of Small Disadvantaged Businesses

Agenda for the Roundtable titled "Are Government Purchasing Policies Failing Small Businesses?"

• Opening Remarks
• Panel Introduction
• Federal Prime and Subcontracting Goals
  • Why is meeting small business goals important?
  • How accurate is goal reporting? Are there specific areas where improvements can be made?
  • Why is the federal government failing to achieve small business goals, and who is accountable for goal achievement?
  • Other issues.
• Improving the SBA's Small Business Contracting Programs
  • What are the hurdles to small business participation, and how does government policy help or hurt?
  • Where can small businesses turn for help when problems arise?
  • Federal procurement law, statute versus regulation?
  • Other issues.
• Procurement Legislation Before the Committee
  • S. 1994, the "Combined 8(a) and HUBZone Priority Preference Act."
  • S. 2466, the "Small Business Federal Contractors Safeguard Act."
  • The "Small and Disadvantaged Business Ombudsman Act."
  • Other legislative proposals and ideas.