{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.cantwell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=52aabe01-329c-4c89-ba3b-75c664b40f68", "In Speech, Cantwell Urges Passage of Womens Small Business Provision in Defense Bill", "2014-12-09", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "WA", "Maria Cantwell", "C000127", "www.cantwell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.09.14\n    \t\t\t In Speech, Cantwell Urges Passage of Women\u2019s Small Business Provision in Defense Bill \n    \t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n    \t\t\t***VIDEO AVAILABLE***\r\n\u00a0\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, urged her colleagues to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2015, which includes a provision she introduced to ensure women-owned small businesses have equal access to federal contracting.\r\nIn a speech on the Senate floor, Cantwell said the legislation \u201cwill help women entrepreneurs across the country break a glass ceiling.\u201d \r\n\u201cThere are 8 million women-owned business in the United States. But they only get a tiny percent \u2013 4 percent \u2013 of federal contracts,\u201d Cantwell said. \u201cWe want to make sure this is changed.\u201d\r\nThe House of Representatives approved the NDAA last week. It is now before the Senate for consideration.\r\nSection 825 of the NDAA would authorize federal agencies to award sole-source contracts to women-owned small businesses, giving women the same level of access to the federal contracting marketplace as other disadvantaged groups.\r\nA similar provision authorizing sole-source contracting for women was introduced in the Women\u2019s Small Business Ownership Act of 2014, which Cantwell sponsored in the Senate. It was cosponsored by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and John Walsh (D-MT).\r\nIn July, the Senate Small Business Committee issued a report showing that women are not getting equal access to federal contracts. The federal government has set a goal of awarding 5 percent of contracts to women-owned small businesses, but that goal has never been reached. As a result, women business owners miss out on an average of $4 billion in federal contracting opportunities each year, according to the report.\r\nIn Washington state, falling short of the 5 percent goal means women business owners miss out on an average of $188 million in contracting opportunities each year, according to a separate committee report.\r\nThe NDAA legislation adopts recommendations from the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship report to provide parity for women in federal contracting.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWe heard an earful from women entrepreneurs all across America,\u201d Cantwell said in the speech. \u201cIt spurred us to take action and make major changes.\u201d\r\nSole-source contracting already is available to small businesses owned by minorities and veterans, as well as businesses located in underserved areas. Authorizing sole-source awards for women would give parity to the women-owned small business program, creating more opportunities for them to grow their businesses and create jobs.\r\n\u201cSole-source contracting allows the federal government to streamline the procurement process when selecting a company,\u201d Cantwell said. \u201cThis can be beneficial to small businesses that have the technical expertise to provide goods and services for the taxpayer, but don\u2019t have the ability to wade through the federal contracting process.\u201d\r\nThe legislation also would require the U.S. Small Business Administration to verify the ownership status of women-owned small businesses. Currently, businesses self-report whether they are owned by women when competing for federal contracts. This change will ensure that the women\u2019s contracting program benefits those for whom it was intended.\r\n\u00a0Women entrepreneurs account for just $1 out of every $23 in small business lending, despite representing 30 percent of all small companies. They are also more likely to be turned down for loans or face less favorable terms than men, according to the committee\u2019s July 23 report, 21st Century Barriers to Women\u2019s Entrepreneurship.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.cantwell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=52aabe01-329c-4c89-ba3b-75c664b40f68"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3188039883971214, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}