Addresses U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's 2007 Legislative Conference

    WASHINGTON, March 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Senator John Kerry
 (D-Mass.) praised the energy and entrepreneurship of Hispanic business
 owners around the country today as he addressed the U.S. Hispanic Chamber
 of Commerce's 17th Annual Legislative Conference. Kerry, the chairman of
 the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, also outlined his
 priorities for advancing small business interests and Latino
 entrepreneurship.
     "Hispanic businesses play a vital role in fueling our economy. With
 Hispanic firms growing three times faster than other businesses, advancing
 Latino entrepreneurship isn't a Latino issue, it's an American issue," said
 Kerry. "Average income for Latinos in Massachusetts is half of the average
 income for the entire state. The key to bridging this wealth gap is
 investing in entrepreneurial development and small business programs
 targeted to the Hispanic community. I am committed to pursuing an
 aggressive agenda to make sure these entrepreneurs have the tools and
 opportunities necessary to start, maintain, and grow their business and I
 thank the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for their leadership in this
 effort."
     There are more than two million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United
 States that increase our economic strength by $222 billion. Despite the
 significant contributions these entrepreneurs make in our society, Kerry
 emphasized that more needs to be done to ensure Hispanic-owned businesses
 have access to federal contracts and capital -- like microloans. He also
 talked about the importance of reducing health care costs for small firms
 and all Americans and about the need to pass comprehensive immigration
 reform this year.
     Kerry will be spearheading legislation this year to reauthorize small
 business programs at the Small Business Administration (SBA) this year. The
 SBA's budget has been slashed by nearly 40 percent since President Bush
 took office. Kerry pledged to restore funding to the agency and work in a
 bipartisan manner to pass reauthorization legislative packages this year.
     Contact: Kathryn Seck, 202-224-9431
 
 

SOURCE Senate Committee on Small Business