Press Releases
Larsen Continues Efforts to Support Small Business Exports
Washington, DC,
April 4, 2014
Tags:
Jobs & the Economy
Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, continued his push this week to expand small businesses’ ability to export by submitting a request for FY2015 funding for the State Trade Export Promotion (STEP) program. The letter, co-authored with Rep. Dave Reichert, WA-08, asked for sufficient funding for the pilot program that began in 2010. Since its inception STEP has assisted more than 400 Washington state businesses and helped generate more than $135 million in export sales. Larsen and Reichert introduced a bill in 2013 to permanently authorize the STEP program. The full text of the letter follows: The Honorable Ander Crenshaw, Chairman Dear Chairman Crenshaw and Ranking Member Serrano: As you begin to develop the Financial Services and General Government appropriation bill for Fiscal Year 2015, we respectfully urge you to include sufficient funding for the Small Business Export Trade Promotion (STEP) program. The STEP program is a pilot program that was authorized in 2010 (P.L. 111-240) and has produced impressive results. Due to its success, in 2013, the National Governor’s Association urged Congress to continue its funding and authorization. The program’s objectives are to increase the number of small businesses that are exporting, and to increase the value of exports for those small businesses that are currently exporting. All 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. Territories qualify to apply for STEP grant awards. In the first two years of the program, 3,737 small businesses were assisted through the program. Many states have effectively leveraged program resources resulting in a return on investment for the majority of states of $10 to $1. In fact, six states had a return of investment of $20 to $1. The STEP program helps our small businesses and our communities and we respectfully urge this Committee to allocate sufficient funding to this important program. Sincerely, Rick Larsen Member of Congress David Reichert Member of Congress Scott Peters Member of Congress Dan Kildee Member of Congress David Loebsack Member of Congress Susan Davis Member of Congress John Delaney Member of Congress Raul Ruiz Member of Congress Chaka Fattah Member of Congress Jim Langevin Member of Congress Steve Cohen Member of Congress Hank Johnson Member of Congress Joe Courtney Member of Congress Patrick E. Murphy Member of Congress David Cicilline Member of Congress James Moran Member of Congress Sheila Jackson Lee Member of Congress Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan Member of Congress Karen Bass Member of Congress Eleanor Holmes Norton Member of Congress ### |