Why Reauthorize SBA ~Because ~Mobilization Matters...
It's A Matter Of National Security
Walter Cotton III
November 9, 2023
In my last Patriot Report, I called for the reauthorization of the Small Business Administration and a reimagining of the Small Business Act (i.e., among other things). I did so because it's past time that we as a Nation face the facts (i.e., we must revitalize our Domestic Supply Chain, while reducing our dependence on Big Business & Mr. Global...).
I am doubling down on the Nation Security Threat associated with that matter here, due to its immense importance in this season of global unrest.
One only needs to accurately-evaluate today's Federal Small Business ("SB") utilization trends and have a layman's perspective on Big Business' past price gouging practices, to arrive at the prospective I am sharing here.
Specifically, a 48% reduction in registered Small Businesses ("SB") in the System for Awards Management ("SAM.gov") equates to Agencies having a greater reliance on Other Than SBs for goods and services. More importantly, today's newly invented federal contracting practices can easily be defined as nothing short of SB avoidance mechanisms (i.e., BIC, Category Management...etc.).
Which, IMO, produces an additional erosion of our ability to react to the demands of any National Mobilization requirement.
I won't waste energy here drawing the common correlations between the pace of technological innovation(s) and the systemic changes they have produced within our business ecosystems. As former senator Snowe's collaboration with Maria Contreras-Sweet (i.e., SBA's 24th Administrator) effectively addressed that area in the Bipartisan Road Map to Modernizing SBA.
What I will point out here is the fact that Senator Ben Cardin introduced the Small Business Administration Reauthorization and Modernization Act of 2022, at the end of the 117th Congress. Although this Bill never made its way to the floor for a vote. This action suggests that this need is already growing in mindshare among our Congressional Stakeholders.
Tombstone Perspective, as to what we can expect if we don't take immediate action in this critical area of need...
Specifically, IMO, if we continue to kick this can down the road as we have done for the past 23 years. We can expect the future cost of the required error correction to, again, be unmanageable. I say 'again' here because we as a Nation have been at this nexus before (i.e., as we worked through the mobilization challenges of WWII.)...
The net result of continued inaction on this issue (IMO) will again materially increase the costs of goods and services to our Civilian Agencies, and most importantly the Defense Agencies that are required to react to our foreign and domestic mobilization needs (i.e., DoD, DHS, HHS...etc.).
Bottom line, the demands on our SB communities have significantly changed in the past two plus decades. It's simply unconscionable for one to believe that we will be able to support our National Mobilization needs without making a real-midcourse adjustment in our approach to SB optimization.
Therefore, I am asking my Congressional Friends to engage in a bipartisan effort to again "Do-The-Right-Thing" (i.e., ...reimagine SBA & the SB Act.).
And I am asking you to join me in that action...
If we effectively engage the Congress and the White House, during this election cycle, we'll have a real opportunity to influence this matter!
~A closed mouth won't get fed~
Mr. Cotton is currently Managing Partner of ‘The Cotton Exchange’ (i.e., his boutique consulting practice.), and is Managing Member of the Abilitytoo Trust (i.e., his social contracting business units.). He is a highly sought-after Small Business Contracting Subject Matter Expert by Agencies, Trade Associations, Major Prime Contractors & Veteran Business Owners.