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| Steve Pearce |
Washington, DC (May 25, 2011) Today, Congressman Steve Pearce offered an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2011. Congressman Pearce’s amendment addresses a problem wherein New Mexico’s local small businesses are not given a fair chance to compete for Department of Defense (DOD) funding because contracts are often bundled in large amounts that small businesses cannot afford. “New Mexico firms are never going to be able to bid on $500 million contracts,” said Pearce, “but they could easily service the contracts in local bases. The Department of Defense needs a better, more local contracting system which allows small business to compete fairly and use their local expertise.”
Congressman Pearce’s amendment would require the DOD Inspector General to conduct a review of the Department’s compliance with the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, which does not allow an agency to bundle contracts if the total amount of the bundled contracts is over $2 million. 
Currently, projects and contracts are centered around large corporations which then sub-contract to local small businesses. Not only does this practice unfairly distribute DOD resources, but local businesses often lose contract opportunities—and with them revenue and job opportunities—even when their regional knowledge would allow them to provide better service. Congressman Pearce’s amendment is intended to level the playing field so that New Mexico’small businesses can compete fairly and create jobs. Congressman Pearce has been a consistent advocate for small businesses, calling them “the backbone of the American economy,” and a vital source of job growth.
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