[Page H9102]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING NATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP MONTH

  (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize November as 
National Entrepreneurship Month.
  America has always been known as a land of innovation, and 
entrepreneurs combine innovation with capitalism.
  But there is a group of future business leaders that need our help, 
the minority entrepreneurs. Many do not get the funds they need, based 
on bias in the banking and loan industry. Too many bank managers still 
refuse to see minorities as worthy of loans. When they do get them, 
minorities are charged higher interest rates on average than Whites. 
Many do not even fill out the loan applications because they know they 
will be rejected. Major banks have programs to deal with it, but 
clearly more needs to be done. We need to make sure loans are 
distributed based on credentials of the applicant, not the color of his 
or her skin.

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