About the Chair

Mary L. Landrieu

Mary L. Landrieu

Mary L. Landrieu has been fighting and winning for Louisiana since she was first elected to the Louisiana state legislature at the age of 23. After serving eight years as a state representative and two terms as State Treasurer, in 1996 she became the first woman from Louisiana elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate. Senator Landrieu is currently the Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, and a member of the Appropriations and Energy and Natural Resources Committees. The nonpartisan Congress.org has ranked Senator Landrieu as the tenth most effective legislator in the Senate.

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News from the Chair

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Issues

  • Contracting
    Access to federal contracts often means the difference between surviving and thriving for our nation's small businesses. One of the principle oversight responsibilities of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is to ensure that all small businesses have the opportunity to sell their goods and services to the federal government - this includes making sure women, minorities, veterans and other underserved groups have equal access to contracts.
  • Veteran-owned Enterprises
    As brave American men and women continue to serve around the world, the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship recognizes the economic hardships that small businesses can suffer as owners and key employees are deployed. The Committee is also responsible for overseeing assistance for helping veterans start or expand a business once they return home.
  • Minority Entrepreneurs
    The number of businesses in our minority communities continues to grow, adding to our competitive advantage. Over the last 10 years, minority business enterprises accounted for more than 50 percent of the two million new businesses started in the United States and created 4.7 million jobs. There are now more than four million minority-owned companies in the United States, with annual sales totaling close to $700 billion.
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Democratic Staff

Donald R. Cravins, Jr.  Staff Director and Chief Counsel

Kevin Wheeler  Deputy Staff Director

Brian van Hook  Senior Policy Advisor

Elle Ourso  Press Secretary

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