New Chairman Kerry Pushes Accountability The incoming chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, Massachusetts Democrat John Kerry, said he will try to hold agencies accountable for meeting small business goals and avoiding unjustified contract bundling. Kerry takes over in January when the new Democratic majority comes into office. He said the Bush administration has done “more for big business than for Main Street business.” Kerry promised aggressive oversight of federal contracting. “We’re going to demand some kind of accountability,” he said. The new chairman said his priorities include legislation to help small businesses provide health insurance for employees, but added, “There is a real partisan divide” on the issue. He also pledged to continue bipartisan cooperation with the outgoing chairman, Maine Republican Olympia Snowe. “We always work best when it’s bipartisan,” he told reporters in a Nov. 16 conference call.