[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 30 (Thursday, March 16, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E332-E333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SMALL BUSINESS REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 15, 2000

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3843) to 
     reauthorize programs to assist small business concerns, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 3843, 
the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 2000 and urge its adoption.
  This reauthorization bill authorization funding for the SBA's primary 
lending programs, the 7(a), 504 and microloan programs. It also 
includes provisions to authorize and fund disaster loan surety bond 
guarantees, Small Business Development Centers (SBDC's) the 
Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program, the 
National Women's Business Council, the Service Corps of Retired 
Executives (SCORE) program, and the Drug Free Workplace program.
  H.R. 3843 provides record funding for these critical programs that 
have played a large role in creating and maintaining this country's 
unprecedented economic growth. The record funding levels will insure 
that the core SBA programs will continue to grow over the next 3 years. 
When enacted, H.R. 3843 will fund $1.3 billion in additional 7(a) 
loans, $3.3 million more in SBIC equity investment loans, and a 
doubling in Microloan technical assistance grants.
  Mr. Chairman, in the Second District of Colorado, many small 
businesses have reaped the benefits of technology related SBA programs. 
In particular the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program 
provides the funds necessary to refine their ideas, turn them into 
products, and to take those products to the commercial marketplace. 
Although the main purpose of the program remains meeting the federal 
government's research and development needs, small businesses have 
turned SBIR-inspired research into commercial products that have 
improved our economy and scientific advances that have helped to 
improve the health of people everywhere.
  Studies show that nationwide, small businesses produce twice as many 
technological innovations per employee, as compared with large 
employers. In fact, most of the significant technological innovations 
of the 20th century ranging from personal computers to high resolution 
x-ray microscopes can be traced to the small business community.
  Clearly, the success stories of small business owners who have 
participated in SBA programs provide powerful testimony to their 
merits. I commend Chairman Talent and

[[Page E333]]

Ranking Member Velazquez on crafting a bipartisan piece of legislation 
that authorizes record funding for the SBA over the next 3 years. I 
intend to continue working to help our small business succeed in 
today's technology driven economy.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on reauthorizing 
these important programs.

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