[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 35 (Thursday, March 1, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2514-S2515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. LANDRIEU:
  S. 745. A bill to provide for increased export assistance staff in 
areas in which the President declared a major disaster as a result of 
Hurricane Katrina of 2005 and Hurricane Rita of 2005; to the Committee 
on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, as I come to the floor today to speak, 
there are countless small businesses in the Gulf Coast, right this 
moment, that are open for business. The fact that they are open at all 
is a testament to the hard work and resolve of their owners, along with 
the focus and commitment of community leaders, state and local 
officials, as well as Congress and the White House. This is because, as 
you know, the Gulf Coast was devastated in 2005 by two of the most 
powerful storms to ever hit the United States in recorded history--
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
  I strongly believe that we cannot rebuild the Gulf Coast without our 
small businesses. Small businesses not only create jobs and pay taxes--
they provide the innovation and energy that drives our economy. In 
fact, before Katrina and Rita hit, there were more than 95,000 small 
businesses in Louisiana, employing about 850,000 people--more than half 
of my State's workforce. About 39,000 of these businesses have yet to 
resume normal operations so I intend to do everything I can in the 
coming months to get them back up and running.
  That is why today I am introducing legislation to help provide the 
necessary staff to help our small businesses in the Gulf recover from 
the devastating storms of 2005. In particular, this legislation is 
focused on promoting exports by small businesses Louisiana, 
Mississippi, and Alabama. Small businesses are important players in 
international trade, which is reflected in the fact that small 
businesses represent that 96 percent of all exporters of goods and 
services In Louisiana, we have about 2,000 declared exporters. However, 
there are many more businesses in my state who conduct Internet sales 
overseas, as well as those who focus operations on domestic sales but 
have some international buyers as well. These businesses are exporters 
but in many cases they do not even realize it!
  Given the importance of these exporters to my State and to the rest 
of the country, I would like to improve their competitive edge in the 
international market and give them every resource they need to succeed. 
As our businesses continue to recover, one of the main issues being 
faced by our small businesses is accessing capital. They need help 
accessing export financing to cover export-related costs such as 
purchasing equipment, purchasing inventory, or financing production 
costs.
  To assist businesses with obtaining export financing, fifteen SBA 
Finance Specialists operate out of 100 U.S. Export Assistance Centers 
administered by the Department of Commerce around the country. However, 
despite the increased need for export financing in the Gulf Coast, 
there is currently no International Finance Specialist located in any 
of the hardest hit States of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. 
Instead there is one specialist in Texas with responsibility for Texas, 
Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana and one specialist in Georgia 
responsible for Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi. 
Due to the extensive territories they cover and limited travel budgets 
of the staff, these specialists must divide their time and cannot focus 
on the needs of Gulf Coast small businesses.
  With this in mind, this legislation would provide an SBA 
International Finance Specialist to the New Orleans U.S. Export 
Assistance Center with responsibility for Louisiana, Alabama, and 
Mississippi. I believe this is a commonsense approach, since this 
position in New Orleans has remained vacant since 2003 due to 
retirement and budget issues. So this is not a new position or a new 
hire, it is simply filling a position that has sat open for far too 
long.

  The Gulf Coast Export Recovery Act of 2007 would also address 
Commerce staffing issues for our New Orleans U.S. Export Assistance 
Center. In this office, there is currently four full-time export 
assistance staff, along with one Foreign Service Officer. This office 
has had two staffers leave the office since Katrina and I am concerned 
that when this Foreign Service Officer leaves this fall, that there 
will be no replacement. This understaffed office is struggling to keep 
up with the increasing demands from businesses for technical assistance 
on finding overseas markets for local products, particularly businesses 
near Baton Rouge and the River parishes. Staff in New Orleans cover 
south Louisiana as well as the coastal counties in Mississippi. With 
such a wide area to cover, and so few staff, they are doing a great job 
in providing services but obviously need additional help to fully 
service our local businesses. The Small Business International Trade 
Enhancements Act of 2007 would provide one additional full-time staffer 
to this office to assist our businesses in the parishes of East Baton 
Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. Martin, St. 
Landry and Iberia. Many of our businesses from the New Orleans area are 
relocating to these parishes so we need adequate staff to keep up with 
increasing export needs in the area.
  In closing, I should note that both of these provisions were included 
in the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill that was reported 
out of committee last Fall. Unfortunately, since that bill was not 
enacted, these provisions did not become law and our small business 
exporters have waited an additional 7 months for increased export 
assistance resources. I do not want them to have to wait another 7 
months for this vital assistance. We are only asking for two full-time 
staffers for an office, but these two staffers would make a world of 
difference for the businesses, as well as for the understaffed office 
down there. I believe both the Department of Commerce and the Small 
Business Administration are supportive of these staffing increases so I 
look forward to working with them in the coming months to address these 
staffing needs in New Orleans. I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation since it will help our exporters in the Gulf Coast fully 
recover and will help the country as a whole by increasing exports from 
the Gulf Coast states.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.

[[Page S2515]]

  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 745

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Gulf Coast Export Recovery 
     Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL STAFF FOR NEW ORLEANS UNITED STATES EXPORT 
                   ASSISTANCE CENTER.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Commerce shall hire 1 
     additional full-time international trade specialist, to be 
     located in the New Orleans, Louisiana, United States Export 
     Assistance Center.
       (b) Responsibilities.--The international trade specialist 
     hired under subsection (a) shall provide service to the 
     parishes of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Pointe 
     Coupee, Iberville, St. Martin, St. Landry, and Iberia, 
     Louisiana, and any other parish selected by the Secretary of 
     Commerce.

     SEC. 3. GULF COAST EXPORT ASSISTANCE.

       (a) Increase in Small Business International Trade Staff.--
     The Administrator shall hire an additional full-time 
     international finance specialist to the Office of 
     International Trade of the Administration.
       (b) Location and Service Area.--The international finance 
     specialist hired under subsection (a) shall--
       (1) be located in the New Orleans, Louisiana United States 
     Export Assistance Center;
       (2) help to carry out the export promotion efforts 
     described in section 22 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
     649); and
       (3) provide such services in the States of Louisiana, 
     Mississippi, and Alabama.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Administration such sums as are necessary to carry out 
     this section.
       (2) Availability of funds.--Amounts made available under 
     this subsection shall remain available until expended.

     SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

       For purposes of this Act, the terms ``Administration'' and 
     ``Administrator'' mean the Small Business Administration and 
     the Administrator thereof, respectively.
                                 ______