[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 27, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H400-H401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS

  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 4508) to provide for an additional temporary extension 
of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business 
Investment Act of 1958, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4508

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

     SECTION 1. ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION OF 
                   PROGRAMS UNDER THE SMALL BUSINESS ACT AND THE 
                   SMALL BUSINESS INVESTMENT ACT OF 1958.

       (a) In General.--Section 1 of the Act entitled ``An Act to 
     extend temporarily certain authorities of the Small Business 
     Administration'', approved October 10, 2006 (Public Law 109-
     316; 120 Stat. 1742), as most recently amended by section 1 
     of Public Law 111-89 (123 Stat. 2975), is amended by striking 
     ``January 31, 2010'' each place it appears and inserting 
     ``April 30, 2010''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on January 30, 2010.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
New York (Ms. Velazquez) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.

[[Page H401]]

                             General Leave

  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  As we work to foster job growth, small businesses will be central to 
the equation. Time and again, when Americans face economic uncertainty, 
they respond with innovative ideas and new ventures. While larger 
companies are slower to reverse the trend and start hiring again, small 
firms are often more nimble and can lead us out of downturns more 
quickly.

                              {time}  1215

  For many dislocated workers, starting a new business can help pay the 
bills and even launch a new career. However, for entrepreneurs to 
fulfill their traditional role as job creators, they need the right 
tools.
  The legislation before us today will extend programs at the SBA that 
help new businesses form and existing firms grow. This bill extends 
some of the agency's most valuable efforts. Reauthorizing certain 
capital access programs will help small businesses survive the credit 
crunch.
  Earlier this year, the House passed legislation to strengthen those 
initiatives. We have also approved bills reauthorizing the Small 
Business Innovation Research initiative. However, before these measures 
are updated, they will have to be extended.
  H.R. 4508 ensures these programs continue operating as we keep 
working with the Senate to fully update them. This bill is not a 
comprehensive reauthorization, but it does represent another step 
toward a more suitable solution.
  Given the valuable role that small businesses play in our economy, we 
cannot afford any of the SBA services to lapse. I, therefore, urge my 
colleagues to vote ``yes.''
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRAVES. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
chairwoman's request to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 4508. The bill 
is straightforward, and it's a clean extension that prolongs the 
authorization of all programs authorized by the Small Business Act, 
Small Business Investment Act, and any program operated by the Small 
Business Administration for which Congress has already appropriated the 
funds. This extension is going to last until April 30, 2010. This 
legislation is essential because authorization for various programs 
operated by the SBA expire on January 31 of this year.
  Over the past 3 years, our committee has worked in a bipartisan 
fashion, reported out a number of bills to reauthorize and extend 
programs operated by the SBA. Despite our efforts to come to terms with 
the Senate over the broader reauthorization, the extension passed late 
last year will expire before the legislative process can run its 
course. Without enactment of this extension, a vital number of programs 
that the SBA operates would cease to function. Given the continued 
importance that small businesses play in the revitalization of the 
American economy, we simply cannot allow the SBA authorizations to run 
out.
  The work needed to help America's entrepreneurs revitalize the 
economy simply cannot be accomplished within the time frame outlined in 
the current legislation. We not only need to reauthorize these critical 
programs, but also update them to respond to new economic conditions. 
The extra time contained in this legislation allows us to fully explore 
and implement the ideas that will give our Nation's entrepreneurs the 
tools they need to be successful.
  Passage of this legislation will enable the House and the Senate to 
continually work in a conscientious manner to address the necessary 
changes to SBA programs. I urge all my colleagues to suspend the rules 
and pass H.R. 4508.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume 
to Mr. David Wu from Oregon.
  Mr. WU. Madam Speaker, I rise in somewhat reluctant support of this 
legislation which temporarily, among other things, extends the Small 
Business Innovative Research and Small Business Technology Transfer 
programs. The truth is that we should have reauthorized these programs 
long ago, and we should not be dragging this process out. But that is 
not a problem that we have in this Chamber. It is very, very important 
because SBIR and STTR are innovation programs which invest in small 
businesses, the ones best positioned to drive economic growth and to 
create new jobs.
  Innovation is the key to resuscitating our ailing economy and to 
creating good, family-wage jobs for the American middle class. By 
investing in innovation, SBIR and STTR create more than good-paying 
jobs; they encourage the development of growth industries. And that, 
Madam Speaker, is what our Nation needs most.
  AMGEN, Apple, Microsoft, and Research In Motion all started out as 
cutting-edge small businesses. These creative, high-tech companies 
spurred new industries, new jobs, new technologies that now employ 
hundreds of thousands of Americans.
  By facilitating creative renewal, SBIR and STTR are not only helping 
guide our economy out of a recession, they are building our Nation's 
capacity to thrive in a very competitive global economy. SBIR and STTR 
have a proven track record of over 25 years' success in creating good-
paying jobs in high-growth industries, and we must continue our 
commitment to these programs and reauthorize them immediately.
  But we cannot continue to fuel the 21st century economy with 20th 
century programs. We must modernize SBIR and STTR so that they can meet 
their potential as innovation catalysts. Some of these improvements are 
simple, like making awards more reflective of today's technology 
development costs. Others, like ensuring that our most innovative 
companies are eligible for public investments regardless of their 
capital structure, require a more nuanced approach.
  The Science and Technology Committee and the Small Business 
Committee, led by my colleague Chairwoman Velazquez, have been working 
hard with our Senate colleagues to strike the right balance for these 
improvements. We're not there yet, but I am confident that we will get 
there. In the meantime, we must pass today's temporary extension.
  Madam Speaker, I urge support of this bill and its swift passage.
  Mr. GRAVES. Madam Speaker, I would like to associate myself with the 
words of the gentleman from Oregon. It's not this Chamber's fault that 
we have to pass an extension. The reauthorization should be finished by 
now. I want to thank the chairwoman for all of her work in the 
committee and the work that we've been able to accomplish so far in the 
committee.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4508.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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