[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 79 (Monday, May 24, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4145-S4147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mr. Pryor, Mrs. Lincoln, and Mr. 
        Brown of Massachusetts):
  S. 3396. A bill to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to 
establish within the Department of Energy a Supply Star program to 
identify and promote practices, companies, and products that use highly 
efficient supply chains in a manner that conserves energy, water, and 
other resources; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Supply Star 
Act of 2010 to drive widespread improvements in supply chain energy 
efficiency.
  Companies today are facing pressure on many fronts--from customers, 
stockholders, business partners, and regulators--to improve their 
energy performance in hopes of maximizing profit, minimizing 
environmental impact, and shielding themselves against the price 
volatility of fuels. Nearly 90 percent of a company's energy use can 
come from its supply chains, making supply chain energy efficiency--
encompassing raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, transport, use, 
and disposal of goods--of significant importance in the transition to a 
more energy efficient marketplace.
  For these reasons, many: corporations are examining supply chain 
efficiency, not only in hopes of being better corporate citizens, but 
because it makes good business sense. Decreasing energy use in the 
supply chain can lead to significant cost reductions and increase 
competitiveness. However, these efforts face hurdles--especially in 
small companies--that limit their widespread implementation. Earlier 
this year, I attended the MIT Energy Conference in Boston, where these 
hurdles were discussed in some detail by an expert panel. The hurdles 
include a lack of information and analysis tools for important parts of 
far-flung supply chains, which often lie far upstream or downstream, 
and therefore out of sight, of a particular firm, as well as a lack of 
leverage with which to rive global suppliers toward more efficient 
practices. Overcoming these challenges requires significant resources 
and access to global information that is often not available to any one 
single firm. I was persuaded that efforts to address these challenges 
would have significant benefit to the country.
  The Supply Star Act of 2010 would establish a Supply Star Program 
within the Department of Energy that builds on the Energy Star Program, 
as well as existing best practices in industry and the U.S. and 
international research communities to give companies access to the 
resources and information they need to successfully drive supply chain 
efficiency improvements.
  The Supply Star Program would provide all companies, particularly 
small and medium sized businesses, with financing, technical support, 
training, and sector-wide networks to help significantly improve their 
supply chain efficiency. The program would also provide public 
recognition to those businesses that achieve the highest supply chain 
efficiency standards, rewarding them with a tangible and credible tool 
to use in external communications about all of their good work and 
giving consumers and businesses an easy way of seeking out good actors 
as they make purchasing decisions.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill and work to 
improve the energy efficiency of our economy.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3396

       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 ``Supply Star Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. SUPPLY STAR.

       The Energy Policy and Conservation Act is amended by 
     inserting after section 324A (42 U.S.C. 6294a) the following:

     ``SEC. 324B. SUPPLY STAR PROGRAM.

       ``(a) In General.--There is established within the 
     Department of Energy a Supply Star program to identify and 
     promote practices, companies, and, as appropriate, products 
     that use highly efficient supply chains in a manner that 
     conserves energy, water, and other resources.
       ``(b) Coordination.--In carrying out the program described 
     in subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
       ``(1) consult with other appropriate agencies; and
       ``(2) coordinate efforts with the Energy Star program 
     established under section 324A.
       ``(c) Duties.--In carrying out the Supply Star program 
     described in subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
       ``(1) promote practices, companies, and, as appropriate, 
     products that comply with the Supply Star program as the 
     preferred practices, companies, and products in the 
     marketplace for maximizing supply chain efficiency;
       ``(2) work to enhance industry and public awareness of the 
     Supply Star program;
       ``(3) collect and disseminate data on supply chain energy 
     resource consumption;
       ``(4) develop and disseminate metrics, processes, and 
     analytical tools (including software) for evaluating supply 
     chain energy resource use;
       ``(5) develop guidance at the sector level for improving 
     supply chain efficiency;
       ``(6) work with domestic and international organizations to 
     harmonize approaches to analyzing supply chain efficiency, 
     including the development of a consistent set of tools, 
     templates, calculators, and databases; and
       ``(7) work with industry, including small businesses, to 
     improve supply chain efficiency through activities that 
     include--
       ``(A) developing and sharing best practices; and
       ``(B) providing opportunities to benchmark supply chain 
     efficiency.

[[Page S4146]]

       ``(d) Evaluation.--In any evaluation of supply chain 
     efficiency carried out by the Secretary, the Secretary shall 
     consider energy and resource use throughout the entire 
     lifecycle of a product, including production, transport, 
     packaging, use, and disposal.
       ``(e) Grants and Incentives.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may award grants or other 
     forms of incentives on a competitive basis to eligible 
     entities, as determined by the Secretary, for the purposes 
     of--
       ``(A) studying supply chain energy resource efficiency; and
       ``(B) demonstrating and achieving reductions in the energy 
     resource consumption of commercial products through changes 
     and improvements to the production supply and distribution 
     chain of the products.
       ``(2) Use of information.--Any information or data 
     generated as a result of the grants or incentives described 
     in paragraph (1) shall be used to inform the development of 
     the Supply Star Program.
       ``(f) Training.--The Secretary shall use funds to support 
     professional training programs to develop and communicate 
     methods, practices, and tools for improving supply chain 
     efficiency.
       ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such 
     sums as are necessary.''.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. BAUCUS (for himself and Mr. Grassley):
  S. 3398. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend 
the work opportunity credit to certain recently discharged veterans; to 
the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the sacrifice of the 
thousands of men and women serving in harm's way overseas and to 
introduce legislation that will help these brave men and women when 
they return home.
  I recently led a congressional delegation to Afghanistan. During my 
visit, I was deeply impressed by the service and dedication of our 
brave troops. These men and women work under the most difficult 
conditions.
  They serve every day. Weekends, holidays, anniversaries, and 
birthdays. They serve 24 hours a days, seven days a week.
  Our troops are some of the hardest working Americans. They patrol the 
mountains, fix trucks and fire artillery. They are not only warriors, 
but diplomats as well. They organize meetings known as shuras with 
local leaders and village elders. I was awestruck by our troops' 
professionalism, courage and tenacity.
  Many of these troops are from Montana. Montanans volunteer for duty 
at among the highest rate in the country. Montana's military recruiting 
rates are roughly 50 percent higher than the national average. 
Tragically, Montana has the highest per capita rate of service members 
killed or injured fighting overseas since 9/11.
  While in Afghanistan I met a young Army captain named Casey Thoreen. 
Casey commands an infantry company that is working to improve security 
in the Maiwand district of Kandahar Province.
  A reporter recently wrote a piece about Casey that described him as 
the ``King of Maiwand'' because of his important efforts to improve the 
lives of those that live there.
  Casey has developed close working relationships with the local 
district leader and other important power brokers. We couldn't dream of 
succeeding in Afghanistan without dedicated talented officers like this 
young man. Skilled efforts such as his are the lynchpin of our mission 
in Afghanistan.
  My congressional colleagues and I have worked hard to give our 
soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines all the tools necessary to 
succeed in combat. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we give 
our troops the tools to succeed upon their return home.
  President George Washington once said ``The willingness with which 
our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how 
justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the 
veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their 
nation.''
  President Washington's words are a serious reminder of our obligation 
to Casey and all of the brave men and women serving our country 
overseas. We have a solemn obligation to our veterans when they return 
home. And recent suicide statistics and veteran unemployment data make 
it clear that we have a long way to go.

  For veterans between the ages of 20 and 24, the suicide rate is 
roughly two to four times higher than non-veterans the same age.
  A recent survey found that only 13 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan 
veterans ``strongly agreed'' that their transition home was going well. 
And just 9 percent ``strongly agreed'' the needs of their family were 
being met.
  The unemployment rate among veterans who have served in the military 
since September 2001 far exceeds that of their peers. According to the 
American Legion, nearly 15 percent of post 
9/11 veterans are unemployed.
  The rate of unemployment for veterans aged 18 to 24 is over 30 
percent--nearly double the rate for non-veterans the same age. These 
numbers are unacceptable.
  I want to applaud my friend and colleague, Senator Patty Murray, for 
the important work she has done to address this problem. She recently 
introduced the Comprehensive Veterans Employment Act of 2010.
  The bill seeks to allow the GI Bill to pay for on-the-job training 
and apprenticeships. I strongly support her efforts.
  Senator Murray held a roundtable discussion on veterans' employment 
earlier this year. During the discussion she learned that some veterans 
were deliberately taking their military service off their resumes when 
applying for work. These veterans feared employers might think they 
suffered from post-traumatic stress due to time in combat.
  This discussion is a telling sign that we need to do a better job of 
welcoming our troops home from war. I can't think of anything more 
important to readjusting to life back home than having meaningful 
employment.
  Our veterans are national assets. The skills veterans have learned in 
the military are valuable in the civilian workplace and in communities 
across America.
  History has proven this to be true. Just look to the boom years in 
the late 1940s and 1950s. America welcomed back millions of World War 
Two veterans into the workforce. The leadership and strength of our 
veterans fueled the unprecedented growth and strength of our Nation. I 
expect nothing less from this generation of veterans as well.
  That is why Senator Grassley and I are introducing the Veteran 
Employment Transition Act of 2010. This legislation will reward 
employers that hire any veteran who has recently completed their 
service in the military with up to a $6,000 tax credit.
  The bill simplifies the administrative process that currently exists 
for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for hiring a recently discharged 
veteran. Any recently discharged veteran with discharge paperwork is 
eligible. This includes those men and women who were activated by their 
states as members of the National Guard.
  Enacting this legislation is just first step. I want to ensure all 
veterans understand the benefits of this tax credit. That is I am 
working with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Veterans of 
Foreign Wars, and other Veteran Service Organizations to help veterans 
use this tax benefit as a tool to find good paying jobs.
  The day after this bill becomes law, the VFW will notify their 
members on how to use the credit. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of 
America will post a webcast to their members to explain how best to 
take advantage of this benefit.
  The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will also publish a 
document online that a veteran can print and hand in with a resume when 
applying for a job. This document will explain to employers how they 
can take advantage of the credit if they hire the veteran.
  Briefly, I want to thank my first Defenders of Freedom Fellow, Iraq 
veteran and Montana-native Charlie Cromwell. As a legislative fellow in 
my office, Charlie worked hard to create and advance this bill.
  I created the Defenders of Freedom Fellowship so that Montana 
veterans could work on legislation that helps their fellow veterans. 
The legislation I am introducing today is the perfect example of what 
this fellowship was intended to accomplish.
  I encourage all interested Montana veterans to contact my office for 
more information. It will take this kind of team work to provide the 
support our veterans need when they come home from war. It is an honor 
to introduce

[[Page S4147]]

this legislation and I look forward to its quick passage in the weeks 
to come.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Mrs. Gillibrand):
  S. 3399. A bill to remove the limit on the anticipated award price 
for contracts awarded under the procurement program for women-owned 
small business concerns, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today, during National Small 
Business Week, along with my colleague Senator Gillibrand, to introduce 
the Fairness in Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Act. This vital 
piece of legislation builds upon a bill I introduced last summer, the 
Small Business Contracting Programs Parity Act, S. 1489. The purpose of 
the bill is to remove the inequities involved in the women-owned small 
business contracting program.
  As former Chair and now Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on 
Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I have long been a champion of 
women entrepreneurs and have urged both past and present 
administrations to implement the woman-owned small business, WOSB, 
Federal contracting program, which was enacted into law ten years ago. 
On March 4, 2010, the Small Business Administration, SBA, finally 
proposed a workable rule to implement the women's procurement program.
  The SBA's new proposed rule clarifies that individual Federal 
agencies do not have to certify that they have engaged in past 
discrimination against women in order for their contracting officials 
to reserve contracts for WOSBs. The proposed rule also identifies 83 
eligible industries under the program as those in which women-owned 
small businesses are underrepresented or substantially 
underrepresented. These initiatives will help increase opportunities 
and access by women to Federal procurement.
  Although it is anticipated that the SBA will publish the final 
version of the women's procurement program by the end of the calendar 
year, the program will lack critical elements that the SBA's 8(a), 
historically underutilized business zones, and the service-disabled 
veteran-owned government contracting programs include. To remedy this, 
our bill will help provide tools women need to compete fairly in the 
federal contracting arena by allowing for receipt of non-competitive 
contracts, when circumstances allow. Moreover, the legislation would 
eliminate a restriction on the dollar amount of a contract that a WOSB 
can compete for, thus putting them on a level playing field with the 
other socioeconomic contracting programs.
  Women-owned small businesses have yet to receive their fair share of 
the Federal marketplace. As I have stated many times, I am dismayed 
that our Nation has repeatedly failed to meet all but one of its 
statutory small business contracting goals. In fiscal year 2008, the 
Federal Government missed meeting its overall goal for small business 
contracting by almost 2 percent. But not only did the Federal 
Government miss its overall small business goal, depriving small 
businesses of over $10 billion, it has never achieved its goal of 5 
percent for WOSB, achieving only 3.4 percent in fiscal year 2008. Our 
bill would greatly assist Federal agencies in achieving the small 
business goaling requirement for WOSBs.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3399

       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 ``Fairness in Women-Owned 
     Small Business Contracting Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. PROCUREMENT PROGRAM FOR WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS 
                   CONCERNS.

       Section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) 
     is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``who are economically 
     disadvantaged'';
       (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``paragraph (3)'' and 
     inserting ``paragraph (4)'';
       (C) by striking subparagraph (D); and
       (D) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as 
     subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(7) Sole source contracts.--A contracting officer may 
     award a sole source contract under this subsection to a small 
     business concern owned and controlled by women under the same 
     conditions as a sole source contract may be awarded to a 
     qualified HUBZone small business concern under section 
     31(b)(2)(A).''.

     SEC. 3. STUDY AND REPORT ON REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN.

       Section 29 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(o) Study and Report on Representation of Women.--
       ``(1) Study.--The Administrator shall periodically conduct 
     a study to identify any United States industry, as defined 
     under the North American Industry Classification System, in 
     which women are underrepresented.
       ``(2) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
     enactment of this subsection, and every 5 years thereafter, 
     the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Small 
     Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee 
     on Small Business of the House of Representatives a report on 
     the results of each study under paragraph (1) conducted 
     during the 5-year period ending on the date of the report.''.

                          ____________________