[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 65 (Thursday, May 12, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2921-S2922]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               SBIR/STTR

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President. I wish to express my disappointment 
with this body's failure to move forward with the Small Business 
Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer 
reauthorization.

[[Page S2922]]

  The SBIR and STTR programs, as they are known, are key components in 
our Nation's commitment to being a global leader in research and 
development. If we allow these programs to expire, as they are 
scheduled to do at the end of this month, we will forfeit one of the 
best tools we have to support innovation.
  Big companies do not hold a monopoly on big ideas. Small businesses, 
however, often lack the resources necessary to get a good idea off the 
ground. The SBIR and STTR programs have a long track record in helping 
small businesses leverage Federal support into innovative new 
technologies. Products developed with assistance from these programs 
can be found inside everything from the B-2 bomber to the electric 
toothbrush.
  I am proud to say that some of these innovations were made in my home 
State of Rhode Island. Since the SBIR and STTR programs were created, 
Rhode Island companies have received 277 awards and almost $100 million 
in Federal support.
  One of those companies is EpiVax, a biotech firm located in 
Providence. EpiVax focuses its work in the field of immunology and has 
received several SBIR awards over the years. Its most recent grant 
supports research on the development of a type I diabetes treatment. 
Other projects have included a hemophilia therapy and an improved 
Tuberculosis vaccine.
  SEA Corp. is another Rhode Island company that has benefited from 
both SBIR and STTR grants. Located in Middletown, SEA Corp. is a 
veteran-owned engineering firm. In 2000, they received an SBA award to 
develop launch systems for the Navy. They have taken the same kind of 
inflator that is used in automobile airbags and reconfigured it to 
shoot objects as large as a 750-pound torpedo. SEA Corp. is now 
adapting that technology to launch unmanned aerial vehicles from ships 
and submarines.
  I am proud of these innovative Rhode Island projects and the 
contributions they have made to our country. For Rhode Islanders, 
though, their most significant impact has been in the jobs they have 
helped create. EpiVax has grown to 22 employees at their facility in 
Rhode Island, and SEA Corp. employs 330. At a time when my State 
continues to suffer from 11 percent unemployment, we cannot overlook 
the importance of these jobs and the role played by the SBIR and STTR 
in supporting them.
  In Rhode Island, we have put special emphasis on promoting the 
``knowledge district'' concept. Leaders like Brendan McNally, the 
director of the Rhode Island Center for Innovation and 
Entrepreneurship, have worked to bring together early-stage ventures 
and to foster an environment of collaboration and innovation. A handful 
of RI-CIE businesses have received SBIR awards and many others have 
expressed interest in taking advantage of the grants to help their 
companies grow. If we fail to reauthorize these programs, great 
companies like EpiVax and SEA Corp. and so many others in Rhode Island 
and across the country may no longer have the resources to devote to 
developing the next generation of cutting-edge technologies and to 
create high-quality jobs in those fields.
  It is clear that America must renew its commitment to being the 
world's leader in research and innovation. It is more than just a 
matter of national pride--it is an important part of creating jobs and 
securing our country's long-term economic well-being. The 
reauthorization bill would strengthen the Small Business Innovation 
Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs and help 
preserve America's position as a leader in innovation.
  I was discouraged that so many of my colleagues from the other side 
of the aisle voted to block the reauthorization of these vital 
programs. Simply put, this should not be a partisan issue. Given the 
importance of these programs to small businesses across the country, I 
hope that my Republican colleagues will come back to the table so that 
we can work together to pass a bipartisan reauthorization bill.

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