[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 24, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H3352-H3353]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SMALL BUSINESS ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY EXTENSION ACT OF 2011
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the Senate bill (S. 990) 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, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:
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 112-1 (125 Stat. 3), is amended by striking
``May 31, 2011'' each place it appears and inserting
``September 30, 2011''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on May 30, 2011.
SEC. 2. COMPETITIVE SELECTION PROCEDURES FOR SBIR AND STTR
PROGRAMS.
Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638) is
amended by inserting after subsection (r) the following:
``(s) Competitive Selection Procedures for SBIR and STTR
Programs.--All funds awarded, appropriated, or otherwise made
available in accordance with subsection (f) or (n) must be
awarded pursuant to competitive and merit-based selection
procedures.''.
[[Page H3353]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Graves) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlemen from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members shall 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
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, America's 27 million small businesses drive U.S.
economic growth and innovation. Those small companies have created 64
percent of our net new jobs over the past 15 years. Strong and vibrant
economies are built from the ground up, and as our Nation's
entrepreneurs are making decisions to take risks and invest they need
to know that their elected officials are looking out for them and
providing them with the certainty they need to have confidence moving
forward. That confidence will result in increased economic output, new
jobs, and a better way of life for all Americans.
The legislation we have before us is a simple extension of programs
overseen by the Small Business Administration through September 30,
2011. The current authorizing legislation expires at the end of this
month, and we need additional time to continue our legislative work.
Chief among the programs we are extending today is the Small Business
Innovative Research Act, the largest Federal Government small business
research and development initiative. Earlier this month, the Small
Business Committee held a markup of legislation that would fully
authorize the SBIR program through 2014. This bipartisan legislation
passed our committee by voice vote, and we are ready to bring this
legislation to the floor to provide our small entrepreneurs with the
certainty that they need to move forward. Unfortunately, the long term
SBIR reauthorization introduced by our counterparts in the other body
has been stalled and the prospect of them passing that legislation
still remains unclear. We have reached out to the other body and are
continuing a constructive dialogue on finding a solution to fully
authorize the SBIR program as well as other important small business
initiatives. It is my hope that we can continue to work in a bipartisan
and bicameral way to pass this long-term reauthorization.
I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on S. 990, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, the economy is showing signs of recovery on several
fronts, adding 1 million jobs in the last 6 months. While this is very
good news, we still have a long way to go, and this is why we need
small firms more than ever.
Small businesses, which create two-thirds of new jobs, drive
employment gains and economic expansion. Time and again, they have
generated the ideas and know-how that spark job growth. However,
entrepreneurs must have the resources and tools they need to start up
or expand. The legislation we are considering today provides them and
extends the authorization of several Small Business Administration
programs. For many firms these initiatives are critical, enabling them
to secure financing and more effectively compete for Federal contracts.
While we must keep these programs operational, it is unfortunate that
we are doing so through another temporary extension. However, it is my
hope that we can reach a lasting agreement on the agency's
authorization so that we do not have to come back here again in a few
months.
Small businesses across the Nation depend on a strong SBA. This is
especially true now when many unemployed individuals are turning to
entrepreneurship as a source of income. By ensuring that the agency's
programs do not lapse, we are providing small businesses with a
foundation for future growth, and in doing so, helping move the economy
forward.
I urge a ``yes'' vote.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me reiterate
that small businesses can and will lead our economic recovery, and this
is a very strong case for fully authorizing the SBIR and STTR programs.
They have a proven track record of creating jobs, advancing innovative
science in the marketplace, and solving Federal agency problems.
These programs provide a bridge between product conception and
marketability--a step of vital importance for innovative ideas to
become a reality. The new technologies and discoveries that come out of
these programs go a long way towards keeping our competitive edge in
the world marketplace, and the SBIR and the STTR programs are the kind
of public-private partnership that is essential to the continued growth
of our economy.
I look forward to working with Ranking Member Velazquez, our
colleagues on the Small Business Committee, and our colleagues in the
other body on a long-term reauthorization in the coming months.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 990, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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