[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 11417-11418]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAMS UNDER SMALL 
         BUSINESS ACT AND SMALL BUSINESS INVESTMENT ACT OF 1958

  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Small Business be discharged from further consideration of the bill 
(H.R. 4478), to provide for an additional temporary extension of 
programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment 
Act of 1958 through July 23, 2004, and for other purposes, and ask for 
its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I do 
not intend to object, the legislation we are about to pass is necessary 
because the House still has not gotten its work done on the 
reauthorization of the Small Business Administration. H.R. 4478 
represents the fourth extension since the Committee on Small Business 
unanimously passed bipartisan legislation almost a year ago, and yet 
the House leadership continues to block its consideration.
  I am reluctantly agreeing to this because, while the legislation does 
extend the SBA until the end of July, it fails to address the critical 
needs of the 7(a) and 504 loans programs.
  We need to bring the SBA reauthorization, H.R. 2802, to the floor and 
give small businesses the access they need to important contracting, 
loan, and technical assistance programs.
  I hope that we do not have another extension and empty promises of 
action.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?

[[Page 11418]]

  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

                               H.R. 4478

       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 SMALL BUSINESS ACT AND SMALL 
                   BUSINESS INVESTMENT ACT OF 1958.

       The authorization for any program, authority, or provision, 
     including any pilot program, that was extended through June 
     4, 2004, by section 1 of Public Law 108-217 is further 
     extended through July 23, 2004, under the same terms and 
     conditions.

     SEC. 2. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.

       Section 2 of Public Law 108-205 is amended by striking 
     ``October 1, 2003'' and inserting ``March 15, 2004''. The 
     amendment made by the preceding sentence shall take effect as 
     if included in the enactment of the section to which it 
     relates.

  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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