[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9442-9443]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF PROGRAMS UNDER THE SMALL BUSINESS ACT AND THE 
                 SMALL BUSINESS INVESTMENT ACT OF 1958

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 3029 introduced earlier 
today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3029) 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.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, on May 23, 2008, many of the Small Business 
Administration's programs and authorities will expire.
  Unfortunately, it has become commonplace for those in the small 
business community to face an expiration of the programs they depend 
upon. Since September 30, 2006, we have had to pass four temporary 
extensions to keep the Small Business Administration authorized. And 
here we are, yet again, trying to pass a temporary bill to continue 
these vital small business programs--this time through March 20, 2009.
  Since Democrats took the majority over a year ago, the Committee on 
Small Business and Entrepreneurship has worked hard to create a good 
climate for small businesses in this country. To that end, we have had 
20 hearings, 6 roundtables, and passed 5 major bills out of committee 
to address the needs of the small business community, needs which have 
gone unmet the past 7 years. During that time, we have often 
encountered obstruction from the administration and Republican 
congressional leadership. Despite the cooperation of the very 
supportive ranking member I have in Senator Olympia Snowe, who is 
cosponsoring this legislation, some on the other side have blocked our 
legislation and have blocked the appointment of conferees, which leaves 
us unable to conference with the House and get much-needed legislation 
signed into law. The Republicans, now in the minority, fear what will 
happen in a conference. Rather than work through differences and 
accomplish something, it is easier to block legislation. Who suffers 
from all this needless obstruction? Small business owners and their 
employees.
  Just today, we saw how it is possible to get things done. S. 163, the 
Small Business Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act of 2007, was 
included in the farm bill conference report. This legislation, which 
was adopted as an amendment to the farm bill, was then negotiated with 
the House as part of the farm bill conference, allowing us to enact 
meaningful reforms in the way the Small Business Administration comes 
to the aid of disaster victims.
  My hope is that once we have this extender bill in place, the 
administration and the Republican leadership will realize that five 
temporary authorizations are five too many and allow our committee to 
do what it has been attempting to do, which is to do a comprehensive 
reauthorization of the rest of the small business programs. Therefore, 
I urge my colleagues to pass this temporary bill and then give us the 
support we need for a comprehensive reauthorization of small business 
programs.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 3029) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 3029

       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 110-136 (121 Stat. 1453), is amended by 
     striking ``May 23, 2008'' each place it appears and inserting 
     ``March 20, 2009''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on May 22, 2008.

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