[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 7705-7706]
[From the U.S. 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.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Graves) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms.

[[Page 7706]]

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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