[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8147-8148]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LOU BARLETTA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 25, 2011

  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, once again, I rise this morning to share 
with my colleagues in the House what my neighbors at home shared with 
me during the May Constituent Work Period.
  The week at home coincided with National Small Business Week. I was 
happy to meet with a number of small business owners.
  And I participated in the ribbon-cutting of the newest small business 
in my hometown of Hazleton--a little sandwich shop. Small businesses 
like that are the lifeblood of this country. More than 50 percent of 
Americans either work for or own a small business.
  And while big business usually gets the press, businesses with more 
than 100 employees make up less than one half of one percent of all of 
the businesses in the United States.
  I'm a former small business owner. My wife and I started a business 
with twenty-nine dollars and ninety-five cents. I know what it takes to 
grow a business.
  I know how burdensome overregulation and high taxes cripple small 
business owners and prevent them from expanding and hiring more people.
  We in Congress need to support businesses of all sizes. Back home, I 
toured the Packerton Yards, a brownfield site in Carbon County.
  Local economic developers hope to turn an abandoned railroad station 
into a 57-acre industrial park that would employ hundreds of people. Of 
course, one of the things we need to do to grow business in the future 
is to provide a skilled workforce.
  During my week at home, I was privileged to participate in the 
commencement exercises of about 1,000 students from King's College and 
Lackawanna College. Some of these students are just starting their 
professional careers. Some are adults who returned to college to 
improve their chances at a better career.
  All are to be commended for their hard work and dedication, and I 
know my neighbors back home join me in wishing them luck.
  I also had the chance to interact with future graduates at McCann 
School of Business and Technology in Lackawanna County, and with 
students who are making the most of their educational opportunity at 
the Keystone Job Corps Center in Drums, Luzerne County. It was 
inspiring to talk with them and hear about their hopes for the future.

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  And as this Congress continues to debate the future of health care, I 
toured facilities in my district that help people suffering from the 
ravages of cancer and from autism. Both the Northeast Regional Oncology 
Center and the Friendship House of Lackawanna County provide 
compassionate care, and their employees are to be commended for their 
work.
  Finally, on May 17, thousands of people across Pennsylvania went to 
the polls and cast their votes for local and county races. I'd like to 
congratulate all those candidates who were successful in the primary 
election races, and I'd like to commend everyone who sought public 
office.
  As anyone in this Chamber can attest, running for office is not easy. 
It requires a tremendous amount of sacrifice, for the candidates and 
their families.
  Public service is a noble cause. It is the cornerstone of our 
democracy. And as we head into this Memorial Day weekend, we must 
remember that serving the public--and even voting itself--honor the 
memories of all those who died defending our freedom.

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