An act to provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small business Investment Act of 1958 through July 31, 2007, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this bill simply extends all the programs, including pilot programs, the authorities or provisions of the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act as they are presently constituted until the end of this year. Currently, the programs and authorities of the Small Business Administration expire on February 2. Passage of this bill will give the committee the time necessary to work in a bipartisan manner on a more comprehensive Small Business Administration reauthorization bill during the rest of this session.

I am pleased to enclose for the Record a letter dated January 8, 2007, from the administrator of the SBA, Steven Preston, endorsing a longer-term extension of the authorities of the SBA.

U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the

Administrator,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Steve Chabot,

Ranking Member, Committee on Small Business, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Congressman Chabot: I am writing to you regarding the

authorization of the U.S. Small Business Administration's

(SBA) programs for fiscal year 2007. As you know, those

programs were temporarily extended by Public Law 109-316.

That authorization is due to expire on February 2, 2007.

While SBA's major loan programs will still function without

that express authorization several other important

authorizations will expire. These include SBA's co-

sponsorship authority which enables our district offices to

conduct much of their outreach and assistance functions.

Therefore, rather than place the SBA in the unfortunate

position of suspending the operation of these programs, I ask

that you and your colleagues extend the authorization of

SBA's programs through the end of fiscal 2007. Continuing the

current authorization without any further amendment will

prevent any interruption in the services of the SBA and allow

SBA and Congress to work unimpeded on multi-year

authorization legislation.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. If

you or your staff have any questions please contact C.E.

``Tee'' Rowe in our Office of Congressional and Legislative

Affairs at (202) 205-6703.

Sincerely yours,

Steven C. Preston.

Mr. Speaker, many of the programs of the SBA do not operate under a direct appropriation. This includes the 7(a) General Business Loan Guarantee Program, the Certified Development Company Program and the Small Business Investment Company Program. Passage of this bill will make it absolutely certain that there is no legal ambiguity as to whether or not the Federal Government can continue to guarantee these critical loan and debenture programs for the rest of this year.

In addition, this bill would extend the authority of the Small Business Administration to operate several smaller programs, including grants to small business development centers to participate in the Drug-Free Workplace Program, sustainability funding for women business centers, the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Pilot Program, the New Markets Venture Capital Program, and BusinessLinc. It would also extend the SBA's cosponsorship and gift authority, which enables the SBA to accept private donations to help put on events or print publications, thus saving the taxpayer substantial dollars. Finally, H.R. 434 gives the SBA all the authority it needs to continue the operations of the Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is quite simple. It contains the exact same language, with only the dates changed, that was signed into law four times in the 108th Congress. It was also passed one time in 2006 when Congress confronted the same problem during previous efforts to pass an SBA reauthorization bill into law.

Extending the authorities of the SBA until December 31 of this year will give the Small Business Committee unimpeded time to develop a comprehensive SBA reauthorization bill without having to confront every few weeks another expiration deadline.

I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner with Chairwoman Velazquez and other committee members to produce a good, fiscally responsible reauthorization bill that can eventually be signed into law by the President. I especially want to thank the graciousness of Chairwoman Velazquez for agreeing to bring up this bill in such an expeditious manner, and look forward to working with her in the upcoming session of Congress.

I want to emphasize what the chairwoman said about the importance of small business to our country. After all, about 99 percent of the businesses in this country have fewer than 500 employees, which by definition means they are small business, and 60 to 80 percent of new jobs in this country are created by these small businesses. Oftentimes the regulations, the taxation, the litigation, there are a whole range of problems which they have to bear.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that we can over the next 2 years work in a bipartisan manner in order to help small businesses. It is really not a Democrat or Republican issue, it is an issue which benefits all Americans. So I think this is especially a committee in which I think bipartisanship is called for, and I am optimistic we will be able to do that.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 434, so that our Nation's small businesses will see no interruption of service from the SBA over the next 11 months while Congress works uninterrupted on a comprehensive reauthorization bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

I want to comment briefly about what I consider the disintegration of the standing of the Senate as the world's greatest deliberative body. There was a time, when someone wanted to filibuster, that they had to stand up and speak. The Democrats brought to the floor legislation to alter the Supreme Court decision which cut short the statute of limitations on women's pay. I voted for cloture to take up that issue. The issue came and went in the course of a few hours one day. Under the traditional rules of the Senate, when a matter is raised, it is presented. It is argued. If someone opposes and wants to object and filibuster, they have to speak.

The cost of a filibuster today is very cheap. All you have to do is say: I am going to filibuster. Then there is a cloture vote, and 60 votes are not obtained, and the issue goes away.

That is not the way the Senate has traditionally functioned. If the Democrats had been serious about trying to change the rule that the Supreme Court handed down, which I thought was a bad decision--bad on the law, and it certainly can be changed by legislation--they would have argued the matter. They would have compelled opponents to come to the Senate floor and oppose the matter. There would have been a public debate. Had there been an extended debate, the American people would have understood the wrong Supreme Court decision and insisted the Congress take corrective action.

Similarly, we have found the Senate has now been overwhelmed by procedural motions on filling the tree which preclude any meaningful, traditional Senate approach to our function where Senators should be able to offer amendments at any time on any issue. Senator Reid, who now has the distinction of having the record on filling the tree the most times, has it in heavy competition. Senator Mitchell established a new record in the 103rd Congress with nine. Senator Lott tied him in the 106th Congress with nine. Senator Frist tied him in the 109th Congress with nine. But Senator Reid is now the champion.

The problem with filling the tree is that Senators are precluded from coming to the floor and offering amendments. The American people do not understand what is happening in the Senate because nothing is happening in the Senate. Last week we had one cloture vote at 5:30 on Monday. We didn't vote on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday--one vote, and not a peep in the news media about the inactive Senate. So what we are seeing--and I intend to speak at length on this at a later date--is the disintegration of what the Senate is supposed to be.

If legislation is needed to change the statute of limitations on enforcing women's employment rights for equal pay, let the Senate take it up and debate. If we are on the FAA Act, let's have Senators come forward and consider it.

It is time we declared a truce on the judge issue. It has been exacerbated continuously over the last 20 years. It is time for a truce because the American people are caught in the crossfire.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a survey of the filling of the tree, compiled by CRS, be printed in the Record. I urge my colleagues to study it to see how the business of the Senate has been thwarted, stymied, and eliminated by this procedural, inappropriate activity.

I again call on the Rules Committee to take up my pending rule change which would stop this abhorrent practice.

I yield the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 434, the Short Term Extension of the Small Business Administration, SBA, as amended by the Senate. H.R. 434 will provide for additional temporary extension through July 31, 2007, of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958. This very important extension is crucial to the success of many small businesses across the country. Our entire Nation's economy relies on the success of small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, small businesses represent more than the American dream--they represent the American economy. Small businesses account for 95 percent of all employers, create half of our gross domestic product, and provide three out of four new jobs in this country.

Small business growth means economic growth for the Nation. But to keep this segment of our economy thriving, entrepreneurs need access to loans. Through loans, small business owners can expand their businesses, hire more workers and provide more goods and services. The Small Business Administration, SBA, a Federal organization that aids small businesses with loan and development programs, is a key provider of support to small businesses. The SBA's main loan program accounts for 30 percent of all long-term small business borrowing in America.

Recently, my colleagues and I were able to restore funding to the SBA's main loan program for small businesses for 2005. And I am confident that we will continue to protect loan programs that will create and expand American small businesses. I have worked fervently and will continue to work to make sure small businesses have access to loans. These loans contribute greatly to the viability of many of these small businesses.

Providing loans for small businesses has also played a role in ``Rebuilding the Gulf Coast'' contracting opportunities. As of March 6, 2006, the Small Business Administration there have been: 55 Disaster Home Loans approved for $727,000; 27 Disaster Business Loans approved for $1,750,800; 17 Disaster Economic Injury Loans approved for $750,100; and 99 Total Disaster Loans approved for $3,227,900.

In my own district, small businesses are vital to our economy. That is why I have worked to introduce minority, women, and small business owners to contracting officials at NASA to help promote and develop Houston small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I have worked hard to help small business owners to fully realize their potential. That is why I support entrepreneurial development programs, including the Small Business Development Center and Women's Business Center programs. These initiatives provide counseling in a variety of critical areas, including business plan development, finance, and marketing.

I also support investing in the highly successful Manufacturing Extension Partnership, MEP, Program, which offers services to help small U.S. manufacturers stay competitive. These measures are important to keeping jobs here at home, and helping American small business prosper.

Small business owners are leaders in innovation, creative business operations and new technologies and products. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of the extension of the Small Business Administration.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 27, on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Con. Res. 31, honoring the Mare Island 21ers, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 41, on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 62, congratulating the Grand Valley State University Lakers for winning the 2006 NCAA Division II Football National Championship, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 40, on passage of H.R. 6, Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act, had I been present, I would have voted, ``no.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 39, to table appeal of the ruling of the Chair on H.R. 6, Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 38, on motion to recommit with instructions H.R. 6, Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 37, on consideration of the bill H.R. 6, Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 36, on agreeing to the resolution, providing for the consideration of H.R. 6, Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 35, on ordering the previous question, providing for the consideration of H.R. 6, Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 34, on motion to adjourn, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 33, on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 58, to honor Muhammad Ali, global humanitarian, on the occasion of his 65th birthday and to extend best wishes to him and his family, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 32, on passage of H.R. 5, College Student Relief Act, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 29, on ordering the previous question for H. Res. 65, providing for the consideration of H.R. 5, College Student Relief Act, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 30, on agreeing to the Resolution for H. Res. 65, providing for the consideration of H.R. 5, College Student Relief Act, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 31, on motion to recommit with instructions H.R. 5, College Student Relief Act, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 28, on motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 434, to provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 through December 31, 2007, and for other purposes, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 434) to provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 through December 31, 2007, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the legislation being offered today will extend the authorization of the Small Business Administration and its programs. This short-term extension will ensure that small businesses have many of the tools that they need to be successful in today's economy. As the current authorization is set to expire in February, it will ensure that programs can operate through the end of the calendar year while Congress considers legislative changes.

The 109th Congress adjourned without making the necessary changes to get the SBA and its programs running efficiently and effectively. Clearly, a lot of work needs to be done to ensure that the Small Business Administration can adequately respond to the needs of small businesses. Today we have an opportunity to give Congress time to review, evaluate and, if need be, modernize the Small Business Administration programs.

I want to commend Congressman Chabot, the Small Business Committee's new ranking member, for recognizing these issues and working with me to expedite them.

For many entrepreneurs across the country, SBA programs are the difference between success and failure. Our Nation's 24 million small businesses often rely on these programs for affordable financing and entrepreneurial training, as well as assistance in accessing the Federal marketplace. Given the importance and the significant impact that SBA has on our Nation's entrepreneurs, it is our duty to thoroughly review and assess the SBA and its programs. This is especially true in light of the fact that there have been no major changes in over 6 years. We need to make sure that SBA is able to meet the needs of small businesses in the 21st century economy.

The administration asks for this extension, recognizing the time needed to evaluate the structure, programs and possible modifications that need to be made agency-wide.

The short-term extension that H.R. 434 provides would allow us to hold hearings on various topics and examine each of the issues brought forth by the SBA. Most importantly, it will give us the opportunity to draft a bipartisan bill that has each Member's input. Small businesses, the Nation's largest job creator, deserve nothing less than our full commitment to ensuring that they can be successful.

I urge Members to support H.R. 434, to ensure that this Nation's entrepreneurs have access to all of the resources they need to grow and expand their businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, so I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.