Fairness in Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Act of 2010

Mr. President, I rise to recognize the sacrifice of the thousands of men and women serving in harm's way overseas and to introduce legislation that will help these brave men and women when they return home.

I recently led a congressional delegation to Afghanistan. During my visit, I was deeply impressed by the service and dedication of our brave troops. These men and women work under the most difficult conditions.

They serve every day. Weekends, holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays. They serve 24 hours a days, seven days a week.

Our troops are some of the hardest working Americans. They patrol the mountains, fix trucks and fire artillery. They are not only warriors, but diplomats as well. They organize meetings known as shuras with local leaders and village elders. I was awestruck by our troops' professionalism, courage and tenacity.

Many of these troops are from Montana. Montanans volunteer for duty at among the highest rate in the country. Montana's military recruiting rates are roughly 50 percent higher than the national average. Tragically, Montana has the highest per capita rate of service members killed or injured fighting overseas since 9/11.

While in Afghanistan I met a young Army captain named Casey Thoreen. Casey commands an infantry company that is working to improve security in the Maiwand district of Kandahar Province.

A reporter recently wrote a piece about Casey that described him as the ``King of Maiwand'' because of his important efforts to improve the lives of those that live there.

Casey has developed close working relationships with the local district leader and other important power brokers. We couldn't dream of succeeding in Afghanistan without dedicated talented officers like this young man. Skilled efforts such as his are the lynchpin of our mission in Afghanistan.

My congressional colleagues and I have worked hard to give our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines all the tools necessary to succeed in combat. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we give our troops the tools to succeed upon their return home.

President George Washington once said ``The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.''

President Washington's words are a serious reminder of our obligation to Casey and all of the brave men and women serving our country overseas. We have a solemn obligation to our veterans when they return home. And recent suicide statistics and veteran unemployment data make it clear that we have a long way to go.

For veterans between the ages of 20 and 24, the suicide rate is roughly two to four times higher than non-veterans the same age.

A recent survey found that only 13 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans ``strongly agreed'' that their transition home was going well. And just 9 percent ``strongly agreed'' the needs of their family were being met.

The unemployment rate among veterans who have served in the military since September 2001 far exceeds that of their peers. According to the American Legion, nearly 15 percent of post 9/11 veterans are unemployed.

The rate of unemployment for veterans aged 18 to 24 is over 30 percent--nearly double the rate for non-veterans the same age. These numbers are unacceptable.

I want to applaud my friend and colleague, Senator Patty Murray, for the important work she has done to address this problem. She recently introduced the Comprehensive Veterans Employment Act of 2010.

The bill seeks to allow the GI Bill to pay for on-the-job training and apprenticeships. I strongly support her efforts.

Senator Murray held a roundtable discussion on veterans' employment earlier this year. During the discussion she learned that some veterans were deliberately taking their military service off their resumes when applying for work. These veterans feared employers might think they suffered from post-traumatic stress due to time in combat.

This discussion is a telling sign that we need to do a better job of welcoming our troops home from war. I can't think of anything more important to readjusting to life back home than having meaningful employment.

Our veterans are national assets. The skills veterans have learned in the military are valuable in the civilian workplace and in communities across America.

History has proven this to be true. Just look to the boom years in the late 1940s and 1950s. America welcomed back millions of World War Two veterans into the workforce. The leadership and strength of our veterans fueled the unprecedented growth and strength of our Nation. I expect nothing less from this generation of veterans as well.

That is why Senator Grassley and I are introducing the Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2010. This legislation will reward employers that hire any veteran who has recently completed their service in the military with up to a $6,000 tax credit.

The bill simplifies the administrative process that currently exists for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for hiring a recently discharged veteran. Any recently discharged veteran with discharge paperwork is eligible. This includes those men and women who were activated by their states as members of the National Guard.

Enacting this legislation is just first step. I want to ensure all veterans understand the benefits of this tax credit. That is I am working with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other Veteran Service Organizations to help veterans use this tax benefit as a tool to find good paying jobs.

The day after this bill becomes law, the VFW will notify their members on how to use the credit. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will post a webcast to their members to explain how best to take advantage of this benefit.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will also publish a document online that a veteran can print and hand in with a resume when applying for a job. This document will explain to employers how they can take advantage of the credit if they hire the veteran.

Briefly, I want to thank my first Defenders of Freedom Fellow, Iraq veteran and Montana-native Charlie Cromwell. As a legislative fellow in my office, Charlie worked hard to create and advance this bill.

I created the Defenders of Freedom Fellowship so that Montana veterans could work on legislation that helps their fellow veterans. The legislation I am introducing today is the perfect example of what this fellowship was intended to accomplish.

I encourage all interested Montana veterans to contact my office for more information. It will take this kind of team work to provide the support our veterans need when they come home from war. It is an honor to introduce

this legislation and I look forward to its quick passage in the weeks to come.

Mr. President, I rise to recognize the sacrifice of the thousands of men and women serving in harm's way overseas and to introduce legislation that will help these brave men and women when they return home.

I recently led a congressional delegation to Afghanistan. During my visit, I was deeply impressed by the service and dedication of our brave troops. These men and women work under the most difficult conditions.

They serve every day. Weekends, holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays. They serve 24 hours a days, seven days a week.

Our troops are some of the hardest working Americans. They patrol the mountains, fix trucks and fire artillery. They are not only warriors, but diplomats as well. They organize meetings known as shuras with local leaders and village elders. I was awestruck by our troops' professionalism, courage and tenacity.

Many of these troops are from Montana. Montanans volunteer for duty at among the highest rate in the country. Montana's military recruiting rates are roughly 50 percent higher than the national average. Tragically, Montana has the highest per capita rate of service members killed or injured fighting overseas since 9/11.

While in Afghanistan I met a young Army captain named Casey Thoreen. Casey commands an infantry company that is working to improve security in the Maiwand district of Kandahar Province.

A reporter recently wrote a piece about Casey that described him as the ``King of Maiwand'' because of his important efforts to improve the lives of those that live there.

Casey has developed close working relationships with the local district leader and other important power brokers. We couldn't dream of succeeding in Afghanistan without dedicated talented officers like this young man. Skilled efforts such as his are the lynchpin of our mission in Afghanistan.

My congressional colleagues and I have worked hard to give our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines all the tools necessary to succeed in combat. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we give our troops the tools to succeed upon their return home.

President George Washington once said ``The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.''

President Washington's words are a serious reminder of our obligation to Casey and all of the brave men and women serving our country overseas. We have a solemn obligation to our veterans when they return home. And recent suicide statistics and veteran unemployment data make it clear that we have a long way to go.

For veterans between the ages of 20 and 24, the suicide rate is roughly two to four times higher than non-veterans the same age.

A recent survey found that only 13 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans ``strongly agreed'' that their transition home was going well. And just 9 percent ``strongly agreed'' the needs of their family were being met.

The unemployment rate among veterans who have served in the military since September 2001 far exceeds that of their peers. According to the American Legion, nearly 15 percent of post 9/11 veterans are unemployed.

The rate of unemployment for veterans aged 18 to 24 is over 30 percent--nearly double the rate for non-veterans the same age. These numbers are unacceptable.

I want to applaud my friend and colleague, Senator Patty Murray, for the important work she has done to address this problem. She recently introduced the Comprehensive Veterans Employment Act of 2010.

The bill seeks to allow the GI Bill to pay for on-the-job training and apprenticeships. I strongly support her efforts.

Senator Murray held a roundtable discussion on veterans' employment earlier this year. During the discussion she learned that some veterans were deliberately taking their military service off their resumes when applying for work. These veterans feared employers might think they suffered from post-traumatic stress due to time in combat.

This discussion is a telling sign that we need to do a better job of welcoming our troops home from war. I can't think of anything more important to readjusting to life back home than having meaningful employment.

Our veterans are national assets. The skills veterans have learned in the military are valuable in the civilian workplace and in communities across America.

History has proven this to be true. Just look to the boom years in the late 1940s and 1950s. America welcomed back millions of World War Two veterans into the workforce. The leadership and strength of our veterans fueled the unprecedented growth and strength of our Nation. I expect nothing less from this generation of veterans as well.

That is why Senator Grassley and I are introducing the Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2010. This legislation will reward employers that hire any veteran who has recently completed their service in the military with up to a $6,000 tax credit.

The bill simplifies the administrative process that currently exists for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for hiring a recently discharged veteran. Any recently discharged veteran with discharge paperwork is eligible. This includes those men and women who were activated by their states as members of the National Guard.

Enacting this legislation is just first step. I want to ensure all veterans understand the benefits of this tax credit. That is I am working with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other Veteran Service Organizations to help veterans use this tax benefit as a tool to find good paying jobs.

The day after this bill becomes law, the VFW will notify their members on how to use the credit. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will post a webcast to their members to explain how best to take advantage of this benefit.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will also publish a document online that a veteran can print and hand in with a resume when applying for a job. This document will explain to employers how they can take advantage of the credit if they hire the veteran.

Briefly, I want to thank my first Defenders of Freedom Fellow, Iraq veteran and Montana-native Charlie Cromwell. As a legislative fellow in my office, Charlie worked hard to create and advance this bill.

I created the Defenders of Freedom Fellowship so that Montana veterans could work on legislation that helps their fellow veterans. The legislation I am introducing today is the perfect example of what this fellowship was intended to accomplish.

I encourage all interested Montana veterans to contact my office for more information. It will take this kind of team work to provide the support our veterans need when they come home from war. It is an honor to introduce

this legislation and I look forward to its quick passage in the weeks to come.

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Supply Star Act of 2010 to drive widespread improvements in supply chain energy efficiency.

Companies today are facing pressure on many fronts--from customers, stockholders, business partners, and regulators--to improve their energy performance in hopes of maximizing profit, minimizing environmental impact, and shielding themselves against the price volatility of fuels. Nearly 90 percent of a company's energy use can come from its supply chains, making supply chain energy efficiency-- encompassing raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, transport, use, and disposal of goods--of significant importance in the transition to a more energy efficient marketplace.

For these reasons, many: corporations are examining supply chain efficiency, not only in hopes of being better corporate citizens, but because it makes good business sense. Decreasing energy use in the supply chain can lead to significant cost reductions and increase competitiveness. However, these efforts face hurdles--especially in small companies--that limit their widespread implementation. Earlier this year, I attended the MIT Energy Conference in Boston, where these hurdles were discussed in some detail by an expert panel. The hurdles include a lack of information and analysis tools for important parts of far-flung supply chains, which often lie far upstream or downstream, and therefore out of sight, of a particular firm, as well as a lack of leverage with which to rive global suppliers toward more efficient practices. Overcoming these challenges requires significant resources and access to global information that is often not available to any one single firm. I was persuaded that efforts to address these challenges would have significant benefit to the country.

The Supply Star Act of 2010 would establish a Supply Star Program within the Department of Energy that builds on the Energy Star Program, as well as existing best practices in industry and the U.S. and international research communities to give companies access to the resources and information they need to successfully drive supply chain efficiency improvements.

The Supply Star Program would provide all companies, particularly small and medium sized businesses, with financing, technical support, training, and sector-wide networks to help significantly improve their supply chain efficiency. The program would also provide public recognition to those businesses that achieve the highest supply chain efficiency standards, rewarding them with a tangible and credible tool to use in external communications about all of their good work and giving consumers and businesses an easy way of seeking out good actors as they make purchasing decisions.

I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill and work to improve the energy efficiency of our economy.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Supply Star Act of 2010 to drive widespread improvements in supply chain energy efficiency.

Companies today are facing pressure on many fronts--from customers, stockholders, business partners, and regulators--to improve their energy performance in hopes of maximizing profit, minimizing environmental impact, and shielding themselves against the price volatility of fuels. Nearly 90 percent of a company's energy use can come from its supply chains, making supply chain energy efficiency-- encompassing raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, transport, use, and disposal of goods--of significant importance in the transition to a more energy efficient marketplace.

For these reasons, many: corporations are examining supply chain efficiency, not only in hopes of being better corporate citizens, but because it makes good business sense. Decreasing energy use in the supply chain can lead to significant cost reductions and increase competitiveness. However, these efforts face hurdles--especially in small companies--that limit their widespread implementation. Earlier this year, I attended the MIT Energy Conference in Boston, where these hurdles were discussed in some detail by an expert panel. The hurdles include a lack of information and analysis tools for important parts of far-flung supply chains, which often lie far upstream or downstream, and therefore out of sight, of a particular firm, as well as a lack of leverage with which to rive global suppliers toward more efficient practices. Overcoming these challenges requires significant resources and access to global information that is often not available to any one single firm. I was persuaded that efforts to address these challenges would have significant benefit to the country.

The Supply Star Act of 2010 would establish a Supply Star Program within the Department of Energy that builds on the Energy Star Program, as well as existing best practices in industry and the U.S. and international research communities to give companies access to the resources and information they need to successfully drive supply chain efficiency improvements.

The Supply Star Program would provide all companies, particularly small and medium sized businesses, with financing, technical support, training, and sector-wide networks to help significantly improve their supply chain efficiency. The program would also provide public recognition to those businesses that achieve the highest supply chain efficiency standards, rewarding them with a tangible and credible tool to use in external communications about all of their good work and giving consumers and businesses an easy way of seeking out good actors as they make purchasing decisions.

I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill and work to improve the energy efficiency of our economy.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today, during National Small Business Week, along with my colleague Senator Gillibrand, to introduce the Fairness in Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Act. This vital piece of legislation builds upon a bill I introduced last summer, the Small Business Contracting Programs Parity Act, S. 1489. The purpose of the bill is to remove the inequities involved in the women-owned small business contracting program.

As former Chair and now Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I have long been a champion of women entrepreneurs and have urged both past and present administrations to implement the woman-owned small business, WOSB, Federal contracting program, which was enacted into law ten years ago. On March 4, 2010, the Small Business Administration, SBA, finally proposed a workable rule to implement the women's procurement program.

The SBA's new proposed rule clarifies that individual Federal agencies do not have to certify that they have engaged in past discrimination against women in order for their contracting officials to reserve contracts for WOSBs. The proposed rule also identifies 83 eligible industries under the program as those in which women-owned small businesses are underrepresented or substantially underrepresented. These initiatives will help increase opportunities and access by women to Federal procurement.

Although it is anticipated that the SBA will publish the final version of the women's procurement program by the end of the calendar year, the program will lack critical elements that the SBA's 8(a), historically underutilized business zones, and the service-disabled veteran-owned government contracting programs include. To remedy this, our bill will help provide tools women need to compete fairly in the federal contracting arena by allowing for receipt of non-competitive contracts, when circumstances allow. Moreover, the legislation would eliminate a restriction on the dollar amount of a contract that a WOSB can compete for, thus putting them on a level playing field with the other socioeconomic contracting programs.

Women-owned small businesses have yet to receive their fair share of the Federal marketplace. As I have stated many times, I am dismayed that our Nation has repeatedly failed to meet all but one of its statutory small business contracting goals. In fiscal year 2008, the Federal Government missed meeting its overall goal for small business contracting by almost 2 percent. But not only did the Federal Government miss its overall small business goal, depriving small businesses of over $10 billion, it has never achieved its goal of 5 percent for WOSB, achieving only 3.4 percent in fiscal year 2008. Our bill would greatly assist Federal agencies in achieving the small business goaling requirement for WOSBs.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.