Floor Statements

Mr. President, I would like to commemorate the League of Women Voters on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of its founding. Carrie Chapman Catt and many of the same women leaders who were part of the women's suffrage movement founded the League of Women Voters in Chicago on February 14, 1920, during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The convention was held 6 months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. The 19th amendment, of course, gave women the right to vote after a 72-year struggle.

According to the league's Web site:

[T]he League began as a ``mighty political experiment''

designed to help 20 million women carry out their new

responsibilities as voters. It encouraged them to use their

new power to participate in shaping public policy. From the

beginning, the League was an activist, grassroots

organization whose leaders believed that citizens should play

a critical role in advocacy. It was then, and is now, a

nonpartisan organization.

The league is proudly nonpartisan; it neither supports nor opposes candidates or political parties at any level of government. But the league is actively engaged on issues of vital concern to its members and the broader public.

The league has a long, rich history that grows more illustrious with each passing year. For the past 90 years, the league has played an active role in educating not just women but the entire American public about our democracy and about those individuals who are candidates for elective office. Carrie Chapman Catt founded the organization with a call to women of all parties and political leanings to come together in order to help pass legislation that would protect and aid major political movements in the future. Her nonpartisan organization would soon take on a prominent role in politics through its efforts on behalf of citizen education and advocacy. Today, there are more than 850 chapters across the country advancing Carrie Chapman Catt's original idea, including 16 local leagues in Maryland.

The League of Women Voters continues to play an important role in helping shape public policy by ensuring that the public is well- informed. Not only has the league been active on the policy front, but it has helped make our democracy stronger by sponsoring debates that educate citizens and by

making voter information easily accessible. The league's election information Web site--vote411.org--is an invaluable resource for many Americans, providing information on voter registration and on local, State, and national issues.

The league has been instrumental in promoting democracy and civil society abroad, too. After World War II, for instance, the league supported efforts to establish the United Nations, U.N., and became one of the first organizations in the country officially recognized by the United Nations as a nongovernmental organization, NGO. The league also supported the creation of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the Marshall plan. The league maintains official observer status at the U.N. today and has special consultative status to the Economic and Social Council. The league served as an NGO delegate to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December. Through its Global Democracy Program, the league has sponsored cultural exchange programs and leaders from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, and Brazil.

Throughout my career in public service, I have participated in many League of Women Voters debates, and I have seen first-hand the impact that the league has had on educating the voters about the issues that most directly affect them. We are a stronger democracy thanks to the continuing efforts of the League of Women Voters.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the profound impact the League of Women Voters has had on our Nation throughout its 90-year history. I look forward to working with the league in the future to ensure that Marylanders and all Americans have the information they need to make informed decisions on election day. And I welcome and support the league's ongoing efforts to ``export'' what is best about our democracy to countries around the world. We are fortunate indeed such an organization exists.

Mr. President, in my capacity as Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, I am pleased to commend Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, for his years of dedicated service in the cause of advancing freedom of expression and media. An accomplished writer and journalist as well as a courageous human rights activist in his native Hungary for decades prior to the end of the Cold War, he was elected to parliament in the early 1990s. Since his appointment to his current position in 2004, Mr. Haraszti has been an outspoken champion for beleaguered journalists throughout the OSCE region.

Mr. Haraszti's periodic reports have proven invaluable in tracking trends regarding laws, policies and practices governing freedom of expression and media in the participating states. He has been vigilant in monitoring and reporting on issues arising from the adoption of ``extremism'' laws in a growing number of OSCE countries. The Representative on Freedom of the Media has likewise been a strong voice in calling for decriminalization of defamation and a critic of attempts by some regimes to restrict the Internet and new media technologies. Most importantly, he has responded to specific urgent situations and cases, including instances involving the harassment, physical attacks, and even murder of journalists. He has never shied away from naming names, he has never played favorites, and he has been a voice for those whom governments would like to silence.

Next month Mr. Haraszti will conclude his service as the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. You can write a great mandate for a high-level official, but if you don't appoint the right person to the job, you won't get results. Mr. Haraszti has been the right person for the right job and we have been very fortunate that he has given 6 years to serve the greater good in the OSCE region.

The OSCE participating States will be hard pressed to find an individual to match his professionalism, passion, and integrity. I join my colleagues at the Helsinki Commission in expressing our deep appreciation to Miklos Haraszti, a tireless advocate for freedom of expression and media, for his service and we wish him the best in his future pursuits.

Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for the International Violence Against Women Act, introduced today by Senators Kerry, Boxer, Snowe, and Collins. I am proud to be an original cosponsor on this legislation simply because it has the power to save the lives of women and girls around the world while increasing our safety here at home.

This bill is particularly significant because it would be a very significant effort by the U.S. to tackle this egregious and widespread problem. One out of every three women worldwide will be physically, sexually or otherwise abused during her lifetime, with rates reaching 70 percent in some countries.

Ranging from rape to domestic violence and acid burnings to dowry deaths and so-called honor killings, violence against women and girls is an extreme human rights violation, a public health epidemic and a barrier to solving global challenges such as extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS and conflict. It devastates the lives of millions of women and girls-- in peacetime and in conflict--and knows no national or cultural barriers.

Women who are abused are not only more likely to face serious injury or death because of abuse, but are at much greater risk of dying in pregnancy, having children who die in childhood, and contracting HIV/

Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for the International Violence Against Women Act, introduced today by Senators Kerry, Boxer, Snowe, and Collins. I am proud to be an original cosponsor on this legislation simply because it has the power to save the lives of women and girls around the world while increasing our safety here at home.

This bill is particularly significant because it would be a very significant effort by the U.S. to tackle this egregious and widespread problem. One out of every three women worldwide will be physically, sexually or otherwise abused during her lifetime, with rates reaching 70 percent in some countries.

Ranging from rape to domestic violence and acid burnings to dowry deaths and so-called honor killings, violence against women and girls is an extreme human rights violation, a public health epidemic and a barrier to solving global challenges such as extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS and conflict. It devastates the lives of millions of women and girls-- in peacetime and in conflict--and knows no national or cultural barriers.

Women who are abused are not only more likely to face serious injury or death because of abuse, but are at much greater risk of dying in pregnancy, having children who die in childhood, and contracting HIV/

Mr. President, I rise today to call attention to a disease that is devastating to women nationwide. In 2009, the National Cancer Institute at NIH reported that cervical cancer was diagnosed in 11,250 women, and more than 4,000 women died from the disease. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, estimates that $2 billion per year is spent on treatment of cervical cancer. Access to regular screening would not only prevent the disease in most cases, but would be a mere fraction of the cost of treatment.

Cervical cancer is mainly caused by HPV, a virus that currently infects about 20 million Americans. Another 6 million people become newly infected each year. By educating women and making regular Pap tests, HPV tests and the HPV vaccine affordable and accessible, we can significantly decrease the number of cases of cervical cancer in this Nation.

This message was brought to me last week by one of my constituents, Ms. Tamika Felder, and her ``friends,'' a remarkable group of women who visited Capitol Hill to promote awareness of cervical cancer. Tamika was a successful young television producer in Washington, DC. At the age of 25, Tamika went to the doctor for a routine Pap test. She hadn't been to the doctor for a few years, partly due to a lack of health insurance. Her results came back, and the diagnosis was what she calls ``the shock of her life''--advanced cervical cancer. As Tamika struggled to come to terms with her diagnosis, she became depressed and retreated from most of her friends. She could only think about the end of her life, and the dreams that would go unfulfilled.

Doctors recommended a radical hysterectomy, which left Tamika heartbroken, knowing that she would never be able to give birth to children. Rounds of chemotherapy and radiation followed, and Tamika struggled to stay positive. She credits amazing family, friends, and coworkers with helping her through this difficult time. She emerged cancer-free, and is a 5-year survivor.

As Tamika was undergoing treatment, she spent a lot of time educating herself about HPV and cervical cancer, and her friends did the same. They learned that the disease was preventable, and they needed to get that message out to women around the country. Thus, the nonprofit organization Tamika and Friends was born. Tamika and Friends is based in Upper Marlboro, MD, and is dedicated to raising awareness about cervical cancer and its links to HPV.

Using the network of survivors and friends that they have established, they spread the essential message that through education, prevention, and treatment, cervical cancer can be entirely eliminated. They share their message in creative ways, including house parties that create a comfortable environment for women to have open discussions about HPV and cervical cancer and its causes. Their Web site has many survivors' stories to encourage other women that share their diagnosis.

When I learned that one of the reasons that Tamika did not have a regular Pap test was that she lacked health insurance, my conviction that we must achieve universal health coverage was strengthened. Her story is one of many that we have heard over the past year that emphasizes the critical need to cover the uninsured. If Tamika had had access to proper preventive testing, then her cancer might have been caught at an earlier stage. She may not have needed a radical hysterectomy, and her ability to have children, which she held so dear, might have been preserved.

The health care reform legislation passed by the Senate would ensure that women can afford a yearly Pap test. In the bill, preventive services for women, including a yearly exam and cervical cancer screenings are covered at no cost to patients. In addition, as part of the managers' amendment, the provision that I introduced as part of a Patients' Bill of Rights will allow women to designate an OB-GYN as their primary care physician. This will enable women to receive care from a physician that specializes in women's health and can reinforce efforts to educate women about the causes of cervical cancer and the importance of getting regular Pap and HPV tests.

To successfully eradicate cervical cancer, we must acknowledge and address that racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected. Cervical cancer is diagnosed at an early stage more often in Whites than in Blacks, and Black women have higher rates of mortality from cervical cancer than White women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hispanic women were twice as likely as White women to be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and the rates of cervical cancer among Vietnamese American women are higher than those for any other ethnicity--more than five times higher than White women. These statistics highlight why it is so important to codify the Offices of Minority Health within HHS and its agencies. I advocated for this to be part of the managers' amendment to the Senate health care bill, and I will continue to push for it to be included in the health care reform legislation that is signed by President Obama.

I come to the floor today to raise awareness about cervical cancer and the need to cover preventive services for women, and to commend and thank Tamika and her friends for their efforts to educate all women about what they can do to remain healthy. Tamika's story could have been one of tragedy, but instead, she has turned it into a story of inspiration, strength, and hope.

In one of the informational brochures that Tamika and Friends hands out to women is a message from Tamika herself. It says ``No matter how busy or broke you think you are--whether you have insurance or not--you must never, ever skip your Pap test and HPV test.'' As Members of the U.S. Senate, it is within our power to help women like Tamika and make sure that a lack of health insurance is not a barrier for women's health. We can all do our part to prevent cervical cancer and other diseases that can be caught early with proper preventive care.

Mr. President, on January 27, 1945, the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz, including Birkenau and other related camps near the Polish city of Oswiecim, was liberated by the Soviet Army. This week, people have gathered at Auschwitz and in many other places to mark the 65th anniversary of that event. I am pleased that President Obama presented a video address in which he underscored-- using Elie Wiesel's words--the sacred duty of memory.

Auschwitz-Birkenau was the principal and most notorious of the six death camps built by Nazi Germany to achieve its goal of the mass extermination of the Jewish people of Europe. Built in Nazi-occupied Poland initially as a concentration camp for Poles and later for Soviet prisoners of war, it soon became a prison for a number of other nationalities.

Ultimately, a minimum 1,300,000 people were deported to Auschwitz between 1940 and 1945, and of these, at least 1,100,000 were murdered at that camp. An estimated 6 million Jews--more than 60 percent of the pre-World War II Jewish population of Europe--were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators at Auschwitz and elsewhere in Europe. In addition, hundreds of thousands of civilians of Polish, Roma, and other nationalities, including in particular disabled individuals, homosexuals, political, intellectual, labor, and religious leaders, all of whom the Nazis considered `undesirable,' as well as Soviet and other prisoners of war, perished at Auschwitz.

On that day of liberation, 65 years ago, only 7,000 camp prisoners who had passed through the infamous Auschwitz gates, the ones who promised

``Arbeit Macht Frei''--``Work Will Make You Free''--managed to survive the selections, torture, starvation, disease, inhuman medical experiments, and executions that occurred at Auschwitz.

According to a new survey published this week by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, at least 41 of the OSCE's 56 participating states commemorate the Holocaust with official events. Thirty-three participating states have established official memorial days for Holocaust victims, and January 27 is the official Holocaust Memorial Day in many European countries, including Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. I am deeply gratified that since 2005, the United Nations has also observed January 27 as a day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust. In fact, Auschwitz-Birkenau was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

I personally visited Auschwitz in 2004 and cannot overstate the importance of the Memorial Museum there today in the effort to teach future generations about the Holocaust. The recent theft of the ``Arbeit-Macht-Frei'' sign--which, fortunately, was recovered--has certainly heightened awareness of the need for additional security measures there, and I support the efforts to secure increased funding for the preservation of the Memorial Museum.

Teaching about the Holocaust is an obligation that must be met not only at Auschwitz, but at places where people learn around the globe. As chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, I am deeply concerned by the rise of anti-Semitism and violent extremism in some OSCE participating states. In particular, I am deeply troubled by the continued prevalence of Nazi-era discourse to describe Roma. As Thommas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, has said:

Even after . . . the Nazi killing of at least half a

million Roma, probably 700,000 or more, there was no genuine

change of attitude among the majority population towards the

Roma.

With this concern in mind, I was pleased to learn that the United Nations invited the OSCE senior advisor for Romani issues, Andrzej Mirga, to participate in the commemoration they organized this year. Sadly, as Mr. Mirga observed, although approximately 23,000 Romani people were sent to Auschwitz, none were among the survivors liberated there 65 years ago.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, I take this time to talk about former

Senator Charles ``Mac'' Mathias who represented Maryland in the Senate for three terms and whose passing on Monday was a real loss for Maryland and our Nation.

Mac Mathias was a true statesman in the best sense of the word. He became a voice for those who had no voice. He fought for better conditions for working people, and he took bold, principled stands that were not always popular with the prevailing political sentiment.

Mac Mathias was one of my heroes, and I considered him a friend and adviser. He was first elected to Congress in 1960, and he lived through some of the most turbulent times of the 20th century, including the struggle for civil rights, the Vietnam war, and the Watergate scandal. Mac's strong, principled stand garnered respect from both sides of the aisle, prompting then-majority leader Mike Mansfield to characterize Mac as ``the conscience of the Senate.''

Mac Mathias was often at odds with his own party. In 1970, for instance, he denounced the U.S. military incursion into Laos, condemned the Watergate scandal, and worked tirelessly for campaign finance reform. His outspokenness earned him a place on President Nixon's enemies list.

Mac was an important supporter of the civil rights movement, helping to craft an open housing law. In 1965 he traveled to Selma, AL, to visit Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was then in jail. In 1986 at a farewell party for Senator Mathias at the Baltimore Convention Center, Benjamin L. Hooks, the president of the NAACP said: ``I say thank God for Mac Mathias.''

Mac was an outstanding advocate for Maryland in Congress. Proud of his Frederick roots and committed to the environment, he proposed legislation to protect the Chesapeake Bay, Antietam National Battlefield, and Assateague Island. He also was the primary sponsor of the bill that created the C&O Canal National Historical Park.

Mac was a tireless advocate for fair elections. In the 110th Congress, he traveled to Washington to help lobby fellow Republicans for a bill to combat election fraud. He was a leader for campaign finance reform--a subject Congress will have to revisit in the wake of the majority's decision last week in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

He once remarked:

No problem confronting our nation today is greater than

that of our steadily eroding confidence in our political

system.

He was so right. He understood that democracy is dependent on inclusion and on citizens who participate in the process and who have confidence that their views will be heard and fairly considered.

Today, I urge my colleagues to pause for a moment to remember a gentleman from Maryland who cared deeply for our Nation and understood that our democracy depends on strong leaders who have courage, intelligence, and integrity. Mac Mathias was such a leader.

(The further remarks of Mr. Cardin pertaining to the introduction of S. 2967 are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

Mr. President, I am introducing today the Boosting Entrepreneurship and New Jobs Act that I believe is desperately needed. I think it is very clear that our economy, which is coming out of the worst recession since the Great Depression, has turned a corner. But we need to create more jobs in America. We know that. We know that 1 out of 10 Americans who wish to work cannot find jobs. Our first responsibility must be to help create more jobs so our economy can rebound and grow. To do that, we need to invest in small businesses.

I was pleased to hear the President of the United States last night talk about the importance of small business in our recovery. As we develop our policies, we need to focus on helping small businesses grow. In the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we took action and increased the loan limits under the Small Business Administration. We were able to make it less expensive for businesses to borrow from the Small Business Administration. These were good steps we took. I was proud of an amendment I offered to increase the surety bond limits so small construction companies could, in fact, get work in this economy. I was proud of the amendment that passed to increase the SBA's budget by about $180 million so they could have the capacity to help small companies with technical assistance in order to get government jobs. All of that has happened.

We all know 99.7 percent of all firms in America are small businesses. That is the economic engine of America. Just over half of the private sector employees work for small companies. We have to pay attention to small companies if we are going to grow out of this economic problem. Forty-four percent of the total U.S. private payroll comes from small employers. Sixty-four percent of the net new jobs over the past 15 years came from small businesses. And 97.3 percent of all identified exporters came from small companies. On a per-employee basis, for those companies that applied for patents, small companies have 13 times more patents per employee than larger companies. That is where innovation comes from in New Hampshire, and I can tell my colleagues that in Maryland, I look at companies every day, small companies coming up with the innovations that will lead America into the future. They come up with the new ways to deal with our problems. It is the small companies that are the most prolific in providing that type of innovation to our society, whether it is Maryland, New Hampshire, or any of our States. So it is for that reason that I have introduced this legislation.

This legislation would provide some additional tools to help small businesses create new jobs. We need new jobs. It establishes a temporary 3-year refundable tax credit for new hires by small businesses. Businesses with up to 25 employees would be eligible for a refundable tax credit equal to 15 percent of the first $20,000 of wages for new hires. That is a strong incentive for a company to put on new employees. It establishes a credit to help small companies deal with providing health benefits for their employees.

The two issues I hear about most from small businesses is the affordability of health insurance and the availability of credit. Both are dealt with through this legislation by providing a way in which small companies can have more affordable health insurance and by providing a way in which small companies can directly access SBA loans.

Following up on what the President said last night, this legislation will set aside $30 billion from the TARP funds so that small companies could directly get SBA loans. I think that is the way to do it because there is a reluctance among banks to lend money to small businesses even though today 90 percent of that loan is guaranteed by the SBA. My legislation would use the same standard for SBA to make direct loans-- so basically 100 percent guaranteed by the Federal Government rather than 90 percent. Then we know the loans will be made.

I can't tell my colleagues how many companies I have talked to in Maryland who are creditworthy. They are prepared to hire more workers. They are prepared to believe in our economy and believe in our future. The problem is they don't have a bank to partner with. If they have an existing relationship with a community bank, they may be OK. But if they don't, to try to establish a relationship today is very difficult.

The President recognized that last night when he talked about the credit crunch affecting small businesses. We haven't eased that. This legislation would provide for the SBA, using the same standards it uses today for their SBA loans, to make direct loans to small companies in order to get our economy back on track by helping small businesses. It will create more jobs. It increases the SBA 7(a) program from $2 million to $5 million. It increases the microloan program from $35,000 to $50,000. It increases the SBA 504 loan program from $1.5 million to $5.5 million. These increases in loan limits are desperately needed if we are going to be realistic in today's marketplace as the type of loans businesses need in order to expand jobs.

There are two more things this bill does that I wish to mention that are a direct help to small business. One is the sense of the Congress that the SBA Administrator should be a Cabinet-level position. I think we need to make sure an advocate for small business has the ear of our President. We know what happened in 2009. We know we had to bail out Wall Street and we had to deal with the large banks in order to save our system from going off a cliff. We all understand that. But we also know there were certain commitments made to help small businesses. Yet it never got into your community banks, into your States or to your small businesses. We need the advocate for small businesses to have a direct line to the President. For that reason, I urge that the SBA Administrator be a part of the Cabinet.

Another part of the bill expresses a sense of Congress that the financial institutions that have benefited from our bailout carry out what they said they would do; that is, loan money to small companies. They say they are doing it, but the evidence shows the reverse, that they are not making these types of loans. I think it would be interesting to see exactly what types of loans these banks that relied upon the Federal Government are making to help our communities. I think we all would be disappointed to see their lack of participation in small company financing which could create jobs in our communities.

The last provision of the bill provides for offsets to make sure it is fully paid. I don't believe we should add to the deficit. I think this bill will help create jobs, help us deal with the economic growth of America, and deal with narrowing the budget deficit through economic growth. I think we all have a responsibility to make sure we have adequate offsets in the bill so we don't add further to the Federal deficit. That is called budget discipline. We talked about that a little bit on the floor of the Senate today. This bill is fully paid for through offsets.

I urge my colleagues, as we look in the weeks ahead at what we will call a jobs bill, which will help put more Americans to work--and I fully support that--that we follow the leadership of our President. The first thing he mentioned in the State of the Union Address last night was that we ought to pay attention to small businesses. I agree with the President. I hope that is a major part of our jobs bill; that it will be provisions that will provide tax credits for new job hires, help for small businesses dealing with health insurance and that it will increase the SBA's capacity to make loans to small businesses and will, indeed, provide a new avenue for opening credit to small businesses, putting the spotlight on the banking community so they do more, as they should, to help small businesses grow so we can create new jobs and grow our economy. That should be our first priority. I pledge to work with my colleagues in the Senate and work with the administration so we can get the job done in the Senate.

Mr. President, I am introducing today the Boosting Entrepreneurship and New Jobs Act that I believe is desperately needed. I think it is very clear that our economy, which is coming out of the worst recession since the Great Depression, has turned a corner. But we need to create more jobs in America. We know that. We know that 1 out of 10 Americans who wish to work cannot find jobs. Our first responsibility must be to help create more jobs so our economy can rebound and grow. To do that, we need to invest in small businesses.

I was pleased to hear the President of the United States last night talk about the importance of small business in our recovery. As we develop our policies, we need to focus on helping small businesses grow. In the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we took action and increased the loan limits under the Small Business Administration. We were able to make it less expensive for businesses to borrow from the Small Business Administration. These were good steps we took. I was proud of an amendment I offered to increase the surety bond limits so small construction companies could, in fact, get work in this economy. I was proud of the amendment that passed to increase the SBA's budget by about $180 million so they could have the capacity to help small companies with technical assistance in order to get government jobs. All of that has happened.

We all know 99.7 percent of all firms in America are small businesses. That is the economic engine of America. Just over half of the private sector employees work for small companies. We have to pay attention to small companies if we are going to grow out of this economic problem. Forty-four percent of the total U.S. private payroll comes from small employers. Sixty-four percent of the net new jobs over the past 15 years came from small businesses. And 97.3 percent of all identified exporters came from small companies. On a per-employee basis, for those companies that applied for patents, small companies have 13 times more patents per employee than larger companies. That is where innovation comes from in New Hampshire, and I can tell my colleagues that in Maryland, I look at companies every day, small companies coming up with the innovations that will lead America into the future. They come up with the new ways to deal with our problems. It is the small companies that are the most prolific in providing that type of innovation to our society, whether it is Maryland, New Hampshire, or any of our States. So it is for that reason that I have introduced this legislation.

This legislation would provide some additional tools to help small businesses create new jobs. We need new jobs. It establishes a temporary 3-year refundable tax credit for new hires by small businesses. Businesses with up to 25 employees would be eligible for a refundable tax credit equal to 15 percent of the first $20,000 of wages for new hires. That is a strong incentive for a company to put on new employees. It establishes a credit to help small companies deal with providing health benefits for their employees.

The two issues I hear about most from small businesses is the affordability of health insurance and the availability of credit. Both are dealt with through this legislation by providing a way in which small companies can have more affordable health insurance and by providing a way in which small companies can directly access SBA loans.

Following up on what the President said last night, this legislation will set aside $30 billion from the TARP funds so that small companies could directly get SBA loans. I think that is the way to do it because there is a reluctance among banks to lend money to small businesses even though today 90 percent of that loan is guaranteed by the SBA. My legislation would use the same standard for SBA to make direct loans-- so basically 100 percent guaranteed by the Federal Government rather than 90 percent. Then we know the loans will be made.

I can't tell my colleagues how many companies I have talked to in Maryland who are creditworthy. They are prepared to hire more workers. They are prepared to believe in our economy and believe in our future. The problem is they don't have a bank to partner with. If they have an existing relationship with a community bank, they may be OK. But if they don't, to try to establish a relationship today is very difficult.

The President recognized that last night when he talked about the credit crunch affecting small businesses. We haven't eased that. This legislation would provide for the SBA, using the same standards it uses today for their SBA loans, to make direct loans to small companies in order to get our economy back on track by helping small businesses. It will create more jobs. It increases the SBA 7(a) program from $2 million to $5 million. It increases the microloan program from $35,000 to $50,000. It increases the SBA 504 loan program from $1.5 million to $5.5 million. These increases in loan limits are desperately needed if we are going to be realistic in today's marketplace as the type of loans businesses need in order to expand jobs.

There are two more things this bill does that I wish to mention that are a direct help to small business. One is the sense of the Congress that the SBA Administrator should be a Cabinet-level position. I think we need to make sure an advocate for small business has the ear of our President. We know what happened in 2009. We know we had to bail out Wall Street and we had to deal with the large banks in order to save our system from going off a cliff. We all understand that. But we also know there were certain commitments made to help small businesses. Yet it never got into your community banks, into your States or to your small businesses. We need the advocate for small businesses to have a direct line to the President. For that reason, I urge that the SBA Administrator be a part of the Cabinet.

Another part of the bill expresses a sense of Congress that the financial institutions that have benefited from our bailout carry out what they said they would do; that is, loan money to small companies. They say they are doing it, but the evidence shows the reverse, that they are not making these types of loans. I think it would be interesting to see exactly what types of loans these banks that relied upon the Federal Government are making to help our communities. I think we all would be disappointed to see their lack of participation in small company financing which could create jobs in our communities.

The last provision of the bill provides for offsets to make sure it is fully paid. I don't believe we should add to the deficit. I think this bill will help create jobs, help us deal with the economic growth of America, and deal with narrowing the budget deficit through economic growth. I think we all have a responsibility to make sure we have adequate offsets in the bill so we don't add further to the Federal deficit. That is called budget discipline. We talked about that a little bit on the floor of the Senate today. This bill is fully paid for through offsets.

I urge my colleagues, as we look in the weeks ahead at what we will call a jobs bill, which will help put more Americans to work--and I fully support that--that we follow the leadership of our President. The first thing he mentioned in the State of the Union Address last night was that we ought to pay attention to small businesses. I agree with the President. I hope that is a major part of our jobs bill; that it will be provisions that will provide tax credits for new job hires, help for small businesses dealing with health insurance and that it will increase the SBA's capacity to make loans to small businesses and will, indeed, provide a new avenue for opening credit to small businesses, putting the spotlight on the banking community so they do more, as they should, to help small businesses grow so we can create new jobs and grow our economy. That should be our first priority. I pledge to work with my colleagues in the Senate and work with the administration so we can get the job done in the Senate.

Mr. President, I wish today to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I would like to take this opportunity not only to talk about the man but also the movement. During a time of segregation, violence, unnecessary bloodshed, and ignorant bigotry, a man named Martin Luther King, Jr., graced the world with his poignant determination for peace. His life continues to inspire not only Americans but the world in continued efforts for equality amongst all men and women.

This week the Nation reflects on Dr. King's life and legacy. I remember being a young man during his lifetime. I remember not only the struggles he faced but the justice he longed for. As I reread Dr. King's letter from Birmingham Jail, where he wrote about trying to explain to one's child why she can't go to a public amusement park because she was Black; where he wrote about the humiliation of nagging signs that read ``white'' and ``colored;'' where he wrote about the internal fight against a ``degenerating sense of nobodiness,'' I ask our Nation not to return to such a time but instead continue to move our Nation forward in accepting all people.

While Dr. King was fighting for national civil rights, I was growing up in Baltimore City, MD. I attended a segregated public school, and I remember with great sadness how discrimination was not only condoned but, more often than not, actually encouraged against Blacks, Jews, Catholics, and other minorities in the community. I remember the local movie theater denying admission to African Americans. I remember the community swimming pools that had signs hanging that read, ``No Jews, No Blacks allowed.'' In the wake of death threats, physical attempts on his life, home bombings, and jail time, Dr. King fought for the rights Americans hold so dear. He fought for the right to vote, the right to equal access, the right to an equal education, and the right to be treated and seen as an equal.

More than 40 years later, our Nation has made significant progress. We have elected our first African-American President, we have women running Fortune 500 companies, we have the first female Speaker of the House, we have our first Latina Supreme Court Justice, and many more accomplishments have occurred. And while we have come a long way from segregated lunch counters and firehouses and dogs being unleashed on protesters, we still have not reached the mountaintop. There are still laws, policies, and negative perceptions that infringe on individual civil rights.

The issues of today are not so different than the issues of Dr. King's time. We are at war. There is discrimination. There are disparities. There is hate. We must fight and expose these injustices. Dr. King believed that you must expose injustices ``with all the tension its exposure creates.'' We must take up these issues. We must address health care disparities, discrimination in all forms, abuses in our criminal justice system, and bad legislative policies. We must not shy away from what great people before us worked so hard to bring to light. This is not the time for what Dr. King called the ``moderate.'' This is not the time for those who say they agree with us in the goal but fail to take direct action. This is the time for action against injustices.

When more than 40 million Americans don't have access to quality health care, an injustice has occurred. When Americans receive discriminatory sentencing, an injustice has occurred. When Americans are subjected to discriminatory lending, an injustice has occurred. When hate crimes are perpetrated, an injustice has occurred. When our country uses torture, an injustice has occurred. When any form of discrimination is used, an injustice has occurred.

So I ask my fellow colleagues in the Congress and my fellow Americans nationwide, as we start a new year, a new decade, remember that ``human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be coworkers with God . . .'' Stand with us as we take up the controversial issues of the day-- immigration, employment nondiscrimination, pay equity for women, hate crimes, sentencing reform, education reform, and remember such actions are taken in dedicated efforts toward a more loving and just union.

Dr. King said that the ultimate measure of a man or woman is not where he or she stands in the moments of comfort and convenience, but where

he or she stands at times of challenge and controversy. He stood up and fought for what was just in a world of controversy. I ask you all to stand up on the shoulders of Dr. King and fight for the elimination of hate and discrimination. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will always be remembered for his courage, elegance and tireless endurance for the fight of equality in America.

Mr. President, as chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I wish to pay tribute to Micah Naftalin who served as national director of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews until his death in late December. Micah worked tirelessly as a leader in the grassroots activist movement in the U.S. on behalf of Soviet Jews denied their fundamental freedoms and human rights, including their right to leave the U.S.S.R. His passionate advocacy included close work with the Helsinki Commission over the years, with a particular focus on the cases of individual refuseniks, Jews denied permission by the Soviet authorities to exercise their right to emigrate.

Micah brought a unique zeal to his work on behalf of struggling Soviet Jewry and helped pave the way for an exodus of Jews from the Soviet Union. From the push to enact the Jackson-Vanik amendment in the early 1970s and vigils outside of the Soviet Embassy to the 1987 Freedom Sunday mass rally on the National Mall under the banner, ``Let My People Go,'' Micah was there. He saw the reforms ushered in by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev as an opening that might lead to relief for Jews and others denied their basic human rights in that country. Besides emigration concerns, he also closely monitored manifestations of anti-Semitism in the U.S.S.R. and the plight of political prisoners.

With the easing of restrictions on emigration and the eventual breakup of the Soviet Union, Micah continued his human rights advocacy, contributing to efforts to monitor developments throughout Russia's regions as well as in newly independent countries, including Ukraine and Belarus. In 1993, he served as a public member on the U.S. delegation to the Implementation Meeting on Human Dimension Issues. Micah testified before the Helsinki Commission on numerous occasions drawing on his decades of experience as an activist fervently dedicated to advancing human rights on behalf of others. His voice will be sorely missed. On behalf of the Commission, I offer his family our heartfelt condolences.

As in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that all the nominations received by the Senate during the 111th Congress, first session, remain in status quo, notwithstanding the December 24, 2009, adjournment of the Senate, and that the provisions of rule XXXI, paragraph 6, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, with the following exceptions: PN1119, COL David Teeples; Calendar No. 32, Dawn Johnsen; Calendar No. 205, Mary Smith; Calendar No. 312, Christopher Schroeder; Calendar No. 488, Edward Chen; Nos. 491 and 492, Craig Becker, and Calendar No. 579, Louis Butler.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to executive session to consider en bloc Executive Calendar Nos. 264, 280, 303, 315, 429, 478, 489, 490, 582, 583, 584, 585, 586, 587, 593, 594, 595, 596, 597, 598, 599, 600, 601, 611, 612, 613, 621, 624, 626, 632, 633, 634, 635, 636, 637, 638, 639 and all nominations on the Secretary's Desk in the Coast Guard, Foreign Service, and NOAA; the nominations be confirmed en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table en block; that no further motions be in order; that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record, and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the title amendment No. 3298, which is at the desk, be considered and agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.