Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, it is with great reluctance that I agree to the second short extension of the Small Business Administration. We are here today because this body has not been able to get our job done. All we ever hear from this administration and the majority party is how important small businesses are, but when we have a chance to do something as simple as ensuring small business of the capital they need to survive, no one from the other sides of the aisle is willing to step up to the plate.

The administration's lack of commitment in supporting reauthorizing the Small Business Administration clearly demonstrates a disconnect between what they say and what they are willing to do. The administration has no problem depriving thousands of small businesses of the only affordable lending opportunities open to them. They are unconcerned that their decision to cut the 7(a) program jeopardizes over one-third of all 7(a) loans.

This administration could not care less that thousands of small businesses that were guaranteed loans by Small Business Administration had their loans stripped out from under them and may now face bankruptcy. It does not seem to bother them one bit that they are driving lenders out of the 7(a) program, leaving even more small companies with no resources to build their businesses. You would think that job creation might get President Bush's attention, but his administration is denying small businesses access to $3 billion in loans this year alone, which will result in 90,000 lost jobs.

The administration and the Republican leadership may be perfectly comfortable slamming the door shut on small businesses struggling to compete in the weak economy, but I am not. The 7(a) program has been on life support since January. The Small Business Administration flagship lending program was first shut down in early 2004 due to lack of funds. Small business owners, some who have put down their life savings, some who had plans to expand and hire new employees, some who were going to purchase new equipment found themselves left in the lurch. Even though they had played by the rules, submitted their applications on time and were approved for a loan, the Federal Government failed to honor its commitment to them.

Both fairness and accountability flew out the window when the program was shut down and applications were returned to small business borrowers.

Still today these small businesses are waiting for some relief. When it was reopened, the program saw new restrictions that are still in place. In its current state, the 7(a) program fails to serve the very small businesses Congress had in mind when it created this program in the first place. They are causality of this administration's lack of commitment to small businesses. And that is just plain wrong. We must address this crisis immediately.

Our small businesses do not ask for much. Yet, they give so much in return. They create jobs in our local community. They pave the way for individuals to reach the American dream. They train our workers and generate new ideas. We should be given back giving back to them what they have given to us. And what does this bill give them? It gives them nothing. Now more than ever, our Nation needs small companies to succeed. They are the driving force of job creation in our economy. America's hard-working small businesses should be able to count on Congress to improve the Small Business Administration and its critical programs. Unfortunately, we are failing.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to the chairman of the committee for the purpose of entering into a colloquy.

Would the chairman be willing to assure me that he will work to make changes to the 7(a) lending program by April 2, 2004?

I yield to the gentleman from Illinois.

I thank the chairman. I appreciate his willing to willingness to work this issue out in a timely manner. However, given past experiences with the gentleman and our so-called agreements, I am sure you can understand my need to make this agreement abundantly clear with the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, small businesses continue to suffer under the current 7(a) program restrictions, and we cannot continue to ignore this issue. It is the most pressing issue that the gentleman have jurisdiction over. I thank the Chairman.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize the achievements of Crystal Domenech, who was raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, in my Congressional District.

At 19, Crystal has done what many people only dream to achieve in a lifetime. Since the age of 13, she has been an active member of the United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park (UPROSE)--the oldest Puerto Rican community-based organization in Brooklyn.

Since Sunset Park is a working class, immigrant waterfront neighborhood and the site of many industrial uses, UPROSE's mission of youth and community empowerment seeks to make Sunset Park a better, safer place to live for local residents.

It is young people like Crystal who are truly changing the direction of our communities. She is one of the founding members of UPROSE's Environmental Enforcers, a youth group that has taken on many issues relating to environmental justice.

Crystal's list of accomplishments is long. She has worked tirelessly with me and other elected officials in educating-the public on the unfair siting of power plants and other polluting facilities in low- income communities. Currently, she is working with UPROSE on its Urban Forestry Project and on a community design plan for a public open space greenway along the Sunset Park waterfront. She has caught the attention of politicians, community leaders and the media alike.

Given her energy and commitment, it was easy for me to nominate Crystal as one of just five New York City students to travel to Antarctica for a 14-day expedition with Students on Ice. By embarking on this life-altering journey with her peers from countries all over the world, Crystal traveled from one end of the earth to the other in an effort to gain a new and deeper respect for the environment in which we live.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Crystal Domenech, and join with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to recognize her extraordinary work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise against this sham Republican drug bill that will increase costs, reduce coverage, and dismantle Medicare as we know it.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

(Ms. VELAZQUEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, today we are voting on an $87 billion spending bill that is solely funded by American taxpayers and with nothing in this legislation to ensure that U.S. small businesses have an opportunity to compete for the rebuild contracts. This funding will once again be funneled to large corporations.

The amendment I am offering today on behalf of myself and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) will give small businesses a chance. It will require that all large companies submit a subcontracting plan prior to being awarded an Iraq reconstruction contract.

We have already spent $79 billion on war efforts in Iraq. And with this $87 billion funding request, President Bush is once again abandoning the Federal Government's longstanding commitment to ensure small businesses can compete in the Federal marketplace.

The administration has awarded billions of dollars in mega contracts to a handful of well-connected U.S. corporations. These contracts were not open to fair competition. They were doled out in secret backroom negotiations. Bechtel alone received a $680 million construction contract. Halliburton received a $1 billion logistical support contract, and recently received a noncompetitive contract to rebuild Iraq's oil infrastructure worth up to $7 billion. These companies have very close ties to the White House. And these secret closed-door deals further damage our international credibility and endanger our rebuilding efforts.

If we are going to spend this money we need to ensure that some of these funds are also available to small businesses. And that is exactly what my amendment will do.

Mr. Chairman, there are 23 million small businesses in the United States. They represent 99 percent of all employers, create three out of four new jobs, employ more than half of all private sector workers, and make up half of our gross domestic product.

The financial commitments the administration makes in Iraq directly impact the viability of our economy here at home. This $87 billion spending measure will put this Nation even deeper in debt.

We have heard a lot today about the costs of this bill. And I feel that we do have a responsibility. But if we are going to spend the money, we should make every effort possible to ensure it assists our struggling economy here at home. We can do that by ensuring small businesses get a fair chance to participate in these contracts.

My amendment will require large businesses to make every effort possible to subcontract with small companies in this reconstruction effort while ensuring that taxpayers are getting their money's worth.

Under current law, large contractors in the United States are required to submit subcontracting plans prior to receiving contract awards. And that is what I am proposing for corporations seeking contracts in Iraq.

This is a simple amendment. It does not prevent the government from entering into contracts with large corporations or limit the size of these awards. It ensures that large corporations are subject to the same self-contracting requirements for Iraq contracts as they are for contracts here at home.

If we are going to spend this money, we need to recognize that funding it only to large corporations will not only hurt small businesses and likely squander taxpayer dollars. It will also hinder our ability to get our economy back on track.

This amendment is a vote for a fair and open Federal marketplace. It is a vote to protect taxpayer dollars from waste and abuse, and it is a vote to give America's small businesses a chance to compete and succeed.

I urge passage of this amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) for accepting this amendment. And I will work with him and look forward to working with him in addressing some of the concerns.

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

Offered By: Ms. Velazquez

Amendment No. 63: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize the 10h anniversary of the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association's Eighth Avenue Senior Center.

As part of the tradition, this very special anniversary will be marked by millennial tables, which seat twelve seniors, each with a combined age of over 1,000 years. It is anticipated that over 2,000 senior members will be in attendance at this year's celebration to be held in a local Brooklyn restaurant.

The Eighth Avenue Senior Center is part of the Brooklyn Chinese- American Association (BCA), which was founded in 1987 as a community- based social services agency to meet the growing needs of the Asian- American community in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Sunset Park, Borough Park, and Bay Ridge.

Now BCA has developed into a community development organization with centers along Eighth Avenue for employment training, day care, youth and cultural activities, and the senior center, which celebrates its decade-long existence this month. Combined, the BCA's facilities make our Brooklyn neighborhoods better, safer, more vibrant places to live.

Over the past 10 years, the Eighth Avenue Senior Center has provided critical services to Brooklyn's senior community. This includes providing meals, bilingual information, English and citizenship classes, health services and recreational activities. The Eighth Avenue Senior Center is now a cornerstone of our community, and will continue to be for many decades to come.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to enter into a colloquy with the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney).

It is my understanding that, during committee consideration, an agreement was made between the chairman and myself to incorporate the provision dealing with financial literacy into the report on H.R. 1276. I would like this language to be included into the Record.

I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, that is my colleague's understanding, and I thank the gentleman for that. I will insert that language at this point in the Record.

The full Committee also adopted two amendments during

consideration. The first would require States and localities

to ensure that families receiving the housing assistance are

financially prepared to maintain ownership of their homes

after the purchase by requiring recipients to complete a

course of homeownership counseling. Alternatively, if this is

not feasible, grantees could provide information in advance

to grant recipients describing the risks and responsibilities

of homeownership, providing assistance in understanding the

mortgage loan process and financing options, and making

recipients aware of any homeownership counseling that is

available locally.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 368, which recognizes the contributions that America's entrepreneurs make across the Nation and within our communities.

Often, people believe that GM, Lockheed Martin and IBM power our economy; but the reality is that small businesses are the driving force. Our country's 23 million small businesses create three out of every four new jobs, represent 99 percent of all employers and provide 70 percent of workers with their important first paycheck. It is because of this we, on the committee, say that small business is big business in America.

Success in small business ownership is one of the unique opportunities of our economy. Yes, in other countries their citizens can own their own businesses, but nowhere to the extent found in America. Americans grow up with the entrepreneurial spirit around us. The reality of owning your own business is not a far-off dream, but an achievable goal. We all know small business success stories, whether they are friends, grandparents, parents, or our sisters and brothers. The opportunity to start a small business is what draws many to our country. No place else in the world can someone with hard work turn an idea into a thriving business.

As these opportunities become more available, the face of small business is changing. Today, minorities are becoming business owners on a scale never seen before. Between 1997 and 2002, the number of Latino- owned firms increased by almost 40 percent and African American-owned businesses increased by 25 percent.

Small business ownership has also become a new avenue for empowering women. Whether because of family concerns or because the corporate glass ceiling still exists, women are striking out and starting their own companies at twice the rate of all businesses. This is simply phenomenal.

Make no mistake, it is not easy being a small business owner today. Small businesses are confronting health care premiums rising 14 percent this year alone, Federal regulatory compliance costs are increasing for small businesses, and the Federal Government continues blocking them from benefiting from the $235 billion Federal procurement market. While it is never easy, small business owners are in desperate need of health care reform, a national energy plan to reduce skyrocketing costs, access to capital, targeted tax relief, and access to government procurement.

Small businesses are a proven tool to guide the Nation out of economic downturns. Small businesses have done it before, and small businesses can do it again. However, their success can only be achieved if we provide them with the help they require.

So, today, as we recognize the hard work and commitment of America's entrepreneurs, it is also important that we recommit ourselves to working to create an economic environment that encourages growth for them. We must strive to make the job of our Nation's small businesses all the much easier. It is at least what we can do, given all they have done for us.

Today, with the adoption of this resolution, in a very small way we thank our Nation's entrepreneurs for the contributions they make every day. They are the catalyst for economic growth, and they are the anchors of our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Guam (Mr. Bordallo).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to thank the author of this resolution and also staffer Patrick Wilson for taking the lead on today's resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to pay tribute to Esperanza Marrero--a resident on the Lower East Side of my New York City Congressional District.

Esperanza is the oldest person in New York State at 110 years old and 4 and \1/2\ months. She has lived through two World Wars, and has seen the changes in culture and life in Puerto Rico--and in New York City-- over the decades.

Born in 1893 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Esperanza is the proud grandmother of 15 and has dozens of great grandchildren. She credits her long life to getting a strong start growing up in Puerto Rico.

Like her grandmother before her who lived to be 120, Esperanza continues to live a full life, playing bingo at the Lillian Wald Senior Center, shopping on 14th Street, or watching the boats on the East River. Her companion is a dog named Benji, who is said to have saved her life many times.

Esperanza, which means ``hope'' in Spanish, was named appropriately-- her life and her story are truly inspirational.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Esperanza Marrero, and join with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to recognize her extraordinary life.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Nadler- Velazquez amendment to increase funding for Section 8 vouchers. This successful program is the principal form of housing assistance for low- income families, the elderly and the disabled.

For the last several years, I have taken to the floor with like- minded colleagues time and time again to decry the deep and sweeping cuts being made to the HUD budget. In FY 2001, 79,000 new vouchers were appropriated--that was the last year of the Clinton Administration. As soon as President Bush took office, the number of new vouchers dropped to 18,000. In FY 2003, no new vouchers were appropriated.

During these debates we have discussed how rising housing costs are far outstripping income growth for low-income Americans. We contrasted the growing need for housing assistance, with the drastic cuts to HUD's budget. And we warned that by allowing the housing crisis to take firm root in time of economic prosperity it would grow beyond control during an economic downturn. Well, Mr. Chairman, you reap what you sow.

Unemployment is up, the markets are down, and housing costs continue to rise. The need for housing assistance is skyrocketing across the nation, and homelessness is at a 10-year high. In fact, the housing crisis is so bad in New York City that low-income families were actually housed in jail cells.

Our cities and States have continuously called on the Federal Government for assistance--yet never has a HUD budget so directly exacerbated this national housing crisis. President Bush's FY 2004 HUD budget proposal called for a mere 5,500 new vouchers.

This spring, my colleague from New York and I sent a letter to chairman and ranking member of this subcommittee, signed by 66 Members of the House, urging funding for 79,000 new vouchers. This request was soundly ignored. We were all well aware that the Republican tax cuts would put us in such a budget crisis that funding for all low-income programs would be on the chopping-block. But I never thought that we would be standing here today voting on a budget that actually cuts current Section 8 assistance for 85,000 families, and will likely lead to their eviction.

The Nadler-Velazquez amendment offers some relief by providing an additional $150 million for this account. It would protect nearly 22,000 low-income families whose housing is jeopardized by this bill.

Clearly, the entire VA-HUD appropriations bill is underfunded. And using funding from one Federal program to offset another is less than ideal. While Mr. Nalder and I reluctantly included this offset, we unequivocally support increasing Section 8 funding. I urge my colleagues to support the Nadler-Velazquez amendment--and the right of low-income American families to safe, decent, affordable housing.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2210 will dismantle Head Start and rob single moms of the best early childhood education for their children.

Mr. Chairman, the work we do here in Congress is all about priorities, and the decisions we

make are a measure of what we value as a Nation.

What this bill shows us very clearly is that low-income children are again not a priority for our President and the Republican leadership. We have spent $350 billion in another tax cut for our wealthiest families, yet we cannot afford to provide Head Start services to two out of every five eligible preschool children.

Mr. Chairman, instead of expanding the libraries in Head Start classrooms, this bill will take books out of the hands of our most at- risk children. Rather than providing teachers additional resources, we are jamming even more students into the crowded classrooms.

This legislation jeopardizes funding, slashes critical health services, weakens educational standards, and repeals civil rights protections.

I am outraged by the Republican bill, but I am not surprised. The Republican leadership constantly extols family values, yet its legislative agenda so clearly fails to value American families.

Mr. Speaker, I think the sham Republican Medicare bill fails to provide women with the real prescription drug coverage that they need and deserve.

Madam Speaker, our country is in a health care crisis. Today, in the world's largest remaining superpower, 41 million Americans live

without health insurance. No place in this epidemic is more apparent than with our Nation's small businesses. They represent 60 percent of this country's uninsured.

Small business owners and their employees do not have health insurance, not because they do not want it or are trying to cut corners, but because they cannot afford it. Small companies see their insurance costs rising upwards of 25 percent each year. They are unfairly suffering this burden, and their employees are unfairly suffering without insurance.

Small businesses provide more than half of the Nation's gross domestic product, create 75 percent of all new jobs, and give two- thirds of Americans their first paychecks. Yet many small businesses are unable to provide the benefits they know the workers deserve.

Today, with the passage of this bipartisan Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003, we take an important first step in helping millions of Americans afford what so many in this Chamber take for granted, health care.

During the debate on this legislation, Members are going to hear terms like cherrypicking, solvency, and MEWAs. If Members take one thing away from today's debate, it should be that H.R. 660 is simply about fairness, fairness for small business owners to offer health insurance to their employees just as large corporations and unions already do. If we trust large corporations and unions, we should trust small businesses in America.

If it is good enough for IBM, Lockheed-Martin and GM, it should be good enough for mainstream American businesses. H.R. 660 will give small business owners the ability to provide quality health care for themselves, their families, and, most importantly, their workers. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on H.R. 660.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Today, I rise in strong support of H.R. 205, the National Small Business Regulatory Assistance Act of 2003, which would establish a regulatory compliance assistance program to this Nation's small businesses. I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney) for his hard work on this issue and congratulate him for bringing this bill to the floor.

With the American economy still struggling, it is now more important than ever to make it easier for small businesses, this Nation's economic backbone, to expand. In today's business environment, one of the greatest obstacles standing in the way of growth for many of this Nation's small businesses is regulatory compliance. Small businesses regularly find themselves lost in the maze of Federal regulations that are designed to create safer and healthier workplaces.

In fact, regulatory burdens are typically ranked as a top concern for small businesses, and the Small Business Administration estimates those burdens cost almost $7,000 per employee per year. That is 60 percent higher than costs for businesses with more than 500 employees.

Small firms are less equipped to deal with regulations than large corporations. Business owners want to comply with regulations because they know that a safe and healthy workplace makes them more productive, but often they do not know how to comply or where to start.

With the adoption of this legislation, we take a big step in helping our Nation's small businesses to navigate the regulatory process with passage of the National Small Business Regulatory Assistance Act. This legislation establishes a 3-year pilot program to provide confidential and nonpunitive advice to small businesses that are trying to weather a blizzard of complex Federal regulations.

Business owners sometimes fear approaching agencies for compliance assistance because these are the very agencies charged with enforcement. They worry, Can I talk about OSHA requirements with the labor Department? Can I discuss environmental regulations with the EPA?

By creating a compliance program through the Small Business Development Centers national network, we will provide a neutral, non- threatening environment small business owners use to get important information and advice without fear of retaliation.

The SBDCs, which have a solid reputation for aiding local enterprise, already provide counseling, training and education. This legislation creates a one-stop shop for regulatory compliance that will help small business owners who want to do the right thing to do the right thing.

In addition, this legislation would establish a database clearinghouse for information gathered by the SBDCs based on their interaction with local businesses. This data will be useful in further identifying the compliance needs of small business and tailoring assistance to them.

While SBDCs provide more compliance assistance and gather more information, we must ensure that the sensitive information brought forward by small business is kept absolutely confidential. This legislation guarantees privacy for those who receive compliance assistance and extends these protections to all small businesses that seek any assistance from their local SBDC.

This legislation bars the sharing of information that any SBDC collects on a business with any third body or agency. This will guarantee that small businesses receive the assistance they need in complete confidence and privacy.

Madam Speaker, we want all our small businesses to comply with the regulations that preserve the health, environment, and well-being of our workers and our communities; but oftentimes, small businesses do not have access to the resources they need if they want to comply with regulations in good faith. With the adoption of this legislation, we are giving small businesses the support they need to navigate the often complex realm of Federal regulations.

In closing, let me thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney) for this bill. I strongly urge the adoption of this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Case).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.