Kathleen Dahlkemper

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Well, Representative Tonko, I want to thank you because you have a lot of passion for small businesses and for job creation. You have been a great leader in our class and in this Congress. I'm excited about some of the new pieces of legislation I've heard about just here tonight--pieces of legislation that are coming out of the Democrats, coming out of particularly the freshman class of the Democrats, who I think have come to Washington with great ideas and with great solutions with how we can move forward. You know, it was said that the Iroquois Indians, when they would make decisions, looked seven generations out. I'm not sure we're quite seven generations out, but we're looking out beyond next year, beyond the next election. We're looking out to the future and what is the best future for our country and how do we get there. We have to make sure we continue to make things in this country, as I know you and I both believe very strongly. We have to be innovators. We have to be the first in finding the new solutions to these issues that are huge but are so very important as we move our country forward.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. It is a great freshman class. We have leaders in the great freshman class who will take us to that future and to the future that those students are looking forward to. I want to thank you all and all of my freshman colleagues who have joined me. I do want to share just a few examples of some successful small businesses from my district, the Third District of Pennsylvania. Ibis Tek is a veteran-owned small business located in Saxonburg, specializing in products and accessories critical to the defense industry. Ibis Tek designs, manufactures, and tests important equipment such as transparent armor solutions for tactical and security vehicles; radio and video communication for unmanned ground vehicles; and emergency rescue devices for quick vehicle access and rescue. It's one of the many companies in my district that are providing quality equipment to keep our troops safe. And for having been both in Iraq an Afghanistan over this past year, we certainly want to do everything we can to keep our troops safe. I'm just very proud that a company in my district is working on the latest innovation that's going to help do that. Combined Systems is located in Jamestown. It's an engineering, manufacturing, and supply company of tactical munitions and crowd control devices globally that is given to law enforcement, corrections, and homeland security agencies. It is not only in defense that small businesses in western Pennsylvania are excelling. CCL Container in Hermitage is a leading manufacturer of recyclable aluminum products. They produce recyclable aerosol cans, aluminum bottles, barrier systems, and other specialty aluminum packaging. Since 1991, CCL Containers has been creating innovative solutions for product packaging that can be found in just about every home, from your beverages, cleaning products, hair products, and any number of goods that come in packages, using recycled aluminum, which is really great as we look to our future. Just last December, a new small business came to Erie, Pennsylvania-- Donjon Shipbuilding and Repair. Donjon Marine Company chose our region to expand their business because of the strong manufacturing base and expertise that I know you have in your region in New York State also. They're a welcome addition to Erie's business community and to a revitalization of using the lake that we have in front of us. Finally, I'd like to highlight a small business in my district that's been serving our community since 1876, Hodge Foundry. You're going to be excited about that because they're actually working in the wind industry producing the castings for those very large poles that go up to the windmills. With 130 years of expertise, they produce some of the world's largest engineered iron castings right in my home district in Mercer County. Mr. Speaker, it's small businesses like these that build the products and create jobs that change people's lives and move our economy forward. We must act swiftly here in Congress to enact legislation that will help our existing small businesses grow and hire new workers. We must create pathways for startups and entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into those successful businesses that I just mentioned and my colleagues have mentioned tonight. Small businesses are our investment in our communities and our entire Nation. I urge my colleagues to support the robust and strategic Democratic small business agenda that will help our businesses gain access to capital, create jobs, and develop the technologies and innovations that will move America forward. It's very exciting to be here at this point in our history. I think our freshman class is a big part of the forward movement in this great agenda that we have. So I thank my colleagues, and I yield the rest of my time.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, March is Women's History Month, and this year will be the 90th anniversary of the adoption of the 19th Amendment. Yet after nine decades, the United States ranks only 74th out of 187 countries for the percentage of women in Federal legislature, with only 17 percent as Members of Congress that are female. In my home State of Pennsylvania, only 14 percent of the general assembly are women. For Women's History Month, I would like to recognize the women of my district who serve in the Pennsylvania General Assembly: State Senators Jane Earll, Jane Clare Orie and Mary Jo White; and State Representatives Michele Brooks, Donna Oberlander, and Kathy Rapp. I am proud so many women represent western Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. It is my hope that women in Pennsylvania and across this country will be inspired to seek office at the local, State, and Federal level.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Well, thank you. I thank the gentlelady from Ohio for leading this special hour today to talk about the importance of women in history, particularly pro-life women. I am just pleased that we can work together on this issue, one of which I find to be of great importance. It is an issue that really is not defined by party, that is not defined by geography, and that is not defined by demographics. This is an issue which, I believe, has national importance, and I am proud to stand here today with my colleague from Ohio and with my colleagues from other areas to raise our voices in defense of all in this country. During the March for Life in January of this year, hundreds of my constituents from western Pennsylvania, pro-life advocates, visited my office in the Capitol. I spoke to a large group of Pennsylvanians who had traveled all day and all night. They'd marched in the cold to demonstrate their commitment to the unborn, and I was so impressed by their dedication. Overwhelmingly, it was women and young women who came to my office to show solidarity in our cause. When I go home to western Pennsylvania, where my district is overwhelmingly pro-life in its beliefs, I talk to mothers and daughters, women of all ages, who thank me for supporting life and who encourage me to stay strong in this fight. It is so important that we have women representing the pro-life movement both here in Washington and in our districts back home. We can speak to this issue, I believe, in a more personal way than can men. No one can dismiss us for not understanding. No one can look at me and say, ``You don't know what it's like.'' I have been in those shoes. At the age of 20, as a student in college, I found myself unmarried and pregnant. So I know what it means. I know what it means to choose life. Today, we are here because National Women's History Month and pro- life issues do go hand in hand. The suffragettes who worked so hard to secure our voting rights as women believed in the right to life. Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, and so many others whose names are lesser known believed in the sanctity of life as strongly as they believed in the rights of women. Women led the feminist movement, and women led the pro-life movement. Our voices are the loudest and the clearest for both of these very important causes. Contrary to what media or other organizations would have us believe, women can be both feminists and pro-life. The bottom line is this: Respect--respect for women in the workplace, women in the home, in schools, and in the voting booth--and respect for the rights of the unborn. The principle that motivates both the feminists and the pro-life movement is one and the same, which is the belief that people have rights and freedom. As pro-life women, we believe these rights and these freedoms belong also to the unborn. We believe they have the right to be born and the right to live. This is not only consistent with the legacy of the early advocates of women's rights, but it reinforces their beliefs in the rights of all Americans. So I am happy to stand here today with my other colleagues in Congress, pro-life Members, who are speaking in support of women and who are speaking in support of pro-life issues. I yield to my colleague from Ohio.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Well, thank you. And again, thank you to my colleague Mrs. Schmidt from Ohio, who has been a good friend and is obviously a defender of women's rights and a defender of the rights of the unborn. And to all those who have joined us here this afternoon as we have had this special hour, as we recognize Women's History Month and we recognize the women that fought for our right to vote, for our right to serve our country as so many of us are now; although, unfortunately, still only 17 percent of Congress. Those women also fought for the right of the unborn, and I think it's important that we remember that as we remember them and what they do for us. As I was on a plane flying down here yesterday, I was sitting next to a woman who was from my hometown, and we were talking about many different things. And as we got up to leave the plane, in front of us sat her daughter and her granddaughter and her granddaughter with Down syndrome. She was telling me how it was only her granddaughter's second time to fly on a plane. One of the things that she expressed to me is that she is afraid that someday there will no longer be Down syndrome children in our world, and yet they are so loving and the beauty that they bring to our world, if you have ever known or been hugged by a child with Down syndrome. We have a wonderful place in my community called the Gertrude Barber Center that just has done wonderful work with those children over the years. But they are precious. They are very precious, and I think that's the important thing here is that they all bring gifts to our world and they bring gifts to our lives. When I think about, as I mentioned in the beginning, my own son who is now 30 and the grandchild that he's brought into my life and what he's doing as a young man, the value of all of these children, born, unborn, we have yet to see what they will bring to our world.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I rise to celebrate the lives of two African Americans from Erie, Pennsylvania. Born in 1886, Harry T. Burleigh was a world-famous musician. Burleigh was the first African American composer acclaimed for his concert music, and he wrote more than 200 American art songs. After his death in 1949, Harry Burleigh was largely forgotten until Rev. Charles Kennedy of Erie revived his memory. Rev. Kennedy, a minister and a musician, was a distinguished community leader and president of the Harry T. Burleigh Society. He championed the legacy of Burleigh's incredible talent. Sadly, Rev. Kennedy passed away this November. Harry Burleigh and Charles Kennedy made unforgettable contributions to the African American community and all of American society. For Black History Month and every month, we honor their memories.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, every year our servicemembers across the country receive permanent change-of-station orders, having to relocate their families to meet the needs of our national defense. In the process, military spouses often have to put their careers on hold. My new legislation, the Military Families Job Continuity Act, offers a $500 tax credit to any military spouse who has to renew or transfer a professional license when a permanent change-of-station order takes their family across State lines. This tax credit will ease the stress of transfers and help military spouses quickly reenter the workforce. I urge my colleagues to renew our commitment to our soldiers and to our soldiers' families by supporting the Military Families Job Continuity Act.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I thank the gentleman, our new dean of the delegation. I join my fellow Pennsylvania members and all of those who are here tonight to honor Jack Murtha. I am deeply honored and equally saddened to stand here in tribute to our colleague and to my friend, the late Jack Murtha. I am the youngest--or the newest member, I should say. I am not the youngest. I am the newest member of the Pennsylvania delegation. I've been here just 14 months. Yet, from the first day that I stepped onto this floor, Jack Murtha was a friend, was a mentor. He welcomed me into the corner, the famous Pennsylvania corner which I had heard so much about. He welcomed me graciously, sharing his wisdom, sharing his intellect, his wit, his humor. He would say, Hey, kid. How ya doing? Jack and I, I think, quickly developed a very special relationship. I saw him sort of as my father on the floor, the person I could turn to. He was a mentor, always offering me that advice. Jack Murtha made sure that, as a new Member, I knew my constituents had to come first, that you represent the people who brought you here in every vote. He was enormously helpful to all of us here. Certainly, if I had a question or a concern or an issue in my district, I'd first turn to Jack Murtha and get his advice on how I should proceed. In November, I am so grateful that I was given the privilege to travel with Jack Murtha to Afghanistan over the Thanksgiving work period. We went to visit our troops abroad. To be with him and to see how he interacted with our troops was just a wonderful experience to be a part of. In seeing his questioning of those in charge, I learned a lot from him over that trip--how to do a CODEL, how to do it right and how to come back with the information that you need. There was no better person to really take that journey with than Jack Murtha. His mere presence in Afghanistan and everywhere we went on that trip commanded respect from everyone we encountered, and his keen insight and understandings of the needs of our troops, I think, was appreciated by everyone. All of those whom he touched there knew that he had one interest, and that was to take care of those who were there serving our country. Jack Murtha was a true patriot. He loved his country, and he believed in the value of public service. His passing is a great loss for the United States of America. It is a great loss for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is a great loss to his district. It is a great loss to all of us who served with him in the House. I am grateful to have served with him. God bless Jack Murtha. God bless his family--his wife, Joyce, his children and his grandchildren.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the other side have been asking where are the jobs? Well, I just came back from 2 weeks in Pennsylvania in my district, the Third District of Pennsylvania, and I can tell you there are jobs coming to my district, and I'm excited. I'm excited for the reinvestment part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: $130 million in broadband Internet expansion in Pennsylvania, which will bring hundreds and hundreds of jobs to my State. But beyond that, reinvestment for the future for our businesses, for our students, and for our residents of Pennsylvania. I also went to Meadville and saw a biomass project that's going to go forward which will create great energy savings for the school district, for the recreational facility, and for the career and technical institute there. That will create 25 jobs this summer, but reinvestment so that energy costs for those three facilities will be much decreased over the year and they can reinvest in our students. Shriners Hospital for Children, $250,000 for energy savings; $63,000 a year they're going to save on their energy bills, money that can be used for children's care, free children's care. The jobs are out there.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 274, supporting March as National Nutrition Month. Madam Speaker, for over 25 years I served as a clinical dietitian helping hospitals, schools, and other organizations prepare healthy menus and emphasizing good nutrition, good diet and long-term wellness. National Nutrition Month is an important tool for health and wellness advocates across the country. Every year, we as dietitians and those in the health care field use this designation to promote nutritious diets and to educate people about healthy eating habits. Proper nutrition and healthy eating are essential to improving our Nation's long-term health and to lowering the rate of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Madam Speaker, I call upon my colleagues to support House Resolution 274 to help make healthy living a national priority.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Madam Speaker, as a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, I'm proud to stand in support of statutory PAYGO. Pay-as- you-go legislation was a key factor, as we have heard, in delivering the budget surpluses of the 1990s. The Republican-controlled Congress allowed pay-as-you-go to expire in 2002, contributing to the dramatic turnaround from a projected surplus of $5.6 trillion when President Clinton left office to a projected deficit of more than $11 trillion at the end of the last administration. Restoring statutory PAYGO will help bring our country out of the red and back into the black. As the saying goes, a journey begins with the first step. I'm proud to cast this vote as Washington takes the first step back to fiscal responsibility and sensible spending. Our path to fiscal responsibility starts today. Restoring PAYGO is the first step to enforcing fiscal discipline and removing the burden of Federal debt from the American people. It's my hope this will be the first of many steps that both Democrats and Republicans take to balance our budget and be good stewards of taxpayer funds.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Chairman, my amendment to H.R. 4061 expands computer and network security capacity, building grants to allow for collaboration between community colleges, universities, and Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers. As we all know, cybersecurity is an issue that affects both our national security and our economic prosperity, and it poses a particular problem for our small businesses. Small and medium-sized businesses often cannot shoulder the costs of developing and maintaining the mechanisms needed to protect themselves from cybersecurity threats. Individually, the security of these firms may seem like a minor affair compared to larger economic and government entities; however, the 27 million small and medium-sized businesses across the country account for 95 percent of our Nation's business. Collaboration will benefit all participants, from applied research and curriculum planning on the academic side to workforce training and better, more cost-efficient security measures for Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers and their industry partners. I want to thank Representative Gordon, Ranking Member Hall, and Representative Lipinski for their leadership on this bill. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2009 and my amendment that will help small businesses, starting with our manufacturers, better confront the serious challenges of cyberspace security. I reserve the remainder of my time.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon).

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Thank you very much. I appreciate the gentleman from Virginia bringing us together tonight. I just wanted to come and join you in the sentiments that you have expressed. As we look at our country and look where we have been and how we got to where we are not just today but in the 200-plus years, it's our ingenuity, it's our resourcefulness, and it's our strong work ethic that really has always propelled the United States to success. Our prosperity, as we know, is built on the American dream and the belief that we can achieve extraordinary things in the future, regardless of all the challenges of the present. And this is the vision of Main Street Americans. Work hard, set high goals, and be optimistic about the future. In the face of this economic crisis, it's all too easy I think to choose cynicism, but I think if we abandon the optimism, and the American dream, we'll do nothing but delay our return to prosperity. I have certainly seen small businesses on my Main Streets throughout my district who have really taken these difficult times and really made changes in their business, and we need to be here in Washington supporting those businesses. I have had people like John Hall, who lost his job in the textile industry, but then that didn't deter him from a new path to success. In fact, he invented a new piece of fishing equipment. With the help of Penn State Behrend and the Northwest Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, he has brought his invention to the marketplace. In Butler County, BeamOne, a company which produces electric beam medical sterilization equipment, has announced plans to build a service center in a local industrial park that is going to create at least 20 new jobs. I find great hope in all of these success stories around my district, and it kind of ties into what everyone's been saying. We cannot listen to the skeptics. The proof is back with the Americans, the Americans on Main Street. They have not lost their optimism. Many of them drive to really define our Nation's character. It was mentioned earlier on that our decisions need not be about next week, next month or even next year, or even the election this year. The decisions that we make have to be about our future, the future for our children, the future for our grandchildren. We need to invest in that future, and I think we were doing that last year. We are going to continue to do that this year. It's the innovation that's going to take us to the future to make things I think more positive. We've got to be here in Washington, helping them along with that investment. Innovation, innovation, innovation which will lead to jobs, jobs, jobs. So I thank the gentleman.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an extraordinary woman in Erie, Pennsylvania, who has dedicated her life to helping the children of her community. Clara Ward, the founder of the Youth Development and Family Center in Erie, was the star of ``Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,'' this week, where her indomitable spirit and dedication to the well-being of children in need was rewarded with an amazing renovation to her more than eighty year old home. Clara Ward, with her son Bennie and daughter Cynthia, has continually put aside her own needs to take care of the children in her community. Too often, the children in Clara's neighborhood lack the care and resources they need to succeed, to be healthy and safe. These children rely on the generosity of their ``Aunt Clara'' to have a safe haven after school, where they can play off the streets and out of harm's way. Many of the children who come to the Youth Development and Family Center would go to bed hungry without the generosity of Clara, Bennie and Cynthia, who feed and welcome children into their home almost every day. Not only does Clara provide a safe space, but she offers these children clothes, blankets and toys that they might not otherwise have. This time every year, Clara gives toys to 300 children for the holidays. Clara's boundless generosity is all the more remarkable given her own condition. Clara suffers from myasthenia gravis, a degenerative muscular disease that requires her to use a wheelchair. In her old home, Clara's mobility was severely limited and she struggled to move through rooms and hallways that had no space for her wheelchair. Now, thanks to the renovation, Clara can move with ease through a home designed with her needs in mind. Clara Ward's selflessness has inspired the entire community of Erie. It was her good work that motivated local builder John Maleno and his family to nominate Clara for ``Extreme Makeover,'' which drew 3,000 volunteers and donations from 200 companies. Clara's story has inspired our city and helped us show the world that Erie, Pennsylvania, is a place where neighbors look out for each other and the spirit of generosity runs deep. Madam Speaker, it is my proud duty to enter the name of Clara Ward in the record of the United States House of Representatives as a hero of Erie, Pennsylvania.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of my constituents, an extraordinary woman in Erie, Pennsylvania. Clara Ward, the founder of the Youth Development and Family Center in Erie, was the star of ``Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'' this week, where her dedication to children in need was rewarded with an amazing renovation to her home. With the help of her daughter Cynthia and son Benny, Clara Ward offers her neighborhood's children a safe haven from the streets. Every year, Clara gives 300 children presents for the holidays, and every day, she provides food to children who otherwise would go to bed hungry. We all have so much to learn from Clara and her spirit of generosity. It is my hope that we carry this lesson through the holiday season and into the new year.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution. I thank Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her leadership on this issue, an issue that defends women across the United States and advocates for their health and well-being. Breast cancer is a real danger to women and their families; it is not an adversary to be underestimated. All in all, nearly 150,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and more than 40,000 women will sadly succumb to the disease; but some of these deaths can be prevented by mammograms and regular breast cancer screenings. Let me tell you one story of a woman from my own district whose mammogram saved her life. Sue Kilburn of Meadville, Pennsylvania, was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was in her late 40s after an annual mammogram. Her doctor told her she had to choose between a lumpectomy and a mastectomy to treat the disease. Sue shared her journal with the Meadville Tribune newspaper. She writes: ``The words ring out unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I find no anger, just feel numb, dumbfounded, and questioning . . . how . . . when? It was just a routine mammogram.'' Sue survived her battle with breast cancer because she had a mammogram.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. If she was one of the thousands of women in my district without health care coverage, would she still be with us today? Through this resolution and through passage of health care reform, we can ensure that the decision for mammogram testing remains between a woman and her doctor. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, last year we witnessed the near collapse of our financial system. According to one estimate, the United States lost an estimated $8.3 trillion of wealth in 2008. Right now, more than 15 million Americans are unemployed and looking for work. Families and businesses continue to struggle as our economy slowly recovers. We must ensure that this never happens again. Hardworking Americans on Main Street have been the victim of Wall Street's excess and greed and also of Washington's failure to hold investors accountable. Our constituents, the American people, deserve better. The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 will rein in risky behavior on Wall Street and create powerful protections for middle class families. I urge my colleagues to stand up for middle class families and protect their financial future by supporting H.R. 4173.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Madam Speaker, many hardworking Americans are losing their jobs because of this recession. We must use every tool in our arsenal to help stop the loss of jobs and put Americans back to work. Yesterday, I testified in front of the International Trade Commission, urging them to strictly enforce our anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws to protect American workers against unfair subsidies of steel tube products from China. My constituents depend upon the ITC to enforce our laws and ensure that our trade partners play fair. As we look for more ways to create and save jobs, it is imperative that both the Congress and the Federal Government remain vigilant in our enforcement of our strong trade policies. We cannot allow any foreign producer to have an unfair advantage over U.S. workers. We owe it to our constituents to protect their jobs and enforce the laws that we have on the books.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, it's time to set the record straight. Too many people are trying to scare our senior citizens with misinformation. The truth is that the Affordable Health Care for America Act will strengthen Medicare for seniors and extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by 5 years. Without reform, the Medicare Trust Fund will be exhausted within the decade. What will happen to our seniors then? It is for our seniors that we must enact health care reform now. Our health care reform plan will eliminate copayments for preventative health services in Medicare. It will close the prescription drug doughnut hole and make lifesaving medications affordable for our seniors. And it will make Medicare more efficient and affordable for all seniors. We owe our seniors the truth. That's why I'm proud to support health care reform that improves Medicare for seniors and health care for all in our country.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Small Business Health Information Technology Financing Act. This legislation is a vital piece to lowering the health care costs of our country, and a key to making health technology accessible to small business health companies. While we talk about the high price of health care to hospitals and consumers, we often forget that most doctors and pharmacists work in small groups or as individual health care providers. These small medical businesses are dramatically affected by administrative burdens, which can translate to higher health care costs for their patients. My legislation creates an affordable path for these providers to make the investment in health information technologies that lower the cost of health care for their patients and for their businesses. Rural communities, like many of those in my district, often rely on only a few health care providers in the area. These providers-- independent pharmacists, doctors and allied health professionals-- struggle to continue providing their services when they do not have the infrastructure and support of bigger hospitals or other facilities. Doctors and practitioners with small practices work tirelessly to keep communities healthy at the most basic level, but the costs to do so can be overwhelming. The Small Business Health Information Technology Financing Act creates a new loan guarantee program at the SBA that would allow these small pharmacies, small doctors and allied professional offices to purchase health information technology that would drastically improve their businesses and potentially lower the costs to patients. The loan guarantee programs provides a 90 percent guarantee on loan amounts up to $350,000 for an individual practitioner and $2 million for a group to purchase cost-saving information technologies which are often too expensive an investment for a small business. Mr. Speaker, the Small Business Health Information Technology Financing Act will not only lower the administrative costs of health care, it will help bolster small businesses by allowing them access to modern and efficient technologies. My legislation creates an affordable loan program for these providers to make the investment in health information technologies that lower the cost of health care for everyone and improve the health of all. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this small business legislation.