Mary Landrieu

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to yield back any remaining morning business time, which I think is under 3 minutes.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I guess we are technically still talking about our reauthorization of the SBIR and STTR Programs. Senator Snowe and I have been working through the week to manage this bill on the floor, and I wish to again say how pleased I am with the progress we made this week. I know we have had about three or four votes on amendments, and there are others that are pending, but we have made progress. I truly appreciate the cooperation of all the Members. This is a very important program. We have struggled, as I have said, for 6 years to get this program reauthorized. While everybody is running around fussing about programs that do not work, it is important for us to focus on those programs that do work, particularly those programs that work to create private sector jobs. It is important for us to stay focused on reducing and, hopefully, eliminating our Federal debt and reducing annual deficits. That is going to be done when we do a couple of things all at one time. It is not going to be done by standing on the sidelines, slashing and burning discretionary domestic spending only, particularly some of the best programs in America. It is going to be done by thoughtful cuts and eliminations of some programs that don't work, some thoughtful eliminations and cuts to the Defense budget. It is going to be done by raising revenues where appropriate to close some of the gaps and taking back some of the excessive grants to high-end taxpayers, particularly those making over $1 million a year, in the view of this Senator. It is going to take some investments that can actually save taxpayer money in the long run, and cutting some mandatory programs. We know--and I think it is becoming very clear to the American people--as this debate over the House CR and the debate over deficits and debt goes on, people are understanding this better and better. So one of the reasons I am personally happy to be on the floor this week is because I know the bill I am supporting and offering here to the Senate--hopefully getting to the House and then eventually to the President's desk--will create private sector jobs and close this deficit gap and begin to chip away, in a substantial way, at the debt. We need to grow our economy. I have a chart I will put up in just a minute, but before I do that, I wish to show again a specific example of a program I am talking about so people will be very clear. Projects such as this were won by iRobot. This is just one example of the hundreds and thousands of small businesses that received either a contract or an award through this very important program. DOD has the largest--over $1 billion--portion of their research and development budget. Prior to this program, almost 100 percent of that money went to big businesses or to universities and big businesses. Small businesses were summarily overlooked. Regardless of whether they had good technology, they really weren't let in the front door. This program we are talking about reauthorizing for 8 years creates that door and opens it for the small businesses in Louisiana, in Colorado, in New Mexico, in New York, and that is why we are going to fight hard for this program, to get it reauthorized and to the President's desk. Let me give one example. The DOD needed more reliable, cost-effective robotic devices for going into caves, checking and diffusing IEDs. I don't think I have to explain to anyone listening or any Member of this Senate the challenges our soldiers face in Afghanistan. I have been to Afghanistan. I have not been in caves in Afghanistan, but I have visited our troops there. I have heard their stories. I have seen pictures and read enough books to know the frightening thousands of miles of caves and crevices our soldiers are having to go into to hunt down Osama bin Laden, who still has not been found and captured, and to protect our forces overseas. We have been in some ways as a nation kind of caught off guard about the terrorist attacks and military strategies using explosive devices. I guess we knew this could be a tactic, but, honestly, we did not have what we needed to protect our troops to win the battles. So this program steps up and says: OK, this is what we need. Let's go out and see who has the best technology. Instead of spending billions and billions and millions and millions of dollars giving a contract to a big company and getting them to go through all the rigmarole to develop it--it is kind of an off-the-shelf technology almost, except that we develop the idea and give a small business the opportunity. Unlike large businesses, these small firms approach the project unencumbered by past research and approaches. They start with a clean slate. They often have innovative approaches that would be challenged by conventional large businesses. They often attract researchers fresh out of a university, such as iRobot, which started with two MIT students and their professors. Ideas that started just off the MIT campus have turned into a company with a market cap of now $400 million, with strong military and private sector sales. My colleagues have probably heard of the private sector spinoff of the military robot, the Roomba, a product that vacuums while one is at work and has now sold over 5 million units in the United States. This is a different product than the IED robot I will speak about in a minute, but it is an example of one of these programs. When our forces needed to go into caves and find IEDs, there was some technology that was developed in order to do that. The Navy has many examples. The Army has many examples. I am encouraged to see these outstanding opportunities. This was in Bedford, MA. This is the iRobot I mentioned. I will get the chart for the IED explosive in just a moment. This is an example of some of the projects that have been funded. This is not just good for our soldiers, but obviously this company then became a company that went on to sell other products in the conventional market and created jobs along the way. I know Senator Bingaman wants to speak on energy, and I am going to yield the floor and then come back later and put a few more things into the Record before this week ends so that when we come back in a couple of weeks, we will have built the strongest record possible for a vote as soon as possible on a program that works, that is cost-effective, that really creates some new technologies that help our soldiers overseas and help us vacuum our floors here at home and create American jobs in the process and help us to close this deficit and debt gap. I yield the floor.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery and Intergovernmental Affairs of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 17, 2011, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Preventing Improperly Paid Federal Assistance in the Aftermath of Disasters.''

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 17, 2011 at 2:30 p.m.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety and the Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New Economy of the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 17, 2011, at 10 a.m. in SD-406.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 17, 2011, at 2:30 p.m.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Science and Space of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 17, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 17, 2011, 3:15 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Catastrophic Preparedness: How Ready Is FEMA for the Next Big Disaster?''

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on March 17, 2011, at 10 a.m., in SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct an executive business meeting.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 17, 2011, at 9:30 a.m.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 17, 2011, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``TARP Oversight: Evaluating Returns on Taxpayer Investments.''

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 17, 2011, at 9:30 a.m., in room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the sessions of the Senate on March 17, 2011, at 10 a.m., to hold a hearing entitled ``Popular Uprisings in the Middle East: The implications for U.S. Policy.''

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I call for regular order now with respect to the McConnell amendment, which is the pending amendment on our bill, amendment No. 183, and send a second-degree amendment to the desk.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Ms. LANDRIEU. I am happy to report and respond through the Chair that a Member of the Senate has put a hold on parliamentary procedures that would allow us to move forward on any amendments, the Senator should be aware. So we are unable, at this time, to have his amendment pending. I am personally happy he came down to speak on the amendment. There are other people who feel strongly about that issue as well. I hope the Senator understands we are not able to take up his amendment at this time.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Thank you, Mr. President. That now puts us in order to continue the discussion of our very important bill that Senator Snowe and I have been managing this week on the floor. I appreciate all the Members' cooperation, particularly the members of the Small Business Committee who voted this bill out 17 to 1, because they know, both Republicans and Democrats, the importance of reauthorizing this vital program--one of the Federal programs that works, one of the Federal programs that helps to create private sector jobs, one of the Federal programs that gives the taxpayer a great return on their investment. One of the gentlemen who testified before our committee last week said for every $1 invested in this program, the taxpayers get a return of $107. That is a pretty good return on investment. I see two of my colleagues. Senator Cardin is a member of our committee and a very valued member of our committee, I may say. He would like to speak for 5 or 10 minutes about an amendment he thinks is important that we potentially could get included in our bill. I see Senator Coats from Indiana, who is here to speak on the McConnell amendment. I think we do not have a consent, but we will kind of go back and forth as Members come and continue to talk about some important aspects of the bill. I yield the floor.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I wish to thank Senator Cardin for his cooperation. He has been so patient. It is an important amendment. It is an amendment that both Senator Snowe and I support and many other colleagues support it. We hope to get to a time, if not this week, as soon as we get back, to be able to offer and have this amendment pending so it can receive the vote I do think it deserves. I see the Senator from Indiana, who I think wants to speak on a different amendment, so I will yield the floor.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I see we have several colleagues on the floor, and there is another coming down to speak on an amendment. I thank Senator Snowe for her explanation of some of the compromises and changes and modifications the two of us worked on with our committee members over the last 6 years to bring a bill to the floor that has bipartisan support. I thank her. One telling chart I want to put up before yielding to the Senator from Vermont, who wants to speak on an amendment, is very interesting. It talks about job creation and the importance of this program. One report that looked into this program between 1985 and 1995 said that SBIR-awarded firms added an average five times as many employees as comparable firms that did not receive SBIR funding. Again, this is the Federal Government's largest program. Amazingly, it doesn't cost the Federal Government any more money because it is research and development dollars that are already set aside for the purpose of research and development. It makes sure that small businesses have access to these dollars. When we do provide that kind of access, which this bill does, these grants and contracts go to companies that not only produce great technology but hire workers. I wanted to put that into the Record. I have other things to put into the Record as well. I see Senator Sanders, the Senator from Vermont, on the floor. At this point, I yield the floor.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Yes, I object, Mr. President.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I thank the Senators for their discussion of that amendment. I wish, before Senator Udall leaves, to correct one thing for the record. As the manager of the Small Business Innovation Jobs bill, which the Senator was so helpful to us in passing, we did ask the credit unions if they wanted to be a part of that lending program and they declined to participate. So I wanted, for the record, for that to be clear. I do know--and let me speak for myself--that credit unions serve a valuable role in our Nation today, and we want to acknowledge that. But I want the Senator from Colorado to know that, according to the information I have been given, they were asked if they wanted to participate in the Small Business Lending Fund, and they declined. They may change their mind later, and we can amend that program later should they so decide. But I thank the Senator for his comments. I see the Senator from Georgia is on the floor, so I will yield my time. I think he wants to speak on a different amendment, but I think that is the purpose of this morning's discussion. I yield the floor.

Ms. LANDRIEU. I thank the Senator from Georgia for coming to the floor to participate in the debate. I have a different view on the amendment he spoke on, but we will continue that debate. In fact, we have been debating health care policy in this country for the last 2 years. While I appreciate his views, I am hoping we get to keep the debate very focused and specific, if possible. But I understand the amendment of Senator Hutchison, and the amendment Senator Isakson supports does affect small business, so we look forward to more comments as we go forward. Madam President, as we wait to move to the CR--which under unanimous consent I think we are moving to in a few moments, so we will be off the debate on this bill--I want to submit for the Record some of the data associated with job creation. I know Senator Snowe is very sincere in her comments about the lack of job creation in the country, and I want to say I agree with everything she has said in terms of the rates of unemployment being very concerning. That is why she and I have spent so much time in the committee trying to look at the array of bills we have, at least in our jurisdiction, and see what we can do to help change the outlook. I am very proud to say we have, I think, in large measure contributed in a positive way. But for the record, in terms of job numbers, because I don't think President Obama and his administration get the kind of credit I think they deserve, and frankly, the Democratic leadership doesn't get the credit it deserves for turning around a desperate situation, I am going to submit these numbers for the record, but I will also have a chart later because I think it is important for people to understand. I want to throw a few of these numbers out. I am sorry I do not have this chart clearly reproduced at this point, but I am going to give you a couple of numbers. In January of 2009, this country lost 820,000 jobs, in that 1 month. In that 1 month, we lost more jobs, according to this document I am looking at, than any month probably in the last 10 or 15 years. I am going to go back and check. I ask for 1 more minute? I do not see Senator Inouye. I am going to actually ask for 2 or 3 more minutes until he gets to the floor.

Ms. LANDRIEU. That is the highest number of jobs lost in years, and I will tell you exactly how many. The point is, President Obama was not the President in 2009, January of 2009; he was just sworn in in 2009. He was elected in 2008. So the job losses of a year before, which started February of 2008, which was the beginning of the recession, before President Obama was sworn in--we lost 83,000 jobs; in March, 72,000; in April, 185,000; in May, 233,000; in June, 178,000; in July, 231,000; in August, 267,000; in September, 434,000; in October, 509,000; in November, 802,000; in December, 619,000; and then in January, the month he got sworn in, we lost 820,000. I understand people have different views, but to blame a President who was not even in office for this recession is wrong and it is not fair. That often happens. It does not happen from my ranking member, but it does happen from others around here. In addition, that terrible loss of jobs continued as Wall Street collapsed, fat cats ran off with the money, people's Social Security and 401(k)s--not Social Security, thank goodness, but 401(k)s tanked, public pension funds that people are screaming about, that something is wrong with them--yes, a lot is wrong with them. The Wall Street greed, unparalleled in the history of this Nation, sunk so many of our pension funds--not necessarily the fault of Governors or legislators or employees themselves--and there is some underfunding opportunity, I would say, there. I know something about this. But the big culprit was the collapse of the market which was started before this administration. These numbers continue: 500; 300. What is happening this year, 2010? It is starting to reverse. Yes, ma'am, it is starting to reverse--in March, a plus of 192,000; in April, a plus of 277,000; in May, a plus of 458,000; in October, a plus of 171,000. I could go on. The point is, it is not all gloom and doom. There are some things that are working. We need to keep working together. That is why Senator Snowe and I are on the floor. I see Senator Inouye coming. It is time to go to the CR. But we are working together the way our committee has had a tradition of working to try to take a bill here, a bill there, putting good programs in place, putting new ideas in, thinking outside of the box, because we all have to do the best we can to get this economy moving again. I wanted to say that for the record, to submit this data. I see the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, and I believe at this time, Madam President, I will yield the floor and we can proceed to the next order of business.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I would like to speak for about 10 minutes. I know Senator Bingaman is on the floor, and maybe other Members are coming to the floor to talk on other subjects.