Mary Landrieu

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, today the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship favorably reported out the President's nominations of Dr. Winslow Lorenzo Sargeant to serve as chief counsel for advocacy and Ms. Peggy Elizabeth Gustafson to serve as inspector general of the Small Business Administration. I am pleased that President Obama nominated such talented individuals to top positions at the SBA. Their confirmation will make the SBA much closer to having an exceptional leadership team in place. As chief counsel for advocacy, Dr. Winslow Sargeant will bring a unique background to this very important position. With a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in electrical engineering and a background as a very successful small business owner, he is not only well-educated, but well-educated about the challenges facing small businesses today. He is currently the managing director of Venture Investors, a Midwest venture capital company with a concentration on starting up health care and technology companies. From 2001 to 2005, he served as a program manager for SBIR in electronics at the National Science Foundation. He has also worked at IBM as a staff engineer, at AT&T as technical staff, and as an associate adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania. As the current general counsel for Senator Claire McCaskill, whose interest in and knowledge of oversight issues is well known and respected in the Senate, Ms. Peggy Gustafson is an excellent nominee for inspector general of the SBA. She received her J.D. at Northwestern University and, before working as general counsel for Senator McCaskill here in Washington, Ms. Gustafson worked for her when the Senator was the prosecutor for Jackson County, MO, as well as when she was the Missouri State Auditor. With capable leaders like Dr. Sargeant and Ms. Gustafson at the helm, we are hopeful the agency will be more ready than ever to play an important role in assisting small businesses as they continue to lead this country to an economic recovery. We look forward to working with them and to a new era for the SBA and American small businesses.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, as we focus on improving the workplace and enhancing benefits for employees throughout the Nation, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight an outstanding group of law enforcement officers from Louisiana. For the last 8 years, our country has been at war. Thousands of Americans left their usual workplace to honor their commitment to the armed services. America's employers have done an outstanding job of supporting our National Guard and Reserve members both in and outside the workplace. Currently, almost one-half of the U.S. military is comprised of National Guard and Reserve members. This support for our ``Citizen Soldiers'' allows them to continue their invaluable service to our country. Each year Guard and Reserve members and their families nominate employers who have gone above and beyond in their support of military employees. This year, Sheriff Andy Brown and the Jackson Parish Sheriff's Department in Jonesboro, LA, have been selected as one of the 15 employers to receive the 2009 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. This award is the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their outstanding support of employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. As an added honor, Sheriff Brown has been selected as one of the attendees to speak on behalf of these 15 recipients at the 14th Annual Awards Ceremony on September 17. The Jackson Parish Sheriff's Department led by Sheriff Andy Brown was selected out of more than 3,200 nominees from across the Nation. Sheriff Brown and his employees went beyond the call of duty to extend employment support to employees who have volunteered to serve in our Nation's Armed Forces. The Jackson Parish Sheriff's department employs seven part-time servicemembers. Among the benefits that the Jackson Parish Sheriff's department provides its National Guard and Reserve employees is full pay for servicemembers called away on duty for more than 12 months. The department also provides continuous health care, dental, and life insurance benefits to ensure coverage and support for servicemembers' families while the member is on active duty. Sheriff Brown has fostered a supportive work environment for servicemembers by requiring every supervisor and employee in his department to thoroughly understand and implement the servicemember rights outlined in the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Act. His positive attitude and accommodation for our citizen soldiers demonstrates an unwavering support that exemplifies the spirit of the Employer Support Freedom Award. I offer my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to Sheriff Brown and the entire Jackson Parish Sherriff's Department. The Employer Support Freedom Award is a tremendous honor and a fitting recognition of Sheriff Brown's commitment to our troops and his service to Louisiana and our Nation.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, this year we are celebrating the 98th birthday of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated. This week, thousands of members and guests from all over the world have come to Washington, DC, to participate in a week-long program of forums and seminars with a focus on leadership, brotherhood and service, known as the 79th Grand Chapter Meeting. The theme of this week's celebration is ``A Call to Service: The Journey Home Continues.'' The week's events commenced with a public meeting where members from the nine African-American Greek fraternities and sororities will gather in the spirit of unity. In addition, during this gathering, I was honored that Kappa Alpha Psi bestowed upon me their prestigious Humanitarian Award. This particular award is the highest honor awarded to an individual that is not a member of the organization. I am excited to be joining the ranks of previous honorees including: Congresswoman Maxine Waters; Mrs. Lyndon Baines ``Lady Bird'' Johnson; Mr. Harry Belafonte; Mrs. Rosa Parks; and Drs. Bill and Camille Cosby, just to name a few. I also would like to take this opportunity to commend Attorney Dwayne Murray. Dwayne currently serves as the 31st Grand Polemarch of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, and is a resident of the great State of Louisiana. Under Dwayne's extraordinary leadership, the organization has initiated several community service projects, including ``Sunday of Hope.'' Through this effort, Kappa Alpha Psi has raised well over $500,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital during the past 2 years. In addition, Dwayne has also spearheaded the ``Greeks Learning to Avoid Debt''--GLAD--Program throughout the Nation. This program will ensure that college students receive the necessary training to use credit wisely and remain financially stable through college and beyond. His administration is committed to the theme of ``One Kappa, Creating Inspiration: A Call to Service''. Kappa Alpha Psi was founded on January 5, 1911, on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. Led by the vision of Elder Watson Diggs, it was founded by 10 God-fearing, serious-minded young men who possessed the imagination, ambition, courage, and determination to defy custom in pursuit of college educations and careers during an oppressive time in American history for African Americans. Now, the membership has grown to more than 360 undergraduate chapters and 347 alumni chapters located throughout the United States and five foreign countries. Today, the fraternity boasts a membership of more than 150,000 college-trained young men. Among the famous Kappas are Wilt Chamberlain, Adrian Fenty, Cedric ``The Entertainer'' Kyles, and Tavis Smiley; and Members of the House of Representatives include Sanford Bishop of Georgia, William Clay of Missouri, John Conyers of Michigan, Alcee Hastings of Florida and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi. Additionally, there are many more prominent and influential men across America that represent the Kappa Alpha Psi brotherhood. Furthermore, both current and former members of my staff are proud to be members of this noble and prestigious fraternity: my former legislative director Ben Cannon, former regional manager Terrence Lockett, and my current capital regional manager Jason Wynne Hughes. Kappa Alpha Psi has been an instrumental group in raising the profile of African-American men and has worked tirelessly to knock down barriers to advancement in our society. The brotherhood has consistently encouraged achievement in every field of human endeavor. Members remain active for their whole lives and are encouraged to contribute to their communities. Each chapter has its own community service focus. The Baton Rouge Alumni Chapter, for example, raises money through its annual Walter Banks Golf Classic for scholarships for high school seniors and also sponsors several kids to attend Kappa Kamp--a rigorous leadership institute for elementary and middle school aged young men. Chapters all over Louisiana are similarly committed to their communities. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Kappas from all over the country came to the aid of hurricane survivors along the gulf coast and helped with our recovery effort. It is with great pride that we welcome all members of Kappa Alpha Psi to our Nation's Capital as they kick off the countdown to their centennial celebration in 2011.

Ms. LANDRIEU

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

Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, I understand we have up to 10 minutes each?

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, I wish to speak for a moment about another bill Senator Inhofe and I introduced earlier: the Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act. This would make a small but important change in the way orphans are identified or classified when they are adopted overseas so that they can become automatic citizens. I was very proud to work with Senator Kennedy on this issue, with Senator Don Nickles from Oklahoma when he served in the body. We worked very hard to find a way, when families go overseas to adopt, once that adoption is final--we believe the active adoption itself puts that child in automatic custody of that parent. That parent, being an American citizen, should automatically be able to transfer that citizenship to that adopted child just as if you are born in the United States to an American citizen or you are born in the United States, you are an automatic American citizen; and most certainly if you are born overseas, but if your parents are citizens, you are an automatic citizen of the United States. You don't need any extra paperwork done on your behalf because we believe the act of adoption should be treated the same way as the act of birth. We believe this right should be transferred to orphan children adopted overseas. Right now, there is a little bit of a glitch in the law that is not allowing this. This act would correct that. I will finally end with one of my most wonderful memories of my time in the Senate, which was in Faneuil Hall in Boston with Senator Kennedy and with Congressman Delahunt, when we, on one special day, were able to swear in as citizens of the United States thousands of children who had been waiting to become citizens, having been adopted by American families. That was a very proud moment of mine and something many of us worked on. But this bill will take that to a new level. When families travel overseas to adopt, as my sister and many relatives and friends of Members of Congress took the opportunity to do, at the time the adoption is official in that country, the child becomes an automatic citizen of the United States, which is a great benefit. As I grow older in my life, I realize what an extraordinary privilege it is to be a citizen of the United States of America. So as our families adopt, that citizenship will be automatically transferred to their adopted children. So I thank you. Again, it is the Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act I am speaking about this morning and introducing for consideration of the body the Families for Orphans Act. Thank you, Madam President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise to introduce a bill called the Families for Orphans Act that Senator Inhofe and I are sponsoring. We are very fortunate, indeed, to have a Secretary of State who is quite knowledgeable about this subject. The office we seek to create would be housed within the Department of State under the watchful eye of Secretary Hillary Clinton, who did so much work on this subject when she was a Member of the Senate and even prior to her service in the Senate as First Lady of both Arkansas and the United States. So I am particularly happy we would be recommending what is, I think, a very appropriate establishment of an office within the Office of the Secretary of State. This bill has been discussed for several years here. We have had several opportunities for debate on the floor. But a great coalition has come together, representing advocates for orphans around the world, to come together in a unified way to make a strong argument that this kind of office should indeed be established. There are some very compelling reasons why this should be. First of all, right now in our system, there is no coordination in the Office of the Secretary of State or in the Department of State for policies related to orphans. This is an alarming situation because the number of orphans is growing exponentially in the world due to an increase in conflicts in many parts of the world; severe droughts and natural disasters that are causing families to be separated, children from adults; and the AIDS epidemic. Some people have referred to it as a factory that produces orphans. And you can understand the nature of that disease. So the actions we take relative to trying to get a more coordinated policy are very important, and that is what this bill seeks to do. It is, I think, understood among all Members of this body--I do not even hear one dissenting voice--that the most appropriate place for children to grow up is in a family. We think there are over 130 million orphans in the world who have been deprived for whatever reason--death or war or famine or disease-- of their right to belong to a family. It is our obligation as the leaders of the world to try to find the best possible substitute family for these children. Children don't do a very good job of raising themselves. That is a virtual impossibility. Our efforts, unfortunately, dealing with children have been focused on their survival, on just getting medical care and health care and food and nutrition. I don't think we are doing enough as a government to focus on reuniting children with whatever extended family might be possible for them to be raised by, and then looking out somewhere beyond the extended family opportunity to domestic families who would take in that child and their siblings. We most certainly have not made the kind of effort I think is appropriate and is a ready source of loving arms in families in terms of the international community that would like to step up and adopt many children who are unable to find families in their own countries. That is basically what this office would do. It would coordinate efforts by the aid and development community that, as I said, are currently focused on nutrition, housing, education, and medical care, and would refocus efforts on that, plus reunification of families and then adoption opportunities. First, as I said, the U.S. programs are disconnected. Secondly, the United States, right now, in our opinion, does not engage in enough proactive diplomacy on this issue. Third, the United States should be able to advise and support other countries in the development of their own child welfare systems. We know we have made so many mistakes in the United States. We hate to see countries making similar mistakes. Some of those mistakes would be terminating parental rights, not being aggressive enough in seeking placement within extended families, separating siblings in placement, and then, the worst of all--if those things aren't bad enough--the worst of all, leaving children who have had their parental rights terminated basically stuck in limbo for 10 or 12 or 14, and in some extreme cases, 18 years in foster care where they never have a permanent parent or a permanent family to call their own. I would remind my colleagues, because I continue to remind myself, that a child is never too old to need a parent. We all think of adoption as adopting infants or toddlers or school-aged children, but I would suggest to this body and to those listening that you are never too old to need a father or a mother. At the age of 54, I continue to talk to my parents regularly. They continue to give me advice and counsel. I have been blessed to have grandparents well into my adult life. The thought of a child growing up at any age--18, 20, 5, 12-- without any permanent attachment to a family is tragic. The fact is there are methods and resources we can bring to bear to change that outcome for the millions of orphans who are in the world in our own country and around the world. That is what this office does. The primary functions will be to act as a primary adviser to the Secretary of State and to the President to provide diplomatic representation, to develop an evidence-based, comprehensive global strategy, to support foreign governments through sound policy and technical assistance, to develop best practices with cultural sensitivity, and to support in-country family preservation, reunification, and permanency as primary solutions, using domestic adoption and international adoption as basically the last possibilities. One of the most important things in the bill is to conduct a census because we don't know how many orphans there are in the world and in what countries. Until we get a handle on the numbers, it is very hard to find appropriate solutions and to mobilize the world community to act. I contend there are millions and millions and millions of families who are able and willing and ready to take in orphans, to build their family through adoption, to add to the blessing of biological children, children who have come to their families through adoption. I have had personal experience myself with that issue. I am excited about the possibility of coordinating this effort and can think of no better person than Secretary Hillary Clinton to provide the leadership to establish this office as the Congress seeks to fund it and provide the resources to make it work. So that is a description of the Families for Orphans Act. It is a bipartisan bill. We are getting extremely exciting feedback from our colleagues in the House. Representative Diane Watson from California and Representative John Boozman from Arkansas have introduced an identical bill, so we are very encouraged by the work the House has done on this subject and look forward to a quick hearing and quick passage.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise to introduce a bill called the Families for Orphans Act that Senator Inhofe and I are sponsoring. We are very fortunate, indeed, to have a Secretary of State who is quite knowledgeable about this subject. The office we seek to create would be housed within the Department of State under the watchful eye of Secretary Hillary Clinton, who did so much work on this subject when she was a Member of the Senate and even prior to her service in the Senate as First Lady of both Arkansas and the United States. So I am particularly happy we would be recommending what is, I think, a very appropriate establishment of an office within the Office of the Secretary of State. This bill has been discussed for several years here. We have had several opportunities for debate on the floor. But a great coalition has come together, representing advocates for orphans around the world, to come together in a unified way to make a strong argument that this kind of office should indeed be established. There are some very compelling reasons why this should be. First of all, right now in our system, there is no coordination in the Office of the Secretary of State or in the Department of State for policies related to orphans. This is an alarming situation because the number of orphans is growing exponentially in the world due to an increase in conflicts in many parts of the world; severe droughts and natural disasters that are causing families to be separated, children from adults; and the AIDS epidemic. Some people have referred to it as a factory that produces orphans. And you can understand the nature of that disease. So the actions we take relative to trying to get a more coordinated policy are very important, and that is what this bill seeks to do. It is, I think, understood among all Members of this body--I do not even hear one dissenting voice--that the most appropriate place for children to grow up is in a family. We think there are over 130 million orphans in the world who have been deprived for whatever reason--death or war or famine or disease-- of their right to belong to a family. It is our obligation as the leaders of the world to try to find the best possible substitute family for these children. Children don't do a very good job of raising themselves. That is a virtual impossibility. Our efforts, unfortunately, dealing with children have been focused on their survival, on just getting medical care and health care and food and nutrition. I don't think we are doing enough as a government to focus on reuniting children with whatever extended family might be possible for them to be raised by, and then looking out somewhere beyond the extended family opportunity to domestic families who would take in that child and their siblings. We most certainly have not made the kind of effort I think is appropriate and is a ready source of loving arms in families in terms of the international community that would like to step up and adopt many children who are unable to find families in their own countries. That is basically what this office would do. It would coordinate efforts by the aid and development community that, as I said, are currently focused on nutrition, housing, education, and medical care, and would refocus efforts on that, plus reunification of families and then adoption opportunities. First, as I said, the U.S. programs are disconnected. Secondly, the United States, right now, in our opinion, does not engage in enough proactive diplomacy on this issue. Third, the United States should be able to advise and support other countries in the development of their own child welfare systems. We know we have made so many mistakes in the United States. We hate to see countries making similar mistakes. Some of those mistakes would be terminating parental rights, not being aggressive enough in seeking placement within extended families, separating siblings in placement, and then, the worst of all--if those things aren't bad enough--the worst of all, leaving children who have had their parental rights terminated basically stuck in limbo for 10 or 12 or 14, and in some extreme cases, 18 years in foster care where they never have a permanent parent or a permanent family to call their own. I would remind my colleagues, because I continue to remind myself, that a child is never too old to need a parent. We all think of adoption as adopting infants or toddlers or school-aged children, but I would suggest to this body and to those listening that you are never too old to need a father or a mother. At the age of 54, I continue to talk to my parents regularly. They continue to give me advice and counsel. I have been blessed to have grandparents well into my adult life. The thought of a child growing up at any age--18, 20, 5, 12-- without any permanent attachment to a family is tragic. The fact is there are methods and resources we can bring to bear to change that outcome for the millions of orphans who are in the world in our own country and around the world. That is what this office does. The primary functions will be to act as a primary adviser to the Secretary of State and to the President to provide diplomatic representation, to develop an evidence-based, comprehensive global strategy, to support foreign governments through sound policy and technical assistance, to develop best practices with cultural sensitivity, and to support in-country family preservation, reunification, and permanency as primary solutions, using domestic adoption and international adoption as basically the last possibilities. One of the most important things in the bill is to conduct a census because we don't know how many orphans there are in the world and in what countries. Until we get a handle on the numbers, it is very hard to find appropriate solutions and to mobilize the world community to act. I contend there are millions and millions and millions of families who are able and willing and ready to take in orphans, to build their family through adoption, to add to the blessing of biological children, children who have come to their families through adoption. I have had personal experience myself with that issue. I am excited about the possibility of coordinating this effort and can think of no better person than Secretary Hillary Clinton to provide the leadership to establish this office as the Congress seeks to fund it and provide the resources to make it work. So that is a description of the Families for Orphans Act. It is a bipartisan bill. We are getting extremely exciting feedback from our colleagues in the House. Representative Diane Watson from California and Representative John Boozman from Arkansas have introduced an identical bill, so we are very encouraged by the work the House has done on this subject and look forward to a quick hearing and quick passage.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to support passage of S. 1233, the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2009, with an amendment from Dr. Coburn and Senator Feingold. This legislation is important because it reauthorizes two extremely successful programs--the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs--otherwise known as SBIR and STTR. These programs foster partnerships between small businesses and the Federal Government to develop cutting-edge products and technologies important to our country. The bill makes improvements to these programs that will allow them to work better for small businesses, while contributing to our economy, fulfilling the priority research needs of the Nation, and expanding and diversifying our military's supply base. The SBIR program expires on July 31, 2009, so time is of the essence for Congress to pass this legislation and get it to President Obama's desk. While we need to act fast, we have not acted in haste. We have given these programs full deliberation with numerous hearings, roundtables, and meetings since 2006, including a hearing on July 12, 2006, a roundtable on August 1, 2007, a roundtable on October 18, 2007, and a roundtable on June 4, 2009. We have also reviewed the nine studies by the National Research Council, and studies by the Government Accountability Office, on the SBIR program since it was last authorized in 2000 to help guide the committee in drafting not only this bill, S. 1233, but also the SBIR and STTR reauthorization bills that the committee adopted unanimously in the 109th Congress, S. 3778, and in the 110th Congress, S. 3362. The SBIR and STTR programs are two of the very few Federal programs that tap into the scientific and technical community found in America's small businesses. As I noted earlier, these programs foster government- industry partnerships by making competitive awards to firms with the best scientific proposals in response to the research needs of our agencies and by helping to move technologies from the lab to the marketplace or from the lab to insertion in a government program or system. The SBIR program was designed in 1982 to harness the innovative capacity of America's small businesses to meet the needs of our Federal agencies and to help grow small, high-tech firms that, in turn, grow local economies all across the Nation. The STTR program was originally created as a pilot program in 1992 to stimulate partnerships between small businesses and nonprofit research institutions, such as universities like LSU and Louisiana Tech. Since their inception, both programs have exceeded all expectations, playing an unprecedented role in stimulating technological innovation, in allowing small business to meet Federal research and development needs, and in providing seed capital for small business to develop ideas until they are able to attract outside investment. The SBIR program has awarded more than $24 billion to more than 100,000 projects since it started. Recipients of SBIR and STTR awards have produced more than 85,000 patents and have generated millions of well-paying jobs across all 50 States. Both programs have garnered high praise from well-respected sources, and governments around the world are increasingly adopting SBIR-type programs to encourage innovation in their countries. In drafting this bill, we had many policy goals and interests to balance. We wanted to improve the diversity of the programs, geographically and otherwise, so that more States and individuals could participate in Federal research and development for our country. We also wanted to maintain a fair playing field so true small businesses could continue to compete for this very small percent of the overall Federal R&D budget. We wanted to encourage exploration of high-risk, cutting-edge research. These goals, along with many others, were taken into consideration in forging this bill. We made a number of important compromises in this legislation--and the result is a fair bill that will maintain the strength of these programs. To keep these innovation programs strong, the bill reauthorizes the programs for 8 years, as reflected in the amendment by Dr. Coburn, instead of 14 years as adopted by the committee; increases the SBIR program allocation by 1 percent, from 2.5 to 3.5 percent, at all agencies, including the NIH, spread out over 10 years; increases the STTR program allocation from .3 percent to .6 percent spread out over 6 years; makes firms majority owned and controlled by multiple venture capital firms eligible for up to 18 percent of the SBIR funds at NIH and up to 8 percent of the funds at the other agencies; and increases the award guidelines for SBIR and STTR awards from $100,000 to $150,000 for Phase I and from $750,000 to $1 million for Phase II. The bill also reauthorizes and enhances the Federal and State Technology Partnership Program, or FAST Program, that was created by Senator Bond in 2000, and the Rural Outreach Program, programs that have been very effective in States such as Louisiana and Missouri in increasing the participation of small business in Federal research and development and the start-up of high-tech firms; strengthens the Office of Technology at the SBA so that it has the authority and resources to carry out its duty to oversee the SBIR and STTR programs across the government; streamlines and improves data collection and reporting requirements for the SBIR and STTR programs, including developing metrics for annual evaluations by each participating agency, as reflected in the amendment by Dr. Coburn; helps SBIR and STTR companies move their technologies across the ``valley of death'' between the lab and the marketplace and into products and technologies for the agencies; and addresses ``jumbo'' awards, those awards that have greatly exceeded the $100,000 and $750,000 guidelines for Phase I and Phase II and cut out other businesses. Reauthorizing these programs will ensure that small businesses continue to play a part in our Federal research and development. Currently, small businesses receive only about 4 percent of Federal research and development dollars despite the fact that they employ nearly 40 percent of America's scientists and engineers, produce more than 14 times more patents than large businesses and universities, and produce patents that are of higher quality and are more than twice as likely to be cited. This legislation will help maintain and improve the role of small businesses in our Federal research and development. The SBIR and STTR programs have spurred so many amazing technologies. I would just like to share a few of them with you here today. Among the technologies pioneered by SBIR-funded small businesses are a machine that uses lasers and computer cameras to sort and inspect bullets at a much finer level than the human eye can manage, the technology that creates the ``invisible'' condensation trail of the B-2 bomber, a therapeutic drug to treat chronic inflammatory disease, and a nerve gas protection system. With regard to the bullet sorting technology, developed by CyberNet Systems, a small, women-owned business located in Ann Arbor, MI, and currently in use in Iraq and Afghanistan, that SBIR technology is estimated to have saved taxpayers more than $300 million. Those are real cost savings and tangible technological improvement. In Louisiana, one company that has had great success in recent years is Network Foundation Technologies, known as NiFTy. I visited this company in Ruston, LA, a rural part of the State, in August 2008 and was extremely impressed. NiFTy used an SBIR grant from the National Science Foundation to develop technology that permits live streaming video over the Internet without using large amounts of bandwidth. They have been particularly successful bringing sporting events live over the Internet. NiFTy has grown to more than 40 employees, many drawn from the ranks of the Louisiana Tech science and engineering programs. These are new, high-paying jobs that have been a strong asset to north Louisiana's economy. SBIR is a program that helps spur technology research and innovation in areas you would not normally think of as high-tech corridors. Folks think of California or Massachusetts, but not our growing high-tech corridor in rural north Louisiana. LA Tech, UL-Monroe, Grambling University, LSU-Shreveport, and Centenary College are all in that corridor. For those who don't know, Ruston is between Monroe and Shreveport, and LA Tech helps attract good companies because we have good scientists and engineers. With SBIR and STTR, those entrepreneurs started a company. It is stories such as these that make the SBIR and STTR programs so special to the economic and technological growth of this country. I want to once again thank all those involved for their hard work on this legislation, particularly our ranking member, Senator Snowe, and her staff, as well as Senator Levin and his staff on the Committee on Armed Services, Senator Durbin and his Appropriations staff, and Dr. Coburn and Senator Feingold on the final amendment to the bill. It is my hope that we can now pass this bill in the Senate and work expeditiously with the House to get a bill on President Obama's desk before July 31.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I am proud to honor a group of 92 World War II veterans from all over Louisiana who will travel to Washington, DC on May 16 to visit the various memorials and monuments that recognize the sacrifices of our Nation's invaluable servicemembers. Louisiana HonorAir, a group based in Lafayette, LA, sponsored this trip to the Nation's Capital. The organization is honoring surviving World War II Louisiana veterans by giving them an opportunity to see the memorials dedicated to their service. The veterans will visit the World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Iwo Jima memorials. They will also travel to Arlington National Cemetery. This was the final of four flights Louisiana HonorAir made to Washington, DC, this spring. It is the 17th flight to depart from Louisiana, which has sent more HonorAir flights than any other State to the Nation's Capital. World War II was one of America's greatest triumphs but was also a conflict rife with individual sacrifice and tragedy. More than 60 million people worldwide were killed, including 40 million civilians, and more than 400,000 American servicemembers were slain during the long war. The ultimate victory over enemies in the Pacific and in Europe is a testament to the valor of American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. The years 1941 to 1945 also witnessed an unprecedented mobilization of domestic industry, which supplied our military on two distant fronts. In Louisiana, there remain today more than 30,000 living WWII veterans, and each one has a heroic tale of achieving the noble victory of freedom over tyranny. This group had 32 veterans who served in the U.S. Army, 16 in the U.S. Air Force, 37 in the Navy, 4 in the Coast Guard, 2 in the Marine Corps, and 1 in WAVES. Our heroes, many of them from the Shreveport area, trekked the world for their country. They fought in Germany, France, Italy, Africa, Japan, Guam, Bougainville, Guadalcanal, China, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the Philippines, Tarawa, New Guinea, Korea, Thailand, and Saipan. Their journeys included the invasions of North Africa, Sicily and Normandy, New Georgia, and the Battle of Midway. Their fight for freedom even extended to Iceland and the Marshall and Solomon Islands. One of our Navy veterans received the Asiatic Pacific Purple Heart, and an Army veteran fought at Normandy and received EAME Campaign and Bronze Service Star medals. Yet another Army veteran fought five major battles of European theatre. A USMC veteran was one of four brothers serving in the Marines and fought in Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Guam, Saipan, and Okinawa. He lost his twin brother in Guam. A Navy veteran observed the atomic bomb test at Bikini and was in Tokyo Bay the morning of the Japanese surrender. Another veteran was awarded five naval battle stars for his service in the invasions of Bougainville, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. I ask the Senate to join me in honoring these 92 veterans, all Louisiana heroes, who visited Washington, and Louisiana HonorAir for making these trips a reality.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise today to speak in opposition to the Feingold amendment, No. 1402, which the Senate will vote on shortly. This amendment would restrict Congress's ability to direct spending to meritorious projects for emergency operations centers and predisaster mitigation projects. The Senate bill includes funding for the North Louisiana Regional Emergency Operations Center in Lincoln Parish, which is a project that I supported, and I would like to say a few words about it. This EOC will serve 29 parishes in Louisiana that represent 43 percent of the State's land mass and 27 percent of its total population. It will provide north Louisiana with a command center for emergency response throughout the region and in bordering States. It will also serve as a staging area for emergency responders and resources and offer training opportunities for firefighting and public safety. Louisiana conducted the largest evacuation in American history last year as Hurricane Gustav approached our shores, and north Louisiana sheltered a majority of those evacuees. When Hurricane Ike struck 12 days later, north Louisiana received thousands of additional evacuees from Texas who fled that storm's path. Mr. President, I have received letters of support from four statewide agencies and seven sheriffs for this project, and I ask unanimous consent that those letters be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Supporters include the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and sheriffs from the parishes of Bienville, Claiborne, Jackson, Lincoln, Ouachita, Union, and Webster. The State of Louisiana has already dedicated $144,000 to this project, and Lincoln Parish has donated land worth $400,000 to accommodate the proposed facility. This funding represents a shared commitment on the part of State and local government that will ensure cost-efficiency and mission success. The Constitution provides Members of Congress with the authority and responsibility to provide funding for national programs and priorities. I support full transparency into the appropriations process, and stand by this funding request on behalf of the people of my State.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I thank my colleague for her passionate remarks about this particular nominee. I am happy to join many of my colleagues in supporting a woman I consider to be an extraordinarily accomplished woman, and I commend President Obama for his selection. As the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares for its confirmation hearing, I wished to come to the floor to express my strong support for this nominee. As we all know, the Supreme Court serves as the highest tribunal in the Nation. As the final arbitrator of our laws, the Supreme Court Justices are charged with ensuring the American people achieve the promise of equal justice under our law and serving as interpreters of our Constitution. It is a very important charge. It is our duty as Senators to ensure that the members of this High Court, which we are asked to confirm, serve as impartial, fairminded Justices who apply our laws, not merely their ideology. The American people deserve no less. A number of my colleagues have expressed concerns regarding this nominee. Those are not concerns I share. Having reviewed her resume, her academic credentials, having reviewed her time on the bench on the Second Circuit, as well as in a trial capacity, she has an expansive judicial record, and I think that provides evidence of the kind of Justice she will be on the Supreme Court. She has been described as a ``fearless and effective prosecutor.'' She has served for 6 years as a trial judge in New York, as I said, on the Federal district court, and 11 years on the circuit court of appeals. So she has been in the courtroom on both sides of the bench representing a variety of clients, and she has written extensively. I think that record reflects the kind of balance, fairminded, intellectual rigor we are looking for. Talking about Democratic and Republican Parties, she has been appointed by both a Democratic administration and a Republican administration. So clearly there were some things that were seen in her and her service by President George Bush as well as President Bill Clinton. She has participated in over 3,000 decisions. She has written over 400 signed opinions on the Second Circuit. If confirmed, Judge Sotomayor would bring more Federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any Justice in 100 years. That is a very strong and powerful statement, and I think a compelling statement, to the Members of this body. I had, as many of us have, the opportunity to meet with Judge Sotomayor in my office earlier this month. In addition to having an impressive professional resume, her personal journey as a young woman from a struggling, very middle-class background from the Bronx also captured my attention. She came up the hard way, with a lot of hard knocks but with a loving and supportive family around her to lead her and guide her. Tutors and teachers saw in this young girl a tremendous amount of promise and potential, and she has most certainly lived up to the promise her mother and grandmother and others saw in her at a young age. I believe she is the kind of person who will bring not only extraordinary intellect and character and credibility but a tremendous breadth of experience that will be very helpful in dealing with the issues the Court has before it today and will in the near future. She has not only been a champion in many ways, but her life has been an inspiration to all Americans, proving that with determination and hard work anything is possible. Finally, it goes without saying that she is a historic choice that will bring a wealth of experience and added diversity to the Nation's highest Court. When confirmed, she will become only the third woman to serve on the Nation's highest court and the first Hispanic Justice in the history of the United States. This is truly a remarkable turning point. I wish she could receive, because of her outstanding resume--not just because of her gender and background and culture. I believe her resume should garner the support of a broad range of Members of this body. Hopefully, that is the way it will come out in the final vote. She most certainly, from my review, deserves our support, and I look forward to doing what I can to process her nomination as it is debated by the full Senate. I thank my colleague from Minnesota, and I yield the floor.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, the Small Business Administration has provided critical financial assistance and counseling to America's small businesses since 1953. The services and assistance provided through SBAs programs have been pivotal to this country's economic growth and have helped thousands of American entrepreneurs realize their dream of starting and growing a successful business. In this time of economic uncertainty, reauthorization of these entrepreneurial development programs is essential to moving our Nation forward. What helps our entrepreneurs helps our entire economy. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, small businesses represent 99.7 percent of all firms, employ more than half of the workforce and account for half of the Nation's Gross Domestic Product. Small business management and technical assistance can potentially help millions of small businesses by teaching entrepreneurs and small business owners fundamental principles and practices regarding cash flow, cost management, how to access to capital and effective business planning. The SBA, through its resource partners such as Small Business Development Centers, SBDCs, Women's Business Centers, WBCs, Service Corps of Retired Executives, SCORE, and others, not only provides technical assistance and information to potential and current small business owners, but helps focus this Nation's entrepreneurial spirit into concrete economic growth. As Chair of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I have heard from small business owners across the country. They have told me that the programs and services currently offered by the Small Business Administration provide access to important resources that enable them to start, grow and expand their businesses. But more can and must be done to help these entrepreneurs. Through an extensive reauthorization of the entrepreneurial development programs within the Small Business Act, I believe that we can dramatically improve the tools available to small business concerns while simultaneously growing and strengthening our economy. That is why today I am introducing the Entrepreneurial Development Act of 2009. This legislation will provide SBA resource partners with the tools they need to effectively serve small businesses, giving them more opportunities to help lead the nation back toward economic prosperity. Before I discuss details of this bill, I first wish to thank Senator Snowe for her continued leadership on small business issues and working with me on this bipartisan effort. Over the past three congresses, the reauthorization of these programs has continued to receive support on both sides of the aisle, demonstrating the importance of reauthorizing essential entrepreneurial development programs. SBA is utilizing resource partners such as SBDCs, SCORE, WBCs and others to ensure that we are growing the Nation's economy through entrepreneurial development. In 2007, with a modest Federal investment of approximately $97 million in assistance, SBDC clients generated nearly $220 million in additional Federal revenues. Many of the small businesses that received assistance from SBDC's attributed their success to assistance offered by the SBDC. Nationally, this economic activity resulted in approximately $2.26 in revenue for every Federal dollar expended. This level of return on investment is not unique to SBDCs. According to an SBA report to Congress, SCORE helped create more than 19,000 new small businesses in 2007 at a cost of $29 per business and helped create more than 25,000 new jobs each year. These programs also provide essential information, training and assistance to a broad and diverse cross-section of communities throughout the country, and serve to further grow a variety of industries. Resource partners such as WBCs and initiatives such as the Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs, PRIME, are dedicated to serving clients who are economically and socially disadvantaged, providing tools and resources to small businesses in those communities that are most in need. According to a study sponsored by the Association of Women's Business Centers, AWBC, 2/3 of WBC clients have household incomes of less than $50,000 and 42 percent are women of color. These programs serve communities with limited access to capital and educational opportunities and provide them with the tools and information they need to start and manage a successful business. The reauthorization of these programs is critical to effectively provide entrepreneurs with essential assistance and resources to start a successful business. The legislation will also create opportunities for veterans and service disabled small business owners. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, there are more than 23.8 million veterans in the country, with hundreds of new veterans returning home from service in Iraq and Afghanistan each day. Many of these returning soldiers become entrepreneurs to support themselves and rebuild their lives after long deployments, which also serves to create new jobs in their communities. Since the passage of The Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999, the SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development has been working to provide technical assistance and support to those veterans who have served our country and returned to start or grow a small business. This legislation seeks to ease their transition by providing business counseling and technical assistance through a new network of Veterans Business Centers, modeled after Women's Business Centers and Small Business Development Centers. The Veterans Business Center Program will provide services not only to returning veterans and service disabled veterans, but also to the families, spouses and surviving spouses of these heroic men and women. The 111th Congress will be the third consecutive Congress during which comprehensive legislation reauthorizing and improving the SBA's Entrepreneurial Programs has been introduced. Ranking Member Snowe introduced S. 3778 in the 109th Congress and former Chairman John Kerry introduced S. 1671 and S. 2920, a bill to which I was a cosponsor, during the 110th Congress. In each previous Congress, this legislation was well received and passed unanimously out of Committee; however, these bills stalled before the full Senate. As Chair of the Small Business Committee this Congress, it is a top priority of mine to finally get this legislation passed and ensure that during this time of economic uncertainty, we are able to provide small businesses with the tools they need to grow and expand their businesses. With this in mind, I will work closely with Ranking Member Snowe and the other members of the Committee in the coming months to get this legislation to the President's desk. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, the Small Business Administration has provided critical financial assistance and counseling to America's small businesses since 1953. The services and assistance provided through SBAs programs have been pivotal to this country's economic growth and have helped thousands of American entrepreneurs realize their dream of starting and growing a successful business. In this time of economic uncertainty, reauthorization of these entrepreneurial development programs is essential to moving our Nation forward. What helps our entrepreneurs helps our entire economy. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, small businesses represent 99.7 percent of all firms, employ more than half of the workforce and account for half of the Nation's Gross Domestic Product. Small business management and technical assistance can potentially help millions of small businesses by teaching entrepreneurs and small business owners fundamental principles and practices regarding cash flow, cost management, how to access to capital and effective business planning. The SBA, through its resource partners such as Small Business Development Centers, SBDCs, Women's Business Centers, WBCs, Service Corps of Retired Executives, SCORE, and others, not only provides technical assistance and information to potential and current small business owners, but helps focus this Nation's entrepreneurial spirit into concrete economic growth. As Chair of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I have heard from small business owners across the country. They have told me that the programs and services currently offered by the Small Business Administration provide access to important resources that enable them to start, grow and expand their businesses. But more can and must be done to help these entrepreneurs. Through an extensive reauthorization of the entrepreneurial development programs within the Small Business Act, I believe that we can dramatically improve the tools available to small business concerns while simultaneously growing and strengthening our economy. That is why today I am introducing the Entrepreneurial Development Act of 2009. This legislation will provide SBA resource partners with the tools they need to effectively serve small businesses, giving them more opportunities to help lead the nation back toward economic prosperity. Before I discuss details of this bill, I first wish to thank Senator Snowe for her continued leadership on small business issues and working with me on this bipartisan effort. Over the past three congresses, the reauthorization of these programs has continued to receive support on both sides of the aisle, demonstrating the importance of reauthorizing essential entrepreneurial development programs. SBA is utilizing resource partners such as SBDCs, SCORE, WBCs and others to ensure that we are growing the Nation's economy through entrepreneurial development. In 2007, with a modest Federal investment of approximately $97 million in assistance, SBDC clients generated nearly $220 million in additional Federal revenues. Many of the small businesses that received assistance from SBDC's attributed their success to assistance offered by the SBDC. Nationally, this economic activity resulted in approximately $2.26 in revenue for every Federal dollar expended. This level of return on investment is not unique to SBDCs. According to an SBA report to Congress, SCORE helped create more than 19,000 new small businesses in 2007 at a cost of $29 per business and helped create more than 25,000 new jobs each year. These programs also provide essential information, training and assistance to a broad and diverse cross-section of communities throughout the country, and serve to further grow a variety of industries. Resource partners such as WBCs and initiatives such as the Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs, PRIME, are dedicated to serving clients who are economically and socially disadvantaged, providing tools and resources to small businesses in those communities that are most in need. According to a study sponsored by the Association of Women's Business Centers, AWBC, 2/3 of WBC clients have household incomes of less than $50,000 and 42 percent are women of color. These programs serve communities with limited access to capital and educational opportunities and provide them with the tools and information they need to start and manage a successful business. The reauthorization of these programs is critical to effectively provide entrepreneurs with essential assistance and resources to start a successful business. The legislation will also create opportunities for veterans and service disabled small business owners. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, there are more than 23.8 million veterans in the country, with hundreds of new veterans returning home from service in Iraq and Afghanistan each day. Many of these returning soldiers become entrepreneurs to support themselves and rebuild their lives after long deployments, which also serves to create new jobs in their communities. Since the passage of The Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999, the SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development has been working to provide technical assistance and support to those veterans who have served our country and returned to start or grow a small business. This legislation seeks to ease their transition by providing business counseling and technical assistance through a new network of Veterans Business Centers, modeled after Women's Business Centers and Small Business Development Centers. The Veterans Business Center Program will provide services not only to returning veterans and service disabled veterans, but also to the families, spouses and surviving spouses of these heroic men and women. The 111th Congress will be the third consecutive Congress during which comprehensive legislation reauthorizing and improving the SBA's Entrepreneurial Programs has been introduced. Ranking Member Snowe introduced S. 3778 in the 109th Congress and former Chairman John Kerry introduced S. 1671 and S. 2920, a bill to which I was a cosponsor, during the 110th Congress. In each previous Congress, this legislation was well received and passed unanimously out of Committee; however, these bills stalled before the full Senate. As Chair of the Small Business Committee this Congress, it is a top priority of mine to finally get this legislation passed and ensure that during this time of economic uncertainty, we are able to provide small businesses with the tools they need to grow and expand their businesses. With this in mind, I will work closely with Ranking Member Snowe and the other members of the Committee in the coming months to get this legislation to the President's desk. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, as I come to the floor today, America's Main Street businesses are suffering. With cash registers not ringing like they used to, exporting has become a practical solution for entrepreneurs looking to survive and grow. What helps our entrepreneurs helps our entire economy. Every $1 billion of exports creates more than 14,000 high-paying American jobs. By creating jobs, as well as lessening the trade deficit, an increase in small business exporting will lead us out of this recession and make our Nation better able to compete in the global marketplace. Small businesses already play a vital role in America's trade and commerce, representing 97 percent of all exporters. Yet, with only one percent of small firms exporting their goods--making up slightly more than a quarter of the country's export volume--trade remains dominated by larger businesses. A December 2008 report released by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis noted that U.S. exports of goods and services grew by 12 percent in 2008 to $1.84 trillion. However, this same data showed that during the same time period imports increased 7.4 percent to $2.52 trillion. More involvement of our small businesses in exporting would be an enormous catalyst in reducing the country's trade deficit. As Chair of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I have heard from small exporters across the country. They have told me that the programs and services we have now at the Small Business Administration, SBA, are just adequate, but improvements are needed. With a few key changes to some of the export assistance and trade programs offered by the SBA, as well as a higher level of advocacy, I believe we can dramatically improve the tools available to small exporters while simultaneously increasing exporting opportunities for all entrepreneurs. That is why today I am introducing the Small Business International Trade Enhancements Act of 2009. With this important legislation, small firms will have more opportunities to grow their businesses by expanding into international markets, creating jobs and strengthening our economy. Like many small businesses, one of the biggest hurdles faced by small exporters is access to capital. The current economic conditions exacerbate this problem for small firms. The SBA offers several loan programs to help small exporters, but years of neglect under the previous administration have sometimes rendered these valuable tools both unattractive and impractical for borrowers and lenders alike. One of the SBA's signature trade assistance products, the International Trade Loan, ITL, program, is a perfect example of this. This program allows exporters to borrow up to $2 million with $1,750,000 guaranteed by the SBA. Exporters can then use this money to help develop and expand overseas markets, upgrade equipment and facilities, or provide an infusion of capital if they are being hurt by import competition. While the original goal of this program is still very much on target with the needs of larger exporters, it has not evolved to meet the financing needs of small exporters in an ever-changing global economy. The volume of loans made through this program has dropped by more than 63 percent since 2003. The SBA's other signature trade financing products--the Export Working Capital Program and the Export Express program--have also seen significant drop-offs in their loan volume, 26 percent and 23 percent respectively. With a few small but significant changes to these programs, the SBA will be able to once again provide a user-friendly and attractive financing option that makes sense for both borrowers and lenders. One of the biggest problems with the ITL program, for example, is that a discrepancy between the loan cap and the guarantee often forces borrowers to take out a second loan to take full advantage of the guarantee. Additionally, ITL's can only be used to acquire fixed assets, rather than working capital, a common need for exporters. ITL's also do not have the same collateral or refinancing terms as SBA 7(a) loans. The provisions in this legislation create a more commonsense product by addressing these concerns. The bill raises the loan guarantee to $2,750,000 and the loan cap to $3,670,000, to make it consistent with the 7(a) loan program. Further, it makes the ITL program more flexible by allowing working capital to become an eligible use for loan proceeds and extends the same terms for collateral and refinancing as with the 7(a) loan program. The end result is a relevant and more practical tool for small exporters. Making these simple changes to this program will go a long way towards helping small businesses find adequate export financing. The SBA International Trade Loan and other export financing programs, however, leave borrowers without any assistance in identifying which loans are right for them. Local lenders that specialize in export financing can help get these products into the hands of the small exporters that need them the most, but they are not always the most effective means of doing so. The SBA currently has 17 financial specialists posted throughout the country at one-stop assistance centers operated by the Department of Commerce. These specialists, at a minimal cost to the taxpayer, have facilitated well over $10 billion in exports in the last 10 years, helping to create 140,000 new and higher-paying jobs. Unfortunately, under the previous administration, this program suffered as well. My legislation would restore the staffing levels to what they were in 2002, establishing a floor of 22 financial specialists with priority staffing going to those centers--including one in my home, New Orleans--who have been without a finance specialist since 2003. With more than 19 Federal agencies involved in export and trade promotion, small exporters often do not know where to turn for help. My legislation would help bring small business trade to the forefront in two ways. First, it gives the SBA's Office of International Trade, OIT, more resources and a higher profile within the Agency, making it directly accountable to the Administrator instead of part of the Office of Capital Access, OCA, where it is currently held. OIT is doing an adequate job now, but with my proposed changes, the office would have the potential to become a much more valuable partner and visible advocate for small exporters. In addition to raising the level of advocacy within the SBA, my legislation reasserts the call for a special small business advocate within the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative USTR. The USTR plays an important role in every aspect of trade in this country. While the Office claims to make small businesses a central focus, I believe more can be done to address the needs of our entrepreneurs during trade negotiations. I, along with my Ranking Member on the Small Business Committee, Senator Snowe, and Senator Schumer, reached out to Ambassador Kirk earlier this year asking him to create an Assistant Trade Representative focused on small exporters. Such a move would not be unprecedented. In fact, this very chamber called on the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to create such a position more than 20 years ago. The Small Business International Trade Enhancements Act of 2009 is an important first step towards ensuring that small firms will have more opportunities to grow. By increasing exporting opportunities for small businesses, we will help them expand into international markets, create new and higher-paying jobs and strengthen the economy. I have heard from some of the members of my Committee, and I know how important this issue is to many of them, including Ranking Member Snowe. The 111th Congress will be the third consecutive Congress that I have introduced this particular legislation. I introduced it in the 109th Congress as S. 3663 and in the 110th Congress as S. 738. In these previous Congresses we have had some success in moving the bill through committee--a similar version of this bill passed the Senate Small Business Committee twice in the last two Congresses. However, as with other SBA reauthorization legislation, it stalled in the full Senate. As the new Chair of the Small Business Committee this Congress, I have made increasing small business export opportunities one of my top priorities. With this in mind, I will work closely with Ranking Member Snowe and the other Committee members in the coming months to get this legislation to the President's desk. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, as I come to the floor today, America's Main Street businesses are suffering. With cash registers not ringing like they used to, exporting has become a practical solution for entrepreneurs looking to survive and grow. What helps our entrepreneurs helps our entire economy. Every $1 billion of exports creates more than 14,000 high-paying American jobs. By creating jobs, as well as lessening the trade deficit, an increase in small business exporting will lead us out of this recession and make our Nation better able to compete in the global marketplace. Small businesses already play a vital role in America's trade and commerce, representing 97 percent of all exporters. Yet, with only one percent of small firms exporting their goods--making up slightly more than a quarter of the country's export volume--trade remains dominated by larger businesses. A December 2008 report released by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis noted that U.S. exports of goods and services grew by 12 percent in 2008 to $1.84 trillion. However, this same data showed that during the same time period imports increased 7.4 percent to $2.52 trillion. More involvement of our small businesses in exporting would be an enormous catalyst in reducing the country's trade deficit. As Chair of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I have heard from small exporters across the country. They have told me that the programs and services we have now at the Small Business Administration, SBA, are just adequate, but improvements are needed. With a few key changes to some of the export assistance and trade programs offered by the SBA, as well as a higher level of advocacy, I believe we can dramatically improve the tools available to small exporters while simultaneously increasing exporting opportunities for all entrepreneurs. That is why today I am introducing the Small Business International Trade Enhancements Act of 2009. With this important legislation, small firms will have more opportunities to grow their businesses by expanding into international markets, creating jobs and strengthening our economy. Like many small businesses, one of the biggest hurdles faced by small exporters is access to capital. The current economic conditions exacerbate this problem for small firms. The SBA offers several loan programs to help small exporters, but years of neglect under the previous administration have sometimes rendered these valuable tools both unattractive and impractical for borrowers and lenders alike. One of the SBA's signature trade assistance products, the International Trade Loan, ITL, program, is a perfect example of this. This program allows exporters to borrow up to $2 million with $1,750,000 guaranteed by the SBA. Exporters can then use this money to help develop and expand overseas markets, upgrade equipment and facilities, or provide an infusion of capital if they are being hurt by import competition. While the original goal of this program is still very much on target with the needs of larger exporters, it has not evolved to meet the financing needs of small exporters in an ever-changing global economy. The volume of loans made through this program has dropped by more than 63 percent since 2003. The SBA's other signature trade financing products--the Export Working Capital Program and the Export Express program--have also seen significant drop-offs in their loan volume, 26 percent and 23 percent respectively. With a few small but significant changes to these programs, the SBA will be able to once again provide a user-friendly and attractive financing option that makes sense for both borrowers and lenders. One of the biggest problems with the ITL program, for example, is that a discrepancy between the loan cap and the guarantee often forces borrowers to take out a second loan to take full advantage of the guarantee. Additionally, ITL's can only be used to acquire fixed assets, rather than working capital, a common need for exporters. ITL's also do not have the same collateral or refinancing terms as SBA 7(a) loans. The provisions in this legislation create a more commonsense product by addressing these concerns. The bill raises the loan guarantee to $2,750,000 and the loan cap to $3,670,000, to make it consistent with the 7(a) loan program. Further, it makes the ITL program more flexible by allowing working capital to become an eligible use for loan proceeds and extends the same terms for collateral and refinancing as with the 7(a) loan program. The end result is a relevant and more practical tool for small exporters. Making these simple changes to this program will go a long way towards helping small businesses find adequate export financing. The SBA International Trade Loan and other export financing programs, however, leave borrowers without any assistance in identifying which loans are right for them. Local lenders that specialize in export financing can help get these products into the hands of the small exporters that need them the most, but they are not always the most effective means of doing so. The SBA currently has 17 financial specialists posted throughout the country at one-stop assistance centers operated by the Department of Commerce. These specialists, at a minimal cost to the taxpayer, have facilitated well over $10 billion in exports in the last 10 years, helping to create 140,000 new and higher-paying jobs. Unfortunately, under the previous administration, this program suffered as well. My legislation would restore the staffing levels to what they were in 2002, establishing a floor of 22 financial specialists with priority staffing going to those centers--including one in my home, New Orleans--who have been without a finance specialist since 2003. With more than 19 Federal agencies involved in export and trade promotion, small exporters often do not know where to turn for help. My legislation would help bring small business trade to the forefront in two ways. First, it gives the SBA's Office of International Trade, OIT, more resources and a higher profile within the Agency, making it directly accountable to the Administrator instead of part of the Office of Capital Access, OCA, where it is currently held. OIT is doing an adequate job now, but with my proposed changes, the office would have the potential to become a much more valuable partner and visible advocate for small exporters. In addition to raising the level of advocacy within the SBA, my legislation reasserts the call for a special small business advocate within the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative USTR. The USTR plays an important role in every aspect of trade in this country. While the Office claims to make small businesses a central focus, I believe more can be done to address the needs of our entrepreneurs during trade negotiations. I, along with my Ranking Member on the Small Business Committee, Senator Snowe, and Senator Schumer, reached out to Ambassador Kirk earlier this year asking him to create an Assistant Trade Representative focused on small exporters. Such a move would not be unprecedented. In fact, this very chamber called on the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to create such a position more than 20 years ago. The Small Business International Trade Enhancements Act of 2009 is an important first step towards ensuring that small firms will have more opportunities to grow. By increasing exporting opportunities for small businesses, we will help them expand into international markets, create new and higher-paying jobs and strengthen the economy. I have heard from some of the members of my Committee, and I know how important this issue is to many of them, including Ranking Member Snowe. The 111th Congress will be the third consecutive Congress that I have introduced this particular legislation. I introduced it in the 109th Congress as S. 3663 and in the 110th Congress as S. 738. In these previous Congresses we have had some success in moving the bill through committee--a similar version of this bill passed the Senate Small Business Committee twice in the last two Congresses. However, as with other SBA reauthorization legislation, it stalled in the full Senate. As the new Chair of the Small Business Committee this Congress, I have made increasing small business export opportunities one of my top priorities. With this in mind, I will work closely with Ranking Member Snowe and the other Committee members in the coming months to get this legislation to the President's desk. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize 72 young musicians from Rosepine High School. On April 29, 2009, these students travelled from the heart of Vernon Parish in Louisiana to compete against 28 bands at the Music in the Parks Festival in Williamsburg, VA. Although Rosepine was the smallest school to compete in their class, hailing from a town of approximately 1,300 people, they received a superior rating and were ranked ``Top of All Bands.'' As a reward for this outstanding accomplishment, the entire band received an educational tour of both historic Williamsburg and Washington, DC. I trust that they were inspired and motivated by their trip to our Nation's Capital. These bright young stars are proof that with hard work, determination, and the right amount of support and encouragement, anything is possible. I believe that constant support and supervision from families and instructors can guide students to a path of success and achievement. In addition, I would like to congratulate Rosepine's band director, Tra Lantham, and thank him for his dedication and commitment to the students as well as the school's music department. I ask that these names be printed in the Record. I thank these young people and their parents for coming to our Nation's Capitol to learn about the workings of the U.S. Senate: Mandi Alford, Samantha Allardyce, Jason Allardyce, Kelvin Ayala, Lindsey Aycock, Mark Bailes, Matt Blount, Brandon Boggs, Chloe Brausch, Haley Brown, Hannah Cardy, Zachary Cardy, Jeffery Cox, Ann Cox, Brittany Darrah, Jacob Dearmon, Taylor Deladurantaye, Nick Deladurantaye, Jamison Deladurantaye, Josh Ducote. Victoria Evans, Chris Funderburk, Daygan Gardner, Chase Gill, Austin Granger, Ryan Hess, Chris Hughes, Jessica Islas, Elizabeth Kellner, Daniel Linn, Kaitlyn Lockhart, Wyatt Maricle, Blake Maricle, Kaymen Megl, Austin Merilos, Sydney Merilos, Joseph Myers, Katlyn Peavy, Bradley Richard, Josie Slaydon. Courtney Smith, Eden Solinsky, Devin Stephens, Cory Stephens, Emilee Stewart, Teagan Suire, Dustin Thompson, Tito Torres, Jossie Willis.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, I know we are trying to finalize the debate on the underlying credit card improvement bill and support for consumers with personal credit cards. But I thought I would take a moment to come to the floor to speak to the fact that this week is Small Business Week in America. All over our country we are celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit of the over 26 million small businesses in America that serve as a backbone of our economy. Just yesterday, I was with Administrator Karen Mills of the Small Business Administration, as she opened Small Business Week at one of the local hotels here, where there are hundreds of small business owners receiving awards from all our States for the extraordinary work they have done in opening, starting, and building their businesses, at even these challenging times. In a few minutes, I will be joining her for lunch, as we hand out awards to some of the most innovative small businesses in the world today, not just in America but in the world. It is exciting that many of these small business owners are with us in Washington this week. So I have come to the floor to speak about our business owners, some of the challenges they are facing, and to acknowledge there will be a resolution we are asking to be cleared this week in honor of these millions of firms. I say to the Presiding Officer, as you know, Main Street firms pump almost $1 trillion into our economy every year, creating two-thirds of all new jobs, and account for more than half America's workforce. Sometimes when people see corporations and businesses and they read the headlines about General Motors, GE, or other large companies--Exxon, Shell come to mind--those are good examples of national and international companies, but they are not necessarily examples of where all the jobs are, contrary to common belief. The jobs are hard to see sometimes because they are in small places; in neighborhoods and on main streets and farm roads and on farm-to- market roads throughout our country; they are with small entrepreneurs employing themselves and maybe two or three other people or themselves and maybe 10 or 15 other people. They are building the backbone of the American free enterprise system. These are the family businesses throughout the country whose thread still weaves the American dream--the dream of working for yourself, being your own boss, setting your own hours, never working less than you would probably at a large company, always working more but being quite rewarding, with a business you can pass down to your children and grandchildren who earn their way in the business. This is what keeps the spirit of America going forward. These are the businesses we honor this week. They are the technological startups that produce cutting-edge, clean energy sources, lifesaving medical advances, and provide safer equipment for our troops, protecting our way of life. They are the construction companies that build new schools and better homes and businesses that fix our roads and our bridges. These are the small business entrepreneurs out there whom we honor this week. As the Presiding Officer and our other colleagues know, small businesses are in a world of hurt. They are in trouble. They are in very troubled waters, in very difficult times. As America's consumers pinch pennies to pay the bills, small business owners scramble to pay their own bills. Entrepreneurs are, unfortunately, being turned away from many traditional sources of capital financing. Many of these small businesses have never, in their history of business, missed a payment or been late on a payment. Yet we are hearing some very sad and troubling stories in the Small Business Committee, such as that of Robert Cockerham, whose wife, I believe, was with him, if my memory serves. He is a car dealer. He took his life savings and started Car World. Similar to many business owners, he put everything into this business. He became one of the highest selling dealerships in New Mexico. It was an exciting opportunity for him and his family. But yet, as this recession has unfolded, he was forced to close some of his dealerships and lay off workers. He thought most of his tough decisions were behind him, only to find that a bank came in and constricted his line of credit. Again, he had never missed a payment or been late. Unfortunately, now his business is in a very dire situation. That is why it is important for us to press forward on everything we can, through the Small Business Administration, through the stimulus package, trying to reach business owners such as this who have not done anything wrong. They have simply gotten caught up in one of the worst economic downturns in recent memory. We need to do more, and we will. That is what our efforts are here today, as in the previous weeks, and hopefully in the weeks to come. I am proud to say we have taken some important steps. But we need to do so much more. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act took bold steps to increase access to capital for our Nation's entrepreneurs. In the Small Business Committee, we worked to temporarily eliminate fees on SBA-backed loans. I am proud to report the week that new rule went into effect, we saw an immediate uptick of 25 percent in new loans being made through the SBA because of the temporary elimination of those fees. The Recovery Act has helped to stimulate new lending and will, hopefully, continue to do so. We think, based on what is in the Recovery Act, it will pump about $16 billion in new loans and venture capital into small businesses in America. I continue to be concerned, however, about the road ahead for so many of our small businesses, not only in New York, the State the Presiding Officer represents, but in Louisiana as well, where our unemployment rate, thankfully, is lower than the average but, nonetheless, our businesses are struggling. We must double our efforts. I wish to work with my colleagues in the House to reauthorize the Small Business Administration and its critical programs. These initiatives have assisted entrepreneurs in starting and growing their businesses and were responsible, according to our records, for 1.5 million jobs being created or sustained last year. One of these small business owners is Bob Baker, the owner of Baker Sales, a pipe and fence distributor in Louisiana and the State's Small Business Owner of the Year. I met Bob Baker yesterday. He encourages his employees to take advantage of the free classes the local Small Business Development Center offers. He has taken advantage of the center's counseling to cope with financial difficulties. These days, Bob reports he is doing better than most small business owners. He has stabilized his line of credit at a local Chase Bank, but he knows right now he cannot expand because of the current situation. But let me say, if we are going to pull out of this recession--I believe we will--it is going to be because small business pulls us out, not the giant corporations, not the multinationals but the intrepid entrepreneurs who will put their face to the wind and move forward, even in difficult times. The least we can do is reauthorize our Small Business Administration, make it as robust and effective and agile and muscular as possible, to give them the help they need. To help Bob Baker, to help Robert Cockerham, and small business owners such as them who have testified before our committee, let us redouble our efforts to get our work done. In conclusion, we must also make sure the billions of dollars in stimulus money are moving to small businesses, as required by law. I will be having a hearing this week in my committee, and I wish to thank so many of my members, particularly Senator Shaheen, Senator Hagan, and Senator Cardin, who have been particularly aggressive in this effort. I thank them very much. Again, it is Small Business Week. Pat a small businessperson on the back. Thank him or her for doing his or her work because this will be the group who leads America back to strength. I yield the floor.

Ms. LANDRIEU

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

Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 5 minutes as in morning business.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Thank you, Madam President.

Ms. LANDRIEU

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 Tuesday, May 19, 2009, at 9:30 a.m.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, at 11 a.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

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 to conduct a business meeting on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, at 2:15 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.