Betsy Markey

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the Small Business Assistance in Debt Bill (Small Business AID Bill). The Small Business AID Bill will expand the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 loan program to be used to refinance conventional, non-SBA loans. This bill will permit small business owners to access capital and tap into equity that is locked in their commercial real estate due to the financial and banking crisis. Market conditions have changed and are making it harder for small businesses to gain access to capital to continue investing in and expanding their businesses. My bill reduces risk to banks from conventional, non-SBA loans on their balance sheets while simultaneously infusing cash into the banking system. This change will not require additional taxpayer support or an additional Congressional allocation, since this program is self-supporting. Many small businesses have been ham-strung by today's economic conditions. Due to changes in the banking industry's ability and willingness to lend, small businesses are being squeezed out of capital markets. Banks, like most Americans, have been forced to tighten their belts; and banks have had to limit access to capital. With a lack of available capital, small businesses, the economic engine of America, are in crisis. Within the next year, approximately $2.5 billion in commercial loans will come due. Many banks will not be willing or able to renew these loans for small businesses, many whom will be unable to raise the necessary financing to survive. Other small businesses are being forced to stay in loans that are higher than today's current interest rates. Small businesses need another means to refinance their loans to weather this financial storm and potentially expand through new capital. By allowing SBA-backed lenders to extend financing small businesses will be able to: acquire land, construct buildings, or purchase equipment and collateralize fixed assets, avoid prepayment penalties, financing fees, and other costs. Small businesses will receive these benefits while obtaining better loan terms and lower interest rates for existing debt. A good way to illustrate how my bill works may be helpful to my colleagues: Acme Company owns a building that an appraiser values at $100,000. Acme owes $70,000 on the building to their local bank. Due to the economic and financial crises bank regulators require the bank to downgrade their loans with Acme. The bank severely restricts or eliminates Acme's line of credit. The absence of the line of credit causes a very real hardship, impacting Acme's cash flow. With the inability to manage cash, Acme is severely impacted and encounters problems with operating day-to-day. While Acme has equity in their building, their bank cannot and would not allow them to access this equity due to the downgraded borrower status. With my bill, the SBA would be able to offer a new 504 loan to Acme for up to $40,000 (since the bill limits lending up to 40% of the value of the property). With this new load, Acme would be able to unlock up to $20,000 worth of equity which they could use to maintain the business, retain jobs, or purchase new equipment to help the business grow again. There was very little immediate impact for small businesses from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Banks' inability and sometimes unwillingness to assist small businesses will continue for some time and we must act now to help small businesses stay afloat. My bill assists small businesses by providing SBA guarantees for a portion of certain loans coordinated through Certified Development Companies (CDCs). These non-profit organizations work with local lenders to provide secure SBA-backed loans to small businesses. The SBA then guarantees a portion of the loan, reducing the risk to lenders and dramatically increasing small businesses' access to capital. Until this bill, CDC loans were only available for new businesses or business expansion; but with this bill these loans would be available to refinance existing debt. By refinancing small businesses will continue to be current on their existing loans with SBA lenders. The lack of access to working capital depresses small businesses, resulting in a corresponding increase in unemployment rates. In today's economy, small businesses are struggling. My bill assists small businesses to pull themselves up without any government handout or bailout. They will be able to refinance their current debt so that they can invest in new facilities, equipment, or hire additional workers. I urge all members to support the Small Business AID Bill.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Madam Speaker, I would like to state for the record that had I been present for the vote on H.R. 915, I would have voted in favor of the FAA reauthorization. As my daughter and son are graduating from college and high school, respectively, I am unable to be present for the vote. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I was proud to approve the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009 in our committee. Being from Colorado, I fly in and out of Denver International Airport. Denver has struggled recently with a dearth of properly trained air traffic controllers. Denver TRACON is struggling with staffing problems because of: retirements, resignations, trainee failures and an inability to recruit and retain both the experienced veteran workforce and high quality trainees that have the ability to succeed in the training program. Air traffic controllers are required to retire by age 56, and of late, 98 percent of controllers have retired before that age because their salaries are not competitive. I am pleased that H.R. 915 addresses the mediation issues between the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the FAA. Additionally, the inclusion of funding to accelerate the implementation of the NextGen system is critical. It is important that we seize any opportunity that we have to make our airways not only safer but also more efficient. I am also pleased to see that the bill increases funding for Essential Air Service. Coming from a rural district, I understand how critical EAS is to economic development. Rural communities across America count on EAS to preserve affordable, reliable air service. The EAS program is a major piece of our rural transportation infrastructure and greatly enhances the ability of these communities to attract and retain new business investment. I support continued efforts to maintain this vital program and urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. As the designee for Mr. Polis, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2187 and to speak on behalf of my amendment with my colleague Ms. Titus of Nevada. The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act is important and necessary legislation that will improve the learning environment for our children, reduce energy costs and create new jobs across the country. Green schools not only save school districts money but also teach the importance of sustainable living to children at a young age. I know that schools in my own district of Colorado have been forced to make tough decisions in today's economy. The Poudre school district in my hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado, has seen firsthand the benefits of green schools. In 2007 the district received 19 ENERGY STAR awards from EPA and Department of Energy. I am proud to say that Kinard Junior High is the most energy-efficient school in Colorado. Over the past 15 years, the school district has saved nearly $2 million through its energy conservation efforts and has seen improved performance and attendance for students who attend these healthier schools. This amendment would create an advisory council for the Secretary of Education to evaluate the benefits of these greener schools and identify the roadblocks schools face in achieving these benefits. On the eastern plains of Colorado, we also have several schools that have incorporated wind power into their energy systems and educational curriculum. These schools have installed wind turbines to minimize their energy costs and to teach students about renewable energy firsthand. One of the biggest hurdles the district faces is the lack of technical assistance in becoming more energy efficient. I am pleased that the bill and this amendment specifically provide technical assistance to school districts, and I look forward to modernizing Colorado schools with the help of this legislation. I thank Chairman Miller and Congressman Chandler for their leadership on this bill and Congresswoman Titus for her efforts on this amendment. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the bill and the amendment.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, Matthew Shepard died in a hospital less than 5 minutes from my home in Fort Collins, Colorado. The depth of hate that drives such an act of violence leaves all of those it touches bereft in the knowledge that such ugliness can exist on this Earth. Angie Zapata was an 18-year-old transgender woman who was brutally murdered in Greeley, Colorado this past July. It took a jury just 2 hours to convict Angie's killer under Colorado's first application of the hate crimes statute earlier this month. This bill does not punish speech, thoughts, words or beliefs. It does not even punish hate speech. It punishes actions. It provides State and local authorities with Federal assistance in investigating and in prosecuting hate crimes. In this country, 45 States already have hate crimes legislation on the books. Many of these statutes are more robust than the current Federal law. Matthew Shepard and Angie Zapata were two victims of hate crimes in my district. I have a duty to their memories that I take seriously.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because we are at a crossroads in the way we power America. Breaking our dependence on foreign oil will not only create new domestic jobs, but it will ensure our economic recovery is sustained for future generations. The American Solar Energy Society recently released a report that stated in 2007, the renewable energy and energy-efficiency sectors created 9 million jobs in the United States and over $1 trillion in revenues. In my home State of Colorado alone, the energy-efficiency field added 81,000 jobs in 2007, and we all know it is cheaper to use less energy than to make it. Innovation and entrepreneurship have always been the backbone of the American spirit. As I travel to the eastern plains of Colorado, the landowners often tell me they are ready to install wind turbines on their property as an economic development tool. However, we must update our fragmented transmission system to transmit these vast resources. By becoming a leader in renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies, we can invest in our future and put Americans back to work.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of our amendment, numbered 10, to the National Water Research and Development Initiative Act. In the West, and especially in the state of Colorado, water is a resource more precious than gold. For the many farmers and ranchers in my district in Eastern Colorado, finding ways to reuse and conserve water in urban areas is a matter of survival. For them, the idea of water recycling is not a new one. In the Rocky Mountain region, we use recycled water for everything from Public Park landscaping, commercial and industrial uses, to fire protection. Reclaimed domestic wastewater serves as industrial water at power plants, helps to restore wetlands and even assists with dust control at construction sites--something that anyone who drives I-25 from Denver to Fort Collins on a windy day can appreciate. As communities in the West, and especially in Colorado's fourth congressional district, continue to grow, the issue of water conservation and reuse becomes even more urgent. Most conservative estimates tell us that Colorado's Front Range will face soaring water prices to pay for new water systems by the year 2058. Cities will become super dense to shrink lawns and shorten water pipelines. As the Front Range grows along with Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado's Eastern Plains will face increasing competition for their already scarce water sources. Large swaths of farmland will go dry if we don't work to actively protect the water for our agricultural communities. A whole way of life that has existed since families first started homesteading on land in the West will disappear if we don't find ways to reuse and recycle water. For the people I represent, investing more resources in creating a wastewater and stormwater reuse and recycling technology demonstration program within the Environmental Protection Agency is a matter of our future survival. I urge all members to support my amendment to H.R. 1145.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of our amendment to the National Resource Development Initiative Act. In the West, and especially in the State of Colorado, water is a resource more precious than gold. For many farmers and ranchers in my district in eastern Colorado, finding ways to reuse and conserve water in the urban area is a matter of survival. For them, the idea of water recycling is not a new one. In the Rocky Mountain region, we use recycled water for everything from public park landscaping, commercial and industrial uses, to fire protection. Reclaimed domestic wastewater serves as industrial water at power plants, helps restore wetlands, and even assists with dust control at construction sites--something that anyone who drives I-25 from Denver to Fort Collins on a windy day can appreciate. As communities in the West, and especially in Colorado's Fourth Congressional District, continue to grow, the issue of water conservation and reuse becomes even more urgent. Most conservative estimates tell us that Colorado's Front Range will face soaring water prices to pay for new water systems by the year 2058. Cities will become super-dense to shrink lawns and shorten water pipelines. As the Front Range grows, along with Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado's Eastern Plains will face increasing competition for their already scarce water sources. Large swaths of farmland will go dry if we don't work to actively protect the water for our agricultural communities. A whole way of life that has existed since families first started homesteading on land in the West will disappear if we don't find ways to reuse and recycle water. For the people that I represent, investing more resources in creating a wastewater and storm water reuse and recycling technology demonstration program within the Environmental Protection Agency is a matter of our future survival. I thank Chairman Gordon for his leadership on the committee.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation to adjust the boundaries of the Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado to exclude 7 acres of the Crystal Lakes Subdivision. In 2006, the Forest Service notified Crystal Lakes landowners bordering the Roosevelt National Forest that due to an inaccurate 1975 land survey, parts of their properties were within federal land. Landowners were advised they could buy the land from the Forest Service at market value. This is simply unacceptable. These property owners already bought their property in good faith and paid taxes on it. Many of the Crystal Lakes subdivision landowners have owned their property for over twenty years. Some even for 30 years. While we in the west respect the need for open space and national parks, the Crystal Lakes landowners should not be penalized for a mistake the federal government has waited for over thirty years to rectify. For the federal government to ask these landowners to purchase land they already bought is unconscionable. I encourage all members to support this legislation.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of an amendment to the FLAME Act that I coauthored along with Congressman Lujan and Congressman Connolly. Our amendment would provide for a management plan that would study the effects on wildfire risk. This amendment would also expand eligibility to allow grants to focus their fire prevention by eradicating invasive species. One such invasive species is tamarisk. Since the 1960s, Westerners have worked to rid the region's rivers of tamarisk, hoping to salvage scarce water, protect wildlife, or fend off wildfire. Millions of dollars and countless back-breaking hours are spent each year on efforts to hack down and poison the plants. Tamarisk has displaced native vegetation on approximately 1.6 million acres of land in the West and continues to spread. Studies have shown that mature tamarisk can uptake nearly 200 gallons of water a day. Due to this, the West is losing 2 million to 4.5 million acre-feet of water per year because of tamarisk. In Southeastern Colorado, this has made the land more arid, which has made it susceptible to wildfire. Our amendment will help suppress growth by eradicating the problem before it starts. I want to thank my colleagues for working with me on this amendment, and I want to thank Chairman Rahall for his support of our amendment and for his leadership on this bill. I urge all Members to support our amendment.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I'd like to thank Chairman Miller, Congresswoman McCarthy, and the entire committee for their diligent work on this important legislation. I rise today to urge my colleagues to support my amendment to H.R. 1388. My amendment would increase the amount of funds that go to organizations to support national servicemembers. AmeriCorps is one such organization, and its members are making a difference in communities across the United States. Each year, AmeriCorps offers 75,000 opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups, including nine in my home State of Colorado. These projects have helped to coordinate such days as Martin Luther King Day of Service and Colorado Cares Day. Within my congressional district, the Weld County Youth Conservation Corps contracts with the city of Greeley and does everything from working in museums to making buildings handicapped-accessible to eradicating weeds in our State parks. The Corps maintains the Poudre River Trail Corridor, works at the Wray Fish Hatchery, and supports the forest service. In my rural district, VISTA members address poverty needs and disaster relief. Additionally, one of my constituents, Justin Horn, won ``Corps Member of the Year'' for the State of Colorado in 2008. Constituents in my district contribute to the great work being done around Colorado, along with 75,000 AmeriCorps programs across the country. To help our men and women do this admirable work, Congress established the Education Award Program in 1998 in order to address concerns about costs organizations incurred from hosting national servicemembers. Currently, organizations receive only $600 to support the individuals who are enrolled in full-time national service positions. This small amount helps to pay for operational and member support costs, including a living allowance. My amendment proposes an increase to that amount. In today's economy, these organizations are struggling. My amendment is not only an investment that will boost these organizations and their noble work but, at the same time, improve these communities throughout the United States. I urge all Members to support my amendment to H.R. 1388. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Yes, I yield.

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

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Thank you. Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Kratovil).

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Yes, I will yield.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support my amendment to require States to use at least 15 percent of each capital grant under the State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds for municipalities of less than 10,000 people. The State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds have been a successful source of capital for wastewater treatment projects. The State Revolving Funds receive Federal money in the form of grants. Each State uses the fund to issue long-term, low-interest loans for publicly owned wastewater treatment construction. Loans are repaid to the fund, thereby ensuring a perpetual source of financing for capital projects. According to the EPA, communities of less than 10,000 people often have a harder time building and maintaining wastewater treatment facilities due to financial limitations. This leaves small communities at a disadvantage for keeping up to date with water quality standards. In my district, the town of Brush, Colorado, population 5,500, has a wastewater treatment facility that is 44 years old. While this facility is currently meeting water quality standards, it is in need of an overhaul to replace fatigued equipment and stay ahead of ever-changing water quality standards. Replacement of the wastewater treatment plant is likely to cost Brush between $16 to $18 million. With a median household income of $31,000, the town of Brush simply cannot afford to finance the project with the rate increases alone. Brush is seeking funding through the State Water Revolving Fund program. The needs of Brush are not unique to small communities around the country. The town of Wray, in Yuma County, Colorado, needs to expand their current wastewater treatment facility. This project is projected to cost up to $5 million. Wray has a population of 2,300 people, with a median household income of $29,000. My provision would help small communities like Brush and Wray have reliable access to capital loans to sustain their long-term water quality goals. The 15 percent requirement would be in place only to the extent that there are sufficient projects in need of funding. In dry States like Colorado, where every drop of water is accounted for, it is important that rural wastewater treatment facilities are given the funding they need to ensure water supplies are safe. I urge all Members to support my amendment to H.R. 1262.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Yes.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr. John Stulp and former Commissioners Mr. Don Ament, Mr. Tom Kourlis, Mr. Steve Horn, Mr. Peter Decker, Mr. Tim Schultz, Mr. Evan Goulding, Mr. Morgan Smith, Mr. Roy Romer, the late Mr. Clinton Jeffers, the late Mr. John Orcutt, and the late Mr. Paul Swisher for their service and leadership. The foundation of Colorado's history was built by the farmers and ranchers who dedicated their lives to settling the land. Today producers continue to be a fundamental pillar of our state's communities. Over 30 million acres in Colorado are dedicated to agriculture and our producers work endlessly to provide our nation with a safe and reliable food supply. Under the guidance of those who have served as Commissioner of Agriculture, Colorado's farmers and ranchers have been able to efficiently transfer food from their fields to our tables. Over the years, Colorado agriculture has survived economic strain, destructive weather and severe drought. The unyielding leadership of all our Commissioners has ensured that our food supply would be secure even in the face of hardships. They have worked to develop the sustainable farming programs that serve our rural communities and strived to overcome the challenges that were presented to them. March 20, 2009 is National Agriculture Day, celebrating producers across the country. I would like to honor the Commissioners who have led Colorado's agriculture community towards a thriving future and thank them for their dedication.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. I would like to thank the gentleman from Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as an original cosponsor of House Resolution 146, which designates March 2, 2009, as ``Read Across America Day,'' and to urge my colleagues to vote in support of this legislation. Yesterday was the 105th anniversary of the birth of Theodor Seuss Geisel--or ``Dr. Seuss,'' as he is better known to generations of children. Between 1937 and 1991, Dr. Seuss published more than 40 books. In fact, one in four American children receive Dr. Seuss as their first book. It's hard to quantify the powerful investment in a child's future the simple act of reading can be. And as any parent will tell you, our most treasured memories of our children lie in the precious moments before bedtime, carefully making our way through books that we hope will capture our son or daughter's imagination and attention. In fact, reading together can serve as childhood's best mile marker as simple lessons of ``Green Eggs and Ham'' give way to the more complicated worlds of Nancy Drew and Harry Potter. It is as if a parent can see the very foundation of a child's mind take root and grow. Dr. Seuss was one of the first to understand how a small spark of imagination early in life can lend itself in later years to great discovery and politics. ``The Cat in the Hat'' was originally commissioned in 1955 after it was found that children were being held back by boring books. Theodor Geisel introduced our kids to Marvin K. Mooney, to the Grinch, and to Cindy Lou Who, to Sam, who would not eat green eggs and ham, to the Yooks and the Zooks, who battled over which side of bread the butter is properly applied. It is easy, in these times that we find ourselves in, to forget how important it is that simple lessons endure. Even in the midst of these times, parents must remember to read to their children. And we must remember that it is often the lessons found in children's literature that mean the most later in life. After all, C.S. Lewis told us in the Chronicles of Narnia, ``For this is what it means to be king: to be the first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat. And when there is hunger in the land (as must be now and then in bad years) to wear finer cloths and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land.'' And Dumbledore told us: ``There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.'' Behind all those who struggle to achieve and endure lies a parent or a teacher who took the time to attend to a child's earliest education. Some of the happiest moments in my life were spent cuddled up with Katie, Erin and Al--my three kids, who seem to be racing towards adulthood with uncommon speed--reading our favorite books. They are moments I would not trade for anything in the world. So please vote ``yes'' on House Resolution 146 and remember the words of Dr. Seuss: ``You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. And you can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. You know what you know. You're the guy who'll decide where you go.''

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. As working class families struggle to make ends meet in these tough economic times, we have the opportunity to ease their burden by providing health care for 11 million children. Currently, more than 1 out of 8 children in Colorado lacks health insurance because they can't afford it. As the mother of three, I understand the burden of caring for sick children and the relief of being able to take my children to the doctor without worrying about costs. We need to expand access to children's health care, and make sure that every child has the ability to go to the doctor and receive treatment. This is not just the right thing to do; it makes fiscal sense to give children preventive health care. As working class families struggle to make ends meet in these tough economic times, we have the opportunity to ease their burden by providing health care for 11 million children. In my state of Colorado, we had 84,649 children enrolled in SCHIP in 2007. This legislation would preserve coverage for them, and extend it to thousands more children in the state. (Currently, more than one out of every eight children in Colorado lacks health insurance.) As a mother of three, I understand the burden of caring for sick children and the relief of being able to take my children to the doctor without worrying about costs. We need to expand access to children's health care and make sure that every child has the ability to go to the doctor and receive treatment. Today's children are the next generation of leaders, and we need to insure our future. This is not only the right thing to do, it makes fiscal sense to give children preventive healthcare. I ask all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pledge their support for our children and vote for this bill.

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado

Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote 28 on H. Res. 56 titled, ``Expressing support for designation of the week of February 2 through February 6, 2009, as `National School Counseling Week.'' If I had been present, I would have voted in favor of this resolution.