Chellie Pingree

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind).

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments my colleague from the other side of the aisle made about the 1099 issue and the impact with the health care bill. I do want to remember that only recently we had that bill on the floor. The people on my side of the aisle actually voted to repeal that provision and the people on the other side of the aisle opposed that. So we have had an opportunity to fix that, and I'm not clear about why the other side of the aisle wasn't with us on that, and I'm a little confused that he is bringing it up this morning. I yield 3 minutes to my colleague on the Rules Committee, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1640 provides for consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 5297, the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010. The rule makes in order a motion by the chair of the Committee on Financial Services to concur in the Senate amendment. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the motion and provides that the Senate amendment and the motion shall be considered as read. The rule provides one hour of debate on the motion controlled by the Committees on Financial Services, Small Business, and Ways and Means. The rule also allows the Speaker to entertain motions to suspend the rules through the legislative day of October 1, 2010. Finally, the rule waives clause 6(a) of rule XIII which would allow for same day consideration through Friday, October 1, of any measure reported from the Committee on Rules. Mr. Speaker, today the House considers a tremendously important piece of legislation that provides long-overdue assistance to the millions of small businesses in our country. The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 grants immediate tax relief to small business owners, increases access to much-needed capital, and enhances the ability of small businesses to export goods overseas. Today, the House delivers on a promise it made to small businesses. With the passage of this bill, small businesses, the backbone of our economy, will be given the tools and relief they need to expand their companies, to create more jobs and to help this Nation recover from the worst economic recession in decades. Mr. Speaker, this bill provides more than just assistance for short- term economic recovery, which it accomplishes by increasing the amount of money that banks can lend to small businesses, by eliminating certain Small Business Administration loan fees, and by giving States the increased flexibility to manage their own small business lending programs. This bill is also a blueprint for new and long-term job creation. We have heard the pleas from entrepreneurs and small business owners in our districts, and we closed the legal loopholes which gave multinational corporations an advantage in securing government contracts over HUBZone, 8(a), service-disabled veterans, and women- owned businesses. Everyone is now on a level playing field when it comes to competing for Federal contracts. Perhaps the most important provision in this bill is the increased access to credit. As a small business owner myself, I know how difficult it is to make ends meet. When I first started my business, long before the credit crunch hit, fortunately I was able to work with a small community bank that was in a position to give me access to capital that was critical to getting my company up and running. Today, not all small businesses are so fortunate. No one was harmed more in the credit market collapse than small businesses. Throughout my home State of Maine, the stories I hear each week are the same: ``They say the economy is getting better, but I still can't get the capital I need to make payroll or rehire those employees I was forced to lay off, much less think about expanding.'' This bill changes that by providing real relief at the same time small businesses need it the most. The benefits are not theoretical. This isn't wishful thinking. We know that increasing the 7(a) loan limits from $2 million to $5 million, that increasing the 504 loan limits from $1.5 million to $5.5 million and that increasing the 7(a) Express Loan limits from $300,000 to $1 million will produce growth and jobs in communities all over our country. In July, the owner of Mount Desert Island Ice Cream, a small business in Bar Harbor, Maine, wrote to me to share her incredible success story. Despite the turbulent economy, she expanded her business and created 10 new jobs this summer because of a Recovery Act ARC loan. She explained if it weren't for the access to new capital, she wouldn't have been able to expand from two stores to three. She was able to use the Federal loan to manage the debt burden on her existing store locations, which freed up her cash flow, letting her expand. The results were a mini-economic boom in Portland. Mount Desert hired a staff of 10. It employed contractors and suppliers to retrofit the new store, and it buys more and more ingredients from local Maine producers, all because she had access to government-backed loans. I will say it obviously didn't hurt, Mr. Speaker, that business is also booming because her store sells really, really good ice cream. I think President Obama even got to enjoy a scoop or two when he went to Maine this summer. You know, I held a workshop in my district at the height of the recession in June of 2009, before the Recovery Act loans were available; and I invited small business owners from across Maine to attend. The response, frankly, was overwhelming. Hundreds of small, struggling businesses came because they had nowhere else to turn. They needed help to stay afloat and to meet their payrolls. They were adamant that loan limits were insufficient and that lending had dried up. In Maine, fishermen who run small businesses need capital for boat repairs--to replace gears and engines. Some of our fishermen are having a particularly difficult time gaining access to funds because they are already heavily in debt for their boats and permits, making it difficult for lenders to assess their levels of risk and exposure. Worse, fishermen who want to purchase and increase processing capacity to boost prices for the catches they receive face enormous difficulties in purchasing the facilities they need to process multiple species at once. One Maine fisherman explains it to me this way: ``The main problem is that, when most of us took out loans for our businesses, it was some time ago, and we could operate like a normal business. Now the struggle is getting even harder. Banks that I have dealt with do not seem to realize or care that things are different, and they still have fairly rigid rules that are based in the past about financing these operations. They pretty much laugh us out of the room now when they see the income from the last few years, mostly due to a lack of price for the fish we catch. We need some kind of low-interest loan program with very affordable payments if we are to keep the fleet in Maine until rebuilding occurs.'' The loan guarantees included in this bill will make it more attractive for local lenders with the experience and know-how to provide access to the financing to our Nation's small business owners, and the reduced fees will make it more affordable for small businesses to grow, expand, and create jobs. This is why those at SBA support this bill, because they are able to work closely with lending institutions to assist our small businesses. Mr. Speaker, the recovery is under way, but we are certainly not out of the woods yet. Unemployment in my home State of Maine is about 8 percent. That means almost 56,000 Mainers are out of a job. Passing the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act will provide much needed help. If the number of Maine small businesses with fewer than five employees added just one employee, then we could cut unemployment in half in our State. If every small business in Maine hired one more person because of the benefits in this bill, then we would certainly be on the road to recovery. This bill will also stimulate long-term job growth, once the economy is back on track, by implementing provisions that small businesses have long sought: There are numerous tax benefits that will entice rather than discourage our budding entrepreneurs from starting their own businesses; This bill will allow a taxpayer to deduct up to $10,000 in trade or business start-up expenses, an amount currently capped at $5,000. Allowing owners to keep more money and to reinvest it in their companies at the outset, as they work to grow and expand their businesses, is critical; This bill also allows owners to write off up to $500,000 in capital expenditures in 2010 and 2011, subject to a phase-out when they exceed $2 million. It also eliminates all capital gains taxes on certain small business investments for the 2010 tax year. For owners who have held off on hiring or making significant investments in their businesses, these tax provisions will allow them to act this year or next instead of continuing to wait; When it comes to competing for Federal Government contracts, we level the playing field for small businesses by closing loopholes that previously gave large companies a built-in advantage in seeking those contracts; We require a regular review of size standards to make sure that small businesses that are fortunate enough to expand don't retain an advantage over their smaller competitors in competition for small- business-only contracts; We treat those in the aquaculture industry on par with other small businesses, and we make those companies eligible to receive SBA economic injury disaster loans. Could this bill be better? Of course it could, but small businesses demand our help now. They can't wait, and we have an obligation to act swiftly to pass this bill today to make good on our promise to reward innovation, to loosen outdated limits on lending, and to encourage entrepreneurs to go to the SBA for help in starting and building their own businesses. I look forward to the passage of this critical bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, for the purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 gives immediate relief to struggling small businesses across the country. It combines more than $12 billion in tax relief with increased access to critical financing so that our Nation's small businesses can move forward on new or delayed expansion plans. Small business growth means job creation. Our economy will only continue to improve as our businesses bring back laid off employees and hire new workers. One of my constituents, the owner of the popular Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine, describes the increase in the expense allowance under section 179 as a ``great idea''--something that will enable him to invest in his brewery and expand his brewery, which means hiring more employees. Allagash Brewery is the perfect example of who will benefit from this legislation, Mr. Speaker. Fifteen years ago it began with a few employees working together in a 4,000-square-foot building financed by SBA loans, which were used to purchase the tanks and the equipment necessary to brew some exceptional beer. They did most of their own welding and manufacturing, and they produced 120 barrels of beer that first year. This year they employ 28 people in a brand new facility and are on track to produce more than 22,000 barrels of beer each year, and they are still growing. With the increase in the section 179 expensing allowance, Allagash can invest in new equipment, expand operations to meet its tremendous demand, and hire several new employees. If not for this bill, expansion plans may have been put on hold and no new jobs would have been created. Mr. Speaker, this is a very good bill that should be supported by every Member of this House. It ensures that small businesses, not big corporations, have the tools they need to expand and grow, and it ensures that regular Americans on Main Street take part in the economic recovery. The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 spurs short-term economic recovery while paving the way for long-term business growth once the economy is back on track. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule. The material previously referred to by Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida is as follows: Amendment to H. Res. 1640 Offered by Mr. Diaz-Balart of Florida At the end of the resolution add the following new section: Sec. 4. Immediately upon the adoption of this resolution the Speaker shall, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5348) to amend title 5, United States Code, to reduce the number of civil service positions within the executive branch, and for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader or their respective designees. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. During consideration of the bill for amendment, the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may accord priority in recognition on the basis of whether the Member offering an amendment has caused it to be printed in the portion of the Congressional Record designated for that purpose in clause 8 of rule XVIII. Amendments so printed shall be considered as read. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions. If the Committee of the Whole rises and reports that it has come to no resolution on the bill, then on the next legislative day the House shall, immediately after the third daily order of business under clause 1 of rule XIV, resolve into the Committee of the Whole for further consideration of the bill. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 5348.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. I thank my colleague for yielding. I rise today in support of the underlying rule and to the bill itself. Madam Speaker, the vote we will take today is a vote for preserving jobs in America and a vote against sending them overseas. It will be a vote for keeping jobs in our country by saving the jobs of over 140,000 teachers, 700 them in my home State of Maine. Allowing for further cuts in teachers' jobs would be devastating, not only to our children but also to our local economies in Maine and across the country. The loss of 700 jobs in my State means 700 fewer paychecks being spent at a local grocery or hardware store on the goods and services that support our local economy. Local property taxpayers are already carrying too much of the burden, and local school districts have already made too many drastic cuts. Taxpayers need some relief, and schools need a helping hand. Madam Speaker, this bill is also fully paid for, in part by cracking down on corporations that have been claiming a tax credit for sending good-paying American jobs overseas. Large multinational corporations have been getting away with paying billions less than they owe in taxes. This bill will close the loopholes that have allowed this abuse to go on and allow American jobs to be shipped offshore. It is outrageous that these companies have been getting a tax credit while companies doing business in America are struggling to hire and retain workers. It is time to put an end to this practice immediately. I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1574 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, for the purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1574 provides for consideration of H.R. 3534, the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2010, under a structured rule; and H.R. 5851, the Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act of 2010, under a closed rule. Mr. Speaker, April 20, 2010, became a day that will live in history as one of the worst environmental disasters in decades. When explosion and fire ripped through the Deepwater Horizon, the first priority was saving the lives of the crew. Sadly, for 11 men it was too late. As the oil flowed out of the well and as BP unsuccessfully tried to stop it, the Nation watched, captivated by the story and by the untold damage to gulf coast communities. We learned a new language, the language of the offshore oil and gas industry. Terms like ``blowout preventer'' and ``top kill'' became common words to the American people, to news shows and on the House floor. The evening news was soon filled with pictures of oil-coated beaches, dead pelicans, and fishermen who were afraid that their way of life was slipping away. Today, as we debate these two very important bills, I wonder why it has taken us, Congress, so many years to act on the issues we are taking up today. The problems and challenges facing the management of our resources, like offshore oil and gas, are not new. In 2007, before I was elected to this body, Chairman Rahall recognized that we needed to reform the dysfunctional system that allowed BP to run the Deepwater Horizon rig without regard to the safety of their workers or to the health of the environment. Additionally, the ideas behind the CLEAR Act are not new. They are commonsense reforms that should have happened years ago. Maybe, if they had happened, the workers on the Deepwater Horizon would still be alive and the gulf would not be soaked in oil. Mr. Speaker, we need to continue responding to the disaster in the gulf and not forget that catastrophic environmental damage has been done. We need to clean up and repair the gulf, to hold BP accountable for its oil spill, to enact stronger environmental, technological, and spill response standards, to conserve our natural resources, and to invest in an American clean energy future. We must also remember that, in addition to cleaning up the mess, repairing the damage, and cracking down on big oil companies, we also have to get serious about ending our dependence on oil and creating new sources of clean energy. If we had a clean energy economy, powered by wind and solar and tidal power, we probably wouldn't be here having this discussion today. Frankly, it is almost impossible for me to imagine what would have happened if my State, the State of Maine, had experienced a massive oil spill that had polluted the Gulf of Maine. It is almost impossible for me to imagine the devastation to our fishing families, to our tourism, and to our beautiful coastline if millions of gallons of crude oil were to begin washing offshore, but it is possible for me to imagine the same Gulf of Maine dotted with floating offshore wind turbines, wind turbines which would create good-paying jobs and provide an endless source of clean energy without the risk of environmental disaster. Today, we are considering two bills that will help address some of our most egregious problems. This bill will provide protection for whistleblowers who alert the government to dangerous violations of Federal law. Nobody should be forced to choose between his or her job and reporting unsafe conditions. It will also improve the leasing process, making sure all companies follow the environmental and safety rules, and it will ensure royalties are paid on all oil drilled or spilled. The CLEAR Act reorganizes the Department of the Interior to provide better management of the Nation's energy resources located on Federal lands and water. The act eliminates conflicts that arise when the same agency which is in charge of the environmental reviews of leases, of issuing leases, and of making sure the leaseholders and rig operators are in compliance with safety and environmental laws, then turns around and collects royalties from these same companies. The disaster in the gulf makes it clear that we should be working to transition our economy to a clean energy future. Investments in clean energy will help in the recovery of our economy, and supporting renewable energy projects, like offshore wind, will strengthen the economy and help create good jobs that can't be shipped overseas. I am glad that language is included in the bill that will reform royalty collection. I am proud of the work that we have done on this issue, and I thank Chairman Rahall for working with me on language included in this manager's amendment that will guarantee that BP pays royalties on every drop of oil spilled in the gulf. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I very happily yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), my colleague on the Rules Committee.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I inquire if my colleague has any remaining speakers. I am the last speaker for my side, and I am going to reserve my time until the gentleman has closed.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, throughout the spring and summer, the public outrage has been palpable--in Washington, among the pundits and talking heads, in my own State of Maine and, truly, everywhere in this country. In Maine, we have a special understanding about the impact the BP oil spill is having on the people of the gulf coast. Just like them, our lives and livelihoods are closely linked to the ocean. Off the Maine coast, there is an amazing renewable resource--strong winds and tides that can power our economy and create good-paying jobs and reduce greenhouse gas pollution. I think it's time for us to start using it. As someone from a community who relies on its working waterfront, I am asking that we stand with the hardworking men and women of the gulf coast in their time of need and make sure that those responsible are the ones that pay for the spill and that we strive to ensure that a spill like this never happens again. I urge my fellow Members to vote for the rule and the underlying bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, today I want to commend Chairmen Waxman and Rush for introducing H.R. 5820, the Toxic Chemical Safety Act, a bill that will for the first time require the chemical industry to prove that the chemicals in our products are safe. In America, we have too long failed to regulate chemicals and consumer products--even those that we know have links to cancer, learning disabilities, reproductive disorders, and other serious health problems. Under the old Toxic Substance Control Act, 62,000 chemicals were grandfathered in. Only six chemicals have been banned since its passage. Not even asbestos--a widely known carcinogen--could be taken off the market. Maine has always been the leader in toxic chemical regulation, passing new laws phasing out mercury, lead, and flame-retardant chemicals in everyday products. In 2008, our legislature passed the groundbreaking Kid-Safe Products Act that establishes a new statewide system to identify and phase out the most toxic chemicals that endanger our children. It is time for the Nation to follow Maine's lead. It has never been more important for Congress to pass the strongest and most effective toxic chemical bill possible.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, the passage of this rule is a vital step towards improving our military infrastructure and ensuring that the quality of care for our veterans and their families is worthy of their sacrifice. My home State has one of the highest populations of veterans per capita in the country. In a State of 1.3 million people, Maine is home to over 155,000 veterans. These men and women have served without question, without politics and without hesitation. We must make a promise to them and to all of our veterans that we will do the same. We must provide them with the health care and the benefits that they deserve--without question, without politics, and without hesitation. By passing H.R. 5822, we will begin to keep that promise. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Ms. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.