Nydia Velázquez

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, today we will consider a short-term extension for programs in the Small Business Act and Small Business Investment Act. The measure extends the authorization of the Small Business Administration and these programs through March 20, 2009. This measure will ensure continued operations at the agency. The legislation comes before us at a time when the American economy is facing many challenges. Fallout from the subprime crisis is driving a tightening of the credit market, the average price of a gallon of gas is almost $4, and unemployment is rising. Entrepreneurs can help reverse these trends, if they have the proper tools. Throughout the 110th Congress, the Committee on Small Business has been working to improve and revitalize the economic environment for business activity. With nearly 20 bills passed out of the House, these reforms have been a collaborative and bipartisan effort. With the input of Ranking Member Chabot and other Members of this body, this has included major changes to SBA programs which affect millions of small businesses. We have already passed measures into law that will help small businesses cope with rising energy costs, as well as become part of the solution. The President also signed a bill earlier this year that provides needed assistance to veteran business owners. And just last week, the House and Senate cleared a package to strengthen the SBA's disaster relief initiatives, which failed so many Americans during Hurricane Katrina. The House has also reported legislation that is awaiting Senate action. These include reforms to streamline the SBA access to capital initiatives, improve contracting opportunities, and increase the outreach of entrepreneurial programs. We will continue working with the Senate to get these reforms signed into law. This extension would allow the chamber to move its own versions, setting the groundwork so we may work out any differences. In the interim, and in the midst of a weakened economy, it is essential that these programs continue to serve small firms. The SBA is the sole Federal agency charged with assisting these entrepreneurs, and this bill allows the agency to continue to meet their needs. I urge support of the bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, if the ranking member is prepared to close.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Would the gentleman yield?

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. H.R. 6----

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, let me first commend Chairman Frank, Chairwoman Waters, Mr. Towns, and Mr. King for their leadership in moving this necessary legislation forward. I proudly support H.R. 5937 because it addresses the need for affordable housing for thousands of families in Brooklyn. Across our country, low and moderate-income working families are increasingly finding adequate housing to be out of reach. No place is this disparity more apparent than in New York City where one out of every four families spends over 50 percent of their income on rent. New Yorkers in many ways face the most difficult housing market. Starrett City is the largest federally subsidized rental complex in the country with 5,800 units and 14,000 residents. Eliminating these units will leave thousands of families stranded and set a dangerous precedent. H.R. 5937 represents an agreement between government agencies and the owners of Starrett City to keep the development affordable. This is a carefully crafted deal that ensures the long-term vibrancy of a Brooklyn institution. Starrett City is a strong, hardworking community. The restaurant workers, hotel employees, and seniors who live there are part of Brooklyn's very fabric. If New York loses Starrett City, we all lose a unique chance to preserve this valuable community and set a precedent for generations to come. Starrett City is the symptom of a much larger problem in New York City and across our Nation. We have an affordability problem that requires immediate action. Today, we are taking a step in the right direction. By saving one Brooklyn development, we lay the groundwork for affordable housing preservation in the future. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this legislation.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of important language in Chairman Oberstar's manager's amendment to H.R. 2830, the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act. This amendment is critical for my constituents who live in the Greenpoint area in Brooklyn. I want to thank Chairman Oberstar and others on the Committee who saw the need for this language, and were willing to act on it. This important amendment directs the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a follow up study on the Newtown Creek oil spill. The new EPA study builds upon my earlier effort with my distinguished colleague, Mr. Weiner, to get the EPA to issue a comprehensive report on the oil spill. That earlier report by the EPA, issued last fall, was an important step forward but it raised as many questions as it answered. Mr. Chairman, it is appropriate that we are considering this issue on a Coast Guard bill. It was the Coast Guard, nearly 30 years ago, that discovered the Newtown Creek oil spill in Greenpoint. The spill is massive, and scientists lack accurate measurements of the scope and impact of the whole of the plume. That's why we need a full site characterization of the Creek, so we know just what is in, around and underneath the Creek bed. The basic condition of the Creek was not comprehensively addressed in the earlier report. It's past time for a full site characterization of Newtown Creek. The goal not merely oil plume containment, but plume removal. We must help give this important waterway safely back to the community, for its use and enjoyment. I also am deeply concerned about what threat this material poses to the public. A full site characterization should also allow us to better measure the public health impact of the oil spill. Residents in this part of Brooklyn suffer from asthma, emphysema and bronchitis at a 25 percent higher rate than the rest of the city. Child asthma hospital admissions are especially high. A full site characterization can help public health professionals draw conclusions about the impact of the oil spill on the health of the local community. In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Mr. Weiner for his long- term partnership and hard work in addressing the serious public policy problem posed by the Newtown Creek Oil Spill. I would urge the EPA to seize upon these clear instructions from Congress, and help New York understand just what it is facing at Newtown Creek. Only a full site characterization can accomplish this worthy goal.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the motion to recommit. I yield back the balance of my time. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield the remainder of my time to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu).

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, the motion we are considering today will do nothing to lower gas prices. But what this bill does is it will provide for small businesses to afford the resources that would allow for them to bring prices down by promoting new technologies. My question to the author of the motion to recommit is, where is your outrage when the President refuses to implement H.R. 6, which would allow for small businesses to lower gas prices? When the Republicans had a chance to vote on price gouging, you voted ``no.'' When you had a chance to have America invest in alternative energy, you voted ``no.'' When you had a chance to invest in conservation, you voted ``no.'' This is the height of hypocrisy. This motion does nothing to lower gas prices in the country. In the country, it will kill the bill that we allow for small businesses in this country to have the tools and resources to deal with the issue of energy conservation and gas prices in this Nation. Vote ``no'' on this motion to recommit. I yield to the majority leader.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order against the motion.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chairman, I am prepared to accept the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentlemen for their amendment and their efforts to improve the bill. It is only appropriate that the recipients of Federal grants like the SBIR and STTR programs should be majority owned and controlled by individuals who are citizens of or permanent resident aliens in the United States. The amendment would clarify this requirement. I support this amendment, but it is important to recognize that we cannot solve our country's immigration challenges on a piecemeal basis. This is an important amendment and reminds us that comprehensive immigration reform is good for America's national and economic security. I now yield to the gentleman from Ohio for any comments that he may have.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chairman, while not opposed to the amendment, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chairman, I urge adoption of the Walz amendment I am offering on his behalf. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Reclaiming my time, you have my commitment to monitor Federal agencies' efforts to award grants to small firms. And as this legislation moves forward, we will work with you to identify ways that agencies are properly studying and making available opportunities for small businesses.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch).

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chairman, the amendment directs the administrator of the Small Business Administration to consult with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop an initiative that publicizes the SBIR programs to veterans returning from service. The amendment will direct the SBA and the VA to work together to encourage veterans to apply for SBIR grants. Many of the veterans returning from service are highly skilled and highly trained in technical fields. The amendment will draw on this pool of talent and increase the number of veterans applying for SBIR awards. Our efforts such as this will strengthen the SBIR program, especially the Department of Defense's SBIR program. I urge adoption of this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chairman, I urge the adoption of the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. I thank the gentlewoman from New York for her amendment and for her efforts to improve the legislation. The amendment requires that at least one veteran small business owner must serve on the SBIR Advisory Board that H.R. 5819 establishes in section 104. These boards are meant to provide small firms with an avenue to communicate with Federal agencies about the SBIR program. The intention of the amendment is to help ensure that agencies are as responsive as possible to the unique needs of small research companies and to veteran-owned small firms in particular. I support this intention. I would yield to the gentleman from Ohio for any comments that he might have.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chairman, while not opposed to the amendment, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. I am prepared to accept the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that, during consideration of H.R. 5819 pursuant to House Resolution 1125, the Chair may reduce to 2 minutes the minimum time for electronic voting under clause 6 of rule XVIII and clauses 8 and 9 of rule XX.