Congress Rejects Bush Small Business Cuts But Overall SBA Funding Still .

[Mass]

I forgot for a moment who was the chair of this committee, while I was reading this.

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=56843

Congress Rejects Bush Small Business Cuts But Overall SBA Funding Still $123 Million Less Than Last Year

11/16/2005 3:50:00 PM

To: National and Business desks

Contact: Catherine Scott of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 202-224-8496

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Senate today voted to support Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, in his effort to boost the Small Business Administration's (SBA) budget above President Bush's request for FY 2006.

Included in the appropriations conference report that passed the Senate today by a vote of 94-5 were several provisions requested by Kerry and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), chair of the Committee, to increase the SBA's budget beyond Bush's recommendation of $453 million.

"The favorite target for President Bush's budget axe is small business. Since taking office, he's tried to cut the SBA's funding in half. The result is that over the last five years, the SBA has been cut more than any other agency. The President does not understand the importance of small business to our economy, but small businesses that will boost job growth and expand our economy," Kerry said.

Kerry and Snowe fought for months to increase the SBA's budget. In March, the Senate passed their bipartisan amendment to restore funding for critical programs that Bush had proposed drastically cutting or eliminating all together. The conference report included their request for:

-- $12 million to Microloan Technical Assistance (terminated by President Bush's budget);

-- $1.3 million to the Microloan Program for $12.7 million in loans (terminated by Bush), which allows entrepreneurs -- especially women, minorities, and rural-based -- to obtain very small loans;

-- $2 million to the Program for Investment in Micro- entrepreneurs (PRIME) (terminated by Bush), which provides in- depth business counseling to low-income entrepreneurs;

-- $1 million to the Small Business Development Centers (increases funding to $89 million), which offer management assistance and training to entrepreneurs;

-- $2 million line-item for the HUBZone program (Bush eliminated the line-item), which gives federal contracting preferences for businesses within the designated areas;

-- $500,000 to the Women's Business Centers Program (increases funding to $12.5 million), which helped 106,000 business owners last year;

-- $1.5 million line-item for the Export Assistance Centers (Bush eliminated the line-item), which assist businesses interested in selling their products in other countries;

-- $1.5 million line-item for the 7(j) contracting assistance program (Bush eliminated the line-item), which helps to train small disadvantaged businesses; and

-- $1.2 million for Native American outreach (increases funding to $2 million).

http://www.usnewswire.com/

-0-

[Mass]

1. And also: Senate Passes Kerry Legislation to Assist Small Businesses Hurt

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=56839

Senate Passes Kerry Legislation to Assist Small Businesses Hurt by Drought

11/16/2005 3:20:00 PM

To: National and Business Desks

Contact: Catherine Scott of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 202-224-8496

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), lead Democrat on the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, today announced the Senate approved his Small Business Drought Relief Act, which will ensure all small businesses damaged by drought have access to low-interest loans through the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Kerry's bill was included as an amendment to the Department of Defense (DOD) authorization bill, which passed the Senate yesterday by a vote of 98-0. The legislation would provide emergency aid to non-farm-related small businesses suffering from severe drought conditions.

"Small businesses devastated by droughts shouldn't have to struggle against an unresponsive SBA bureaucracy," Kerry said. "The SBA has ignored the damage droughts do to fishing guides, marinas, bait and tackle shops, and all kinds of small businesses. My amendment cuts through the red tape to get these businesses the loans they should already have had access to long ago."

This legislation will assist the small businesses in states with drought declarations that have been denied access to disaster loans through the SBA because the SBA only helps those small businesses whose income is tied to farming and agriculture. The Small Business Drought Relief Act will close this loophole. The loans will be for business-related purposes, including for paying bills and making payroll until business returns to normal.

Currently, the SBA has made drought declarations in 17 states: Wisconsin, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Montana, Oregon, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Oklahoma, Illinois, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Kansas, and California.

Kerry's legislation was cosponsored by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), and it has received widespread bipartisan support among Governors and small businesses. The DOD authorization bill must now be reconciled in conference with the version of the DOD bill passed by the House of Representatives.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

[TayTay]

2. Oh, this is good work.

I'm all puddly again. I love it when he helps 'the little guy or gal.'
Now that's a Senator.
:loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: