Small Business Lending Act of 2010

Floor Speech

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Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I am here to join my colleagues to again talk about why it is so important that we pass this small business jobs bill that is before us.

I so much appreciate the leadership of Senator Landrieu to try to get this bill through. She has stated so eloquently why it is important for us to pass this legislation. It has been pointed out that this is a bill that has significant input from our Republican colleagues. It has been pointed out that this is a bill that will go a long way toward addressing the jobs we need to create if we are going to bring this economy back. She has stated so eloquently why it is going to be there to help so many small businesses.

Everywhere I go in New Hampshire, what I hear from the small business owners I talk to is that their No. 1 challenge is adequate access to credit. This bill addresses that. It sets up a fund to help community banks so they can lend to small businesses. It sets up a fund to help States so they can go through their programs to lend to small businesses. It expands the SBA loan programs, which have been so important to keep small businesses afloat. It helps with export assistance for our small businesses--something they have had trouble doing because they do not have the resources to be able to access international markets on their own. It provides $12 billion in tax breaks for small businesses.

Right now, the only thing standing in the way of this bill being passed to help the tens of thousands of small businesses across this country is our colleagues on the other side of the aisle. It is unconscionable that we can't get the votes to pass this bill and to do what we need to do to help small businesses grow and create the jobs that are going to help lead us out of this recession.

So I congratulate Senator Landrieu and all of my colleagues who are here or who have spoken on this bill and who have worked so hard to try to get it done, and the people on the other side of the aisle who have been courageous enough to support aspects of this bill and to provide amendments to it. I hope over the weekend they will hear from their constituents about why this is important to get done so that when we come back next week we will see a change in the perspective and we will see the 60 votes that we need in this body to pass this bill.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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