Small Business Lending Fund Act Of 2010
Floor Speech
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Mr. DURBIN. Will the Senator yield for a question.
Ms. LANDRIEU. I will yield.
Mr. DURBIN. I see the Senator from Florida is here, but I wanted to ask a question through the Chair.
Is it my understanding that we have been debating this small business bill, which has come out of the committee the Senator from Louisiana chairs, for quite some time now? Isn't this the second week, or maybe even longer? Is it true the other side objected to a provision in the bill because it related to agricultural disaster assistance in a few States?
Ms. LANDRIEU. Yes.
Mr. DURBIN. The Senator from Louisiana argued that farmers are small businesspeople too. So it is not unreasonable to include it. But we decided, in an effort to get a bipartisan agreement on the bill, that we would remove the section they objected to. Then they came in with a list of three amendments and said they wanted to offer these three amendments, which have maybe a loose connection with small business but not much more of a connection, and we said: Fine, you can offer those three amendments, and we will offer three amendments, and let's go and get this done. Then they came back and objected again.
So isn't it correct that right now we are trying to get to a point where we are providing credit to small businesses all across the United States through good sound banks, and that credit will help these small businesses survive and hire more employees, and we are being stopped by the Republicans in our effort to help small business? Is that what is happening?
Ms. LANDRIEU. That is exactly what it looks like. The Senator from Illinois has described it accurately. If anybody believes he has not described it accurately, let them come to the floor because he has described the truth. He has said the truth.
So I am going to yield right now because others wish to talk, but I thank the Senator from Illinois. This battle is going on, and we intend to win it for Main Street. I hope the other side will get their short list of a few amendments together pretty quickly.
I thank the Chair.
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