I am concerned that you are again proposing to cut funding to the PRIME program.

For Women owned and minority owned businesses, the Small Business Act sets a government wide goal of 23 percent of Federal procurement contracts going to small businesses with specific goals for different categories of small businesses.

I know a couple of years ago, to my shock, they were willing to accept DEA agents on their turf...

Unfortunately the next Sandy we can't predict it. But everything indicates, that there will be the next Sandy somewhere.

there is always something that happens and it is happening again, and that is the disconnect between the support that the PRIME technical assistance program has from Members of Congress and the continued desire by the Administration to get…

So what you are basically saying is that the information that the agency has, which Members of Congress may not have, is that PRIME, while it serves a purpose is a duplication in many cases and that is the reason why year after year people…

But that is the one that always keeps getting cut. So there must be something more than a budget issue every year.

Well, it would help us as a Committee, and I know that the Chairman would agree with this, that when we begin to dissect what this budget will look like, and this bill will look like, we need to know the success stories, and again this is…

I would make a request which is a mantra with me as you know. That is if at some time, not necessarily for our budget but for our understanding, they could give us a report on how the Small Business Administration is dealing with the…

I have always had a special interest in issues affecting Puerto Rico.

When these individuals have good ideas and firm foundations for their new businesses, they deserve help to succeed.

I hope that this commitment can be maintained and extended to other programming.

I just told the world that GSA was looking at the possibility of building a courthouse in Puerto Rico.

I also would like to join you in welcoming the Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy, Michael Botticelli.

any time drugs enters one of our territories, it has, in fact, entered into the United States.

I am going to guess about 17.5, 18 percent cut in your budget.

I can't believe that Mr. Serrano would ask you questions and that you wouldn't have the answers for.

I would just like to be on record as saying congratulations to this agency.