Dale Bumpers: “the chairman of the Small Business Committee, my colleague, Senator Bond, made a magnificent statement on this very…”

“the chairman of the Small Business Committee, my colleague, Senator Bond, made a magnificent statement on this very comprehensive bill. As Mo Udall used to say, ``Just about everything that needs to be said has been said, but everybody hasn't said it.'' I know that what I have to say will be largely repetitious, but let me start, first, by just complimenting Senator Bond for his tenacity and determination in getting this bill out of the committee and getting it to the floor. I believe I can truthfully say this is one of the two or three times since I have been in the Senate where Members, if this becomes law, will have an opportunity to go home and actually tell the small business community that we have done something for them that was actually meaningful, that they can relate to and that they will applaud. Sometimes the small business community can get very volatile and vocal about the fact that nobody here hears them or really cares about their problems. And there is some merit to that. Very few of the recommendations they have made at these various White House conferences on small business have ever resulted in legislation here. In 1980, when we passed the Regulatory Flexibility Act, we patted ourselves on the back and gave ourselves the good government award and went home and told the small business community what we had done for them. Not much time elapsed before they said, ``You didn't do anything for us.'' They were absolutely right about that.”