Timothy Roemer: “Mr. Chairman, I will be offering a bipartisan amendment on behalf of the gentleman from New York, (Mr. Houghton), the…”

“Mr. Chairman, I will be offering a bipartisan amendment on behalf of the gentleman from New York, (Mr. Houghton), the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Luther) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest), to plus up by $15 million the microenterprise loans for the poor. This will be offset with $15 million in cuts. We will probably hear some screams and some squeals from the bureaucrats or from big business, but I think we have a moral obligation to hear the cries of the poor of those in poverty, of those in Third World nations where the microenterprise loan for the poor of $16 or $60 can lift people out of poverty. I hope my colleagues will vote for this for three reasons: One, these programs work. Secondly, they go to people in poverty, mostly women. Thirdly, they go to start small businesses. Mr. Chairman, I hope we can pass this to get this $15 million up to the approved authorization level.”