Jan Meyers: “I rise today in what will probably be my last time before this institution. I have enjoyed serving in this body, and I…”

“I rise today in what will probably be my last time before this institution. I have enjoyed serving in this body, and I thank my colleagues for their friendship and support over the years. I particularly want to thank the gentleman from Louisiana, Chairman Livingston, and the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey], the ranking member, for including the SBA in this bill. The small business provisions included in the Omnibus Appropriation Act make a number of changes in many of our SBA programs. However, all of them have passed this House by a total of 408 to nothing fairly recently. The overall theme of the legislation, however, is better management of the loan programs. SBA guaranteed approximately $10 billion in life-giving capital to small businesses every year. The 7(a) guaranteed loan program, the largest loan program at SBA, will provide over $7 billion in financing to small businesses this year. This bill preserves the 504 program, which is for bricks and mortar, lending through fees it allows for an expanded SBIC program, which is venture capital for small business. And all of this with greater safety and soundness for the American taxpayer.”