Joseph Cao: “I rise today in support of amendment No. 12 to H.R. 5297, the Small Business Lending Fund Act of 2010, and I urge my…”

“I rise today in support of amendment No. 12 to H.R. 5297, the Small Business Lending Fund Act of 2010, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. This amendment requires the Secretary of the Treasury to provide consideration, in the allocation of funds, to gulf region States in the areas where businesses and the economy have been adversely affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April presents us with economic, environmental, and health challenges of unprecedented proportions. The shutters have gone down on businesses throughout the gulf region because they simply do not have the short-term or long-term resources to operate. Industries such as fishing and seafood processing, recreational fishing, restaurants, and tourism are all suffering disproportionately.”