Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise in somewhat reluctant support of this legislation which temporarily, among other things, extends the Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. The truth is that we should have reauthorized these programs long ago, and we should not be dragging this process out. But that is not a problem that we have in this Chamber. It is very, very important because SBIR and STTR are innovation programs which invest in small businesses, the ones best positioned to drive economic growth and to create new jobs. Innovation is the key to resuscitating our ailing economy and to creating good, family-wage jobs for the American middle class. By investing in innovation, SBIR and STTR create more than good-paying jobs; they encourage the development of growth industries. And that, Madam Speaker, is what our Nation needs most. AMGEN, Apple, Microsoft, and Research In Motion all started out as cutting-edge small businesses. These creative, high-tech companies spurred new industries, new jobs, new technologies that now employ hundreds of thousands of Americans. By facilitating creative renewal, SBIR and STTR are not only helping guide our economy out of a recession, they are building our Nation's capacity to thrive in a very competitive global economy.…”