I think we have a good chance to get this bill to the finish line.

I hope that we will have a chance, Mr. Chairman, as we talk about putting together a bill, looking at those issues that truly are not controversial but give us a chance to make significant progress to protect habitats.

We think this is one of the categories. As you point out, what it basically does is leverage private sector involvement to protect our fish habitats.

I come to the floor today to introduce the Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act with colleagues the Democratic Leader and the Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The condition of our water…

Of course, our objective is to look at areas that do not cause additional concerns on the support.

Last Friday, I was at the Census Bureau. I was there to support the President's request for the resources necessary that we have an accurate census and it is done in a most cost-effective way.

I want to thank Senator David Vitter, the Chair of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, for agreeing to allow this field hearing to take place on access for minority businesses to capital.

If someone sells his or her business to a minority or a woman, one, the profits they make off of that sale, they would not have to pay state taxes.

So the issue, though, of capital is a critical issue because, as has been pointed out by all of you, there have been extreme difficulties of minority businesses to get access to equity capital, to get access to capital during tough times…

Well, thank you. I appreciate those comments.

Let me acknowledge that I am joined by my colleague, as I indicated earlier, Donna Edwards.

Good morning, everyone. Let me welcome you all to this hearing for the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee.

So let me follow up on these issues.

We would like to take the best practices and share that so that we can get more activity and get more opportunity for small businesses and minority businesses to be able to take advantage of the opportunities of this country.

And for those reasons, we have to pay greater attention to it.

Access to capital is the critical part of the equation; it is not the only part of the equation.

Senator Mikulski is an incredible partner on the small business issues.

I think the more--I mean, showing how many minority businesses have to put their homes up for collateral, to me, would be a very telling situation.

Without objection, it will be included.

It is the reason why the SBA administrator is so much in favor of Ex-Im Bank reauthorization.

Mr. Tucker, your point about reentry really hit home. I mean, that is one of the high priorities of our country.

And that is so valuable because it streamlines and makes it faster and more predictable.

I really do appreciate that. And I appreciate each of your participations here today, and I look forward to working with each of you as we try to sort out what we can do a better job on, helping minority small businesses.

Thank you very much for your testimony.

Our colleague Senator Nelson is also a leader on this issue of keeping taxpayers safe from identity theft and fraud.