A defined benefit plan provides a much stronger protection for life-time income.

It is affecting the viability of defined benefit plans in this country.

Social Security was never intended to be the sole support for a person's retirement income.

we recognize that New START gives us the opportunity to do the inspections not only on active sites but also those sites that are not active.

I ask for the yeas and nays. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to be a sufficient second. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll. The result was announced--yeas…

shortly we are going to have an opportunity to vote on the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, which I strongly support. But I want to share with my colleagues a roundtable discussion I held in Baltimore just a few hours ago. In an area of…

I think all of us would say that that is a major concern.

It is a very important bill that deals with our international efforts, the U.S. participating in neotropical birds.

I think the American people need to understand how important these treaties are to our national security.

I think it is not in our national security interest to do that.

I think would be a disaster because it would only isolate us more from what Russia is doing.

So one way to improve it would be to give it a statutory basis.

there is a reason why venture capitalists are not investing as much in black businesses.

This is an incredibly important topic.

My concern is that imposing a moratorium freezes the CA lenders that we currently have.

Well, I want to thank this panel. Both panels have been extremely helpful.

I do urge you to let us have additional thoughts on how we can refine the specific programs for access to capital or whether there are additional suggestions you have on new opportunities for access to capital, and it can be outside of the…

Congress is very much interested in the fee waiver program.

the fact that black owners do not have the same ability for capital is against the values of this Nation.

This is an oversight hearing for us to get input as to how our Committee can work with the SBA to improve the opportunities for access of capital in the targeted areas that we have talked about.

we know about the tremendous wealth disparity between the minority community, between women, and we need to bridge that gap.

I know of a lot of businesses that are minority-owned, women-owned businesses that do not fall in rural and do not fall in a HUBZone that should qualify for the maximum amount of help that we could give them to get loans.

This is an issue that Democrats and Republicans can come together with. We can get something done, and I think this hearing has been very helpful.

I appreciate your focus on these important issues. Thank you for all of your work on behalf of the citizens of Maryland.

And these are areas I hope that the SBA will take into consideration as we are continuing.