Political Quotes

“I wish to join my colleague, the chair of the Small Business Committee, to further elaborate on some of the key issues regarding the pending legislation before the Senate to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer Programs for 8 years. When we consider what the value is of both of these programs, what it will represent to our Nation's economy during these perilous economic times is indisputable. It certainly will bolster economic growth. It certainly will bolster small businesses and innovation and put America at the forefront of new technologies, as we have seen with the examples of those who have been recipients of awards from the SBIR Program, most notably Qualcomm when they started more than 25 years ago with fewer than a dozen employees and $1.5 million in awards from SBIR. Now they are, as we know, a Fortune 500 company with more than 17,000 employees, just to cite one example. There are numerous examples certainly in my State and in the chair's State of Louisiana and all across this country, and that is the point. This program has an illustrious history. I think it is important to note how far back this program goes. It was really inspired as a result of a White House small business conference that recommended applying the original pilot program at the National Science Foundation to a wider range of agencies.…”