Political Quotes

“I rise today to discuss two amendments to the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011, S. 493, which would improve our oversight of the critical Small Business Innovation Research, SBIR, and Small Business Technology Transfer, STTR, programs. First, I would note that S. 493, which I introduced in March with Senate Small Business Committee Chair Mary Landrieu, has broad, bipartisan support, and has the backed of divergent stakeholders who have long been at odds on how to proceed in reauthorizing these successful programs. Our legislation includes a provision requiring the National Academy of Sciences, NAS, to continue its evaluation of the SBIR program. The NAS has produced a series of informative and groundbreaking reports on the SBIR program which helped inform Chair Landrieu and I as we sought to reauthorize this crucial initiative. That said, the STTR program lacks any significant analysis or evaluation since its inception in 1992. While we can point to annual data provided by the Small Business Administration to demonstrate its effectiveness, it is critical that independent, outside experts explore the STTR program and make recommendations for how to improve it when we next consider reauthorization of these initiatives. My first amendment would require that the NAS also evaluate the STTR program.…”