I rise today to recognize the outstanding contributions of one of my staff members, Matthew Berger, during his nearly 5 years of service to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and to the people of this country…

I just cannot understand why this is not all being coordinated. It has to be one-stop shopping.

What is it that you believe should be done immediately that is not being done?

So a prompt payment is immediate?

Thank you all for being here today.

I mean, they need more certainty than this rather than sending them through a bureaucratic treadmill here.

Why can't you all get together, just have one-stop shopping? Is that possible? Why isn't that possible?

as Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee, I am delighted to rise today, during National Small Business Week, with Senator Landrieu, who is Chair of the Committee, to introduce the Small Business Tax Equalization and…

That is a very limited period of time, wouldn't you think, the 30 days?

So the $3,100 represents 30 days of income?

Thank you, Chair Landrieu, for holding this hearing on what is now the largest oil spill in the history of this nation.

I just think this is making life infinitely harder for individuals in the final analysis in getting a true accounting.

I would be interested to know what percentage of claim amount has not been paid overall?

At what point are you going to determine that they need to be paid more in advance?

I just do not understand this, because going through your process in SBA, if you are a catalyst at solving it and doing one-stop shopping, I mean, that would be one thing.

What is the average claim?

I am trying to make sense of this process right now for the immediacy, both as the Chair and Senator Vitter have indicated, these are extraordinary circumstances and people need assistance.

Now, is there a reason why less than 10 percent of the claims have gone to businesses outside of the fishing industry, such as restaurants?

over 26,000 claims have been submitted with payments of more than $36 million.

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unwavering in principle and hewing always to her Maine roots and hallmark independence, Margaret Chase Smith exemplified the finest qualities of our great state of Maine which she represented with the highest distinction in the U.S. House…

So it seems to me that we have to get some clarity on those issues because the person should or the business owner should be made whole.