Max Baucus: “Mr. President, this obviously is a very important debate. It is the first civil rights debate we have had in a long…”

“Mr. President, this obviously is a very important debate. It is the first civil rights debate we have had in a long time. It is very important that the Senate take this extremely seriously because it is such an important matter. It goes to the heart of what it is to be an American. I begin by emphasizing a fact which puts us into a bigger context, and that is all of us as Americans want to expand the economic pie. We all want to encourage more American entrepreneurs to start new companies, start more companies, create new jobs. That is especially true for women and for minorities. We, as Americans, will all be a lot better off and the country will be better off if there are more successful businesses owned by women, more owned by African Americans, more owned by Native Americans. All Americans, as a consequence, will have more jobs, will have more community leaders and will have more positive role models for our daughters and our sons. We will be a more cohesive country, a better country. I don't think there is any doubt about that. I think there is a consensus about that. The question, of course, is how we can best accomplish that goal. The so-called DBE Program, the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program, takes an important step to accomplish that objective by giving women and by giving minority groups a fair shot at that economic opportunity. It gives them a seat at the table.”