Jeanne Shaheen

This is a really valuable opportunity to highlight the important role the Federal government does have in advancing our Nation's innovation economy.

And I think that we can do better in the Federal government because I do hear so many stories from businesses about regulations that are holding back entrepreneurship.

I think that is a really good point.

And there is actually a reform under way to address the whole export control system that is making some progress.

Have any of you gotten concerns as you are looking at the potential for the program down the road?

Would you just explain to everybody what you mean by 'the new size rules?'

The success rate of their SBIR applications has become sufficiently low, 15 percent for Phase I for many of these, that applicants no longer view the program as a viable path to think about how to get something started.

I would encourage all of you to talk to the House members, which is where the bill is held up.

Thank you, Senator Shaheen and Ayotte, members of the committee, for inviting me here today to speak and to join in this discussion.

I would like to thank you all for your leadership in getting that through.

We are here to discuss a topic that is very important to New Hampshire businesses, to the future competitiveness of this country, and that is how we can support innovation in our small businesses.

The realities of each sector have to be reflected, and the needs of each agency have to be reflected in what the actual policies are.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Senators Shaheen and Ayotte and other distinguished members of the committee who are not here for the invitation to participate today.

We do not need to spend more money. We just need to adjust Federal programs to allow human capital to rise to the entrepreneurial potential.

I would just like to echo what Senator Ayotte said about the importance of our offices and being able to help you address both concerns you may have about how agencies or departments are operating.

But there is an effort to simplify it in a way that certainly is going to help small businesses, because it is--as you point out, it is very important.

The more we can do to be helpful to ensure that if we are passing legislation in Washington, that is in response to concerns that we have heard here at home, and that we are not hurting small businesses, but we are helping them is very…

The New Hampshire delegation actually does talk to each other.

Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility is what is making this program so successful.

We have grown the company over the years from starting in 2003 to current annual revenues that are a little over $4 million.

But we are in the process of implementing that. We have been working very closely with small business, but even more closely with program managers, such as Manny across the aisle here, to fine tune the reauthorization legislation.

I want to thank Senator Shaheen and Senator Ayotte and your staffs for making this roundtable possible.

It is very nice to be here with my co-Senator from New Hampshire.

I want to thank you all very much for coming.

I rise this afternoon to discuss the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, which is also known as Shaheen-Portman. I am very pleased to be here with my cosponsor Senator Rob Portman. He has been a partner in developing this…