Dan Boren: “that building block that we talk about, education, being ready for the work force is very, very important. Let us talk…”

“that building block that we talk about, education, being ready for the work force is very, very important. Let us talk about going into the work force. This Republican Congress has talked about creating jobs, has talked about growing the economy and, at the same time, they are cutting programs that are very vital to creating jobs. Let me talk about them right now. The small business 7(a) loan program is very important to my constituents. These loans are the most basic and most used types of loans of SBA's business loan programs. Under this budget, for the second year in a row, the budget eliminates appropriations for small business 7(a) loans and proposes to run the program solely through fee increases, substantially raising the costs for small business and lenders. We talk about these rural communities again. They get out of college like at Southeastern in Durant or they are at NSU in Kulaqua, they have that degree, they are going for that seed capital. They want to start a new business. We have always been the party of small business. We have always been the party of Main Street, going out and striking out on your own. This budget slashes those programs. Another thing, SBA business information centers, joint ventures between the U.S. Small Business Administration and private partners, they provide the latest in high-tech hardware, software, and telecommunications to help start-up and expanding businesses. They also offer a wide array of counseling services.…”