Political Quotes

“small businesses and working families throughout Vermont and around the country are facing incredibly challenging times. These problems are especially acute in my State, where we rely so heavily on small businesses to create jobs for our citizens and to make Vermont the desirable place to live and to visit that it is. The Federal Government has rightly recognized the important role small businesses play in our economy. From SBA loans, to USDA Rural Development grants, to small business set-asides on government contracts, a variety of targeted Federal programs join with small businesses to help them grow and prosper. This Congress has enacted several job-creating steps. Just last year, I was able to lead the effort here in the Senate to enact a major overhaul of our Nation's outdated patent laws. The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act is going to create jobs, but also, and very importantly, it is going to help unleash more American innovation, and it does not add a penny to our deficit. In fact, last year Vermont was awarded more patents per capita than any State in the Union. Of course, those patents mean more jobs for Vermonters. And 2 weeks ago we made further progress by passing a transportation funding bill that will make vital investments in our Nation's roads, bridges, and transit systems, and a student loan bill that will lower the costs of college borrowing for thousands of students and their families.…”