Republican Objection to S.1874, HUBZone
Senator Kyl objected to Senator Merkley's request. The unofficial transcript of Senators Merkley, Snowe, Landrieu and Kyl's remarks is below.
11:00:51 NSP} (MR. MERKLEY) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. MERKLEY: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I RISE TO ASK UNANIMOUS
CONSENT OF ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES, BEFORE I EXPLAIN THE UNANIMOUS
CONSENT REQUEST, I WILL GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. THIS
IS SENATE BILL 1874 THAT SENATOR SNOWE AND I HAVE WORKED ON FOR
SOME TIME BECAUSE OF OUR MUTUAL INTEREST IN MAKING THE HUB ZONE
PROCESS FOR RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORK BETTER. WHEN THIS
PROCESS OCCURS WITH EACH CENSUS, THERE IS A TWO-YEAR NIGHTMARE
OF RED TAPE BEFORE COMMUNITIES THAT SHOULD BENEFIT FROM THIS
{11:01:22} (MR. MERKLEY) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SO, AND
ACROSS THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE RURAL COMMUNITIES THAT
ABSOLUTELY NEED TO BENEFIT FROM THIS MOST RECENT CENSUS. THEY
HAVE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES. THEY ARE HIT HARD BY THE DROP IN
EXPORTS. THEY ARE HIT HARD BY THE COLLAPSE OF THE HOUSING
COMMUNITY. SAWMILLS HAVE SHUT DOWN, PAPER MILLS HAVE SHUT DOWN.
AND SO SO MANY FOLKS COME TO THIS FLOOR TO TALK ABOUT CUTTING
{11:01:55} (MR. MERKLEY) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
RED TAPE AND TALKING ABOUT HELPING ECONOMY IN THE HEART OF
RURAL AMERICA. THEY COME TO THIS FLOOR AND THEY TALK ABOUT HOW
IMPORTANT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND JOBS IS, AND THIS IS A
LITTLE FIX THAT TAKES A YEAR OUT OF THE BUREAUCRACY, AND THAT'S
WHY SENATOR SNOWE AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER ON THIS PROCESS.
NOW, TWICE WE HAVE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD AND TWICE IT HAS BEEN
CLEARED BY EVERY MEMBER OF THIS BODY. NEITHER TIME DID IT MAKE
IT INTO A BILL THAT GOT TO THE PRESIDENT'S DESK. SO WE ARE
{11:02:31} (MR. MERKLEY) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
COMING BACK ONCE MORE TO SAY LET COMMON SENSE TO FIX THIS
SNAFUS -- THE SNAFUS IN THE BUREAUCRACY THAT ARE TAKING AWAY
OPPORTUNITY FOR RURAL AMERICA. LET'S PUT AN END TO THAT TODAY.
AND I WILL DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUE TO SPEAK AND THEN WE WILL ASK
FOR UNANIMOUS CONSENT. I YIELD TO THE SENATOR FROM MAINE.
{11:02:54 NSP} (MS. SNOWE) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MS. SNOWE: MR. PRESIDENT.
{11:02:57 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM MAINE.
{11:03:01 NSP} (MS. SNOWE) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MS. SNOWE: THANK YOU, AND I WANT TO THANK THE SENATOR FROM
OREGON REGARDING THIS CRITICAL ISSUE THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING
ON FOR A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD OF TIME, THAT WE THOUGHT WE HAD
REALLY CLEARED ON BOTH SIDES. THERE IS NO OBJECTIONS TO THIS
LANGUAGE, WHICH IS MIGHTILY IMPORTANT TO IMPROVING THE RURAL
ECONOMIES OF THIS COUNTRY, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IT WOULD
EXPEDITE THE HUB ZONE DESIGNATION TO ALLOW SMALL BUSINESSES IN
THOSE HUB ZONES TO PROVIDE JOBS BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT THEY
{11:03:31} (MS. SNOWE) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
WOULD GET PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT IN THE CONTRACTING PROCESS. AS
WE KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS MORE THAN $400 BILLION
WORTH OF CONTRACTS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES
AND PARTICULARLY THOSE LOCATED IN HARD-HIT AREAS OF OUR COUNTRY
HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE CONTRACTING DOLLARS AND ARE ABLE TO
PARTICIPATE ON AN EQUAL FOOTING. THIS WOULD CREATE JOBS. SO I
REGRET THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GET SUPPORT TO MOVE
THIS LEGISLATION FORWARD BECAUSE I KNOW THE SENATOR FROM OREGON
{11:04:03} (MS. SNOWE) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
HAS TESTED IT ON BOTH SIDES. WE HAVE RUN IT THROUGH THE
HOTLINE. THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS TO THE LANGUAGE, AND I CANNOT
UNDERSTAND WHY WE CAN'T MOVE THIS VERY IMPORTANT PROPOSITION
THAT ABSOLUTELY WOULD BE CENTRAL TO CREATING JOBS IN THE AREAS
THAT NEED IT MOST THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE
GET SUCH A HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE. SO THIS ISN'T A DIFFICULT
ISSUE TO UNDERSTAND. IT'S VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD. EVERYBODY
AGREES TO THE LANGUAGE. IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN IMPROVE
{11:04:35} (MS. SNOWE) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE LANGUAGE SO WE CAN EXPEDITE THE TIME FRAME IN WHICH THESE
DES NATIONS OCCUR FOR HUB ZONES, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE HUB ZONES
ARE THOSE AREAS THAT ARE SUFFERING MOST WITH RESPECT TO THE
DOWNTURN OF THIS ECONOMY. WHEN WE HAVE A PALTRY ECONOMIC GROWTH
OF 1.3%, .4% OR 2%, WHEN WE HAVE AN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE THAT'S
8.6% BUT WE HAVE HAD 9% OR HIGHER FOR A GOOD 28 MONTHS OR THE
LAST 34 MONTHS, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, AND THIS
COULD HELP SMALL BUSINESSES AND IT COULD HELP THOSE PEOPLE IN
{11:05:09} (MS. SNOWE) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THOSE AREAS WHO ARE CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT
THERE WOULD BE NO OBJECTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THIS INITIATIVE.
AND I WANT TO THANK THE SENATOR FROM OREGON FOR HIS LEADERSHIP
ON THIS MATTER.
{11:05:24 NSP} (MR. MERKLEY) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. MERKLEY: I THANK MY COLLEAGUE. AND THE THIRD SPONSOR ON
THIS BILL IS SENATOR LANDRIEU, THE CHAIR OF THE SMALL BUSINESS
COMMITTEE, AND I YIELD TO HER.
{11:05:32 NSP} (MR. KYL) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. KYL: MR. PRESIDENT, I ASK THE INDULGENCE OF MY COLLEAGUE.
IF MY COLLEAGUE COULD ASK THE UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST TO
WHICH I CAN RESPOND, THEN I CAN LEAVE. WOULD MY COLLEAGUE BE
WILLING TO DO THAT, PLEASE?
{11:05:46 NSP} (MR. MERKLEY) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. MERKLEY: WE WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT, ABSOLUTELY. MR.
PRESIDENT, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THE BANKING COMMITTEE BE
DISCHARGED FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF S. 1874, THE HUB ZONE
QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACK ACT OF 2011, AND THE SENATE PROCEED TO
ITS CONSIDERATION, THAT THE BILL BE READ A THIRD TIME AND
PASSED AND THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER BE LAID UPON THE TABLE WITH
NO INTERVENING ACTION OR DEBATE, AND ANY STATEMENTS RELATING TO
THE BILL BE PLACED IN THE RECORD AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE AS IF
READ.
{11:06:12 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: IS THERE OBJECTION?
{11:06:16 NSP} (MR. KYL) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. KYL: MR. PRESIDENT, ON -- THERE IS OBJECTION ON OUR SIDE,
AND I WILL OBJECT, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE THE POINT THAT AS A
RESULT OF SENATOR SNOWE AND SENATOR MERKLEY'S INTERCESSION
HERE, OUR STAFF HAS TALKED TO SENATOR SHELBY WHO SAYS THAT HE
WILL TRY TO WORK TO GET IT CLEARED AND TO HOTLINE IT AGAIN ON
OUR SIDE TODAY. SO AT THIS TIME I CANNOT CLEAR IT, BUT THERE
WILL BE AN EFFORT TO ACCOMPLISH THAT RESULT.
{11:06:40 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: OBJECTION IS HEARD. THE SENATOR FROM
OREGON.
{11:06:43 NSP} (MR. MERKLEY) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. MERKLEY: I THANK MY COLLEAGUE FROM ARIZONA. WE APPRECIATE
HIS HELP. WE APPRECIATE THE -- THE RANKING MEMBER OF THE
BANKING COMMITTEE ASSISTING IN THIS MATTER, AND I YIELD TO MY
COLLEAGUE FROM LOUISIANA.
{11:06:57 NSP} (MS. LANDRIEU) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MS. LANDRIEU: THANK YOU. MR. PRESIDENT, I WANT TO ADD MY VOICE
TO THE STRONG WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE BY SENATOR MERKLEY AND
SENATOR SNOWE, AND AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE THAT HAS SOME
JURISDICTION OVER THE HUB ZONE PROGRAM, I WANT TO URGE THE
BANKING COMMITTEE AND THE STAFF AND OFFER THE STAFF OF THE
SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE FOR THE MAJORITY SIDE TO WORK VERY
HARD TODAY TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THIS CLEARED. IT'S VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT TO THE RANKING MEMBER OF OUR COMMITTEE WHO HAS WORKED
SO HARD ON THIS AND TO THE SENATOR FROM OREGON WHO HAS MADE
{11:07:27} (MS. LANDRIEU) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
VERY STRONG ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE EXPEDITING AND STREAMLINING
SOME OF THESE APPROVALS. SO I WISH THEM THE BEST. WE'RE GOING
TO WORK TODAY TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THIS CLEARED, AND IT WOULD
BE THE SECOND REALLY SUBSTANTIAL VICTORY IN SORT OF THE HOME --
IN THE SMALL BUSINESS SPACE, HAVING GOTTEN OUR SBIR BILL
THROUGH JUST RECENTLY, AFTER SIX YEARS OF VERY ACRIMONIOUS
DEBATE, IF WE COULD GET THIS FIX TO THE HUB ZONE PROGRAM, IT
WOULD BE TERRIFIC, AND I JUST THANK THE SENATORS FOR THEIR HARD
{11:08:02} (MS. LANDRIEU) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
WORK, AND I YIELD THE FLOOR.