Congressman Welch has been working hard in support of legislation that helps Vermont businesses grow.  Read below to learn about various pieces of legislation that have recently passed the house, and how they affect small business.

• Fairness in Small Business Contracting
  
  
• Innovation Agenda
  
  
• Small Business Administration
  
  
• Dairy Safety Net Extended
  
  
• Workforce Visas 
  
  
• America COMPETES Act

Fairness in Small Business Contracting - with Green Business Amendment!:

H.R. 1873, the Fairness in Small Business Contracting Act, passed through the House on May 10^th.  H.R. 1873 does three things:

• Limits bundling of Federal contracts which often helps large businesses and hurts small businesses

• Expands the Federal government small business contracting goal from 23 to 30%

• Improves tracking of Federal contracts

Congressman Welch successfully amended the bill. The bill now includes support for "green" small businesses. The action creates an improved opportunity for environmentally responsible Vermont small businesses to do business with the federal government.

The green practices that many of our small businesses incorporate- such as conserving energy and water, using sustainable or recycled products, or minimizing generation of waste and release of pollutants- should be rewarded. The amendment sets a 5 percent procurement goal for the entire government to contract with small businesses that are environmentally sound, or "green." The amendment directs the Administrator of the Small Business Association (SBA) to work with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the General Services Administration (GSA), and other appropriate federal agencies to determine the standards that must be in place for a small business to qualify for a "green" designation. 

With the federal government spending over $417 billion on goods and services in 2006, we believe the impact of 'greening' federal suppliers would be a significant boost to promoting new sustainable business practices.

Back to top

Innovation Agenda:

This effort began nearly two years ago outside Washington in meetings with leaders and CEOs from many fields: academia, venture capital, and entrepreneurs from the high-tech, biotech, and telecommunications sectors who are creating the jobs of tomorrow. This agenda involves partnerships with the private sector to invest in a workforce ready for global competition. It will create a new generation of innovators; invest in federal research and development; spur affordable access to broadband; achieve energy independence; and provide small business with tools to encourage entrepreneurial innovation.

Specifically, in late April the House took up legislation that including the following: Measures to increase the number of highly qualified math and science teachers in K-12 (H.R. 362); support for young researchers to foster the most innovative scientific research (H.R. 363); making capital more accessible for small businesses, which are catalysts for technological innovation (H.R. 1332); investments in innovation and research by providing research funds and scholarships through both NSF and NIST (H.R. 2272); and reauthorization of NIST and the MEP Centers (H.R. 1868).  All bills passed on a significant margin.

Congressman Welch managed the rule on April 24^th to allow the House to consider H.R. 362, the 10,000 teachers bill. In 2004, United States high school students ranked 24th out of 29 countries in math proficiency, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This bill makes important strides towards overcoming such obstacles to our country's competitiveness.

H.R. 362 will also provide a particular benefit to rural regions, including Vermont, because of the number of rural school districts that currently do not have the resources to allow comprehensive science laboratory education.  High school lab courses not only reinforce what's going on in lecture, but capture the imagination. Lab work is the foundation of all science - you have to get in there and get your hands dirty to do real chemistry or biology or physics.   Learning science without a lab would be like learning plumbing without touching a pipe or a blowtorch. These are useful tools for students to acquire no matter what career path they choose to follow. 

Back to top

Small Business Administration:

H.R. 1332 Small Business Lending Improvements Act of 2007 will amend the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 affecting various programs offered by the SBA. Small businesses in America are often the catalysts for technological innovation, and this bill strengthens access to capital programs for U.S. small businesses, offering them needed tools to be successful. 

• The bill will make 7(a) loans more economical for small businesses. 7(a) Loan Program brought in $49,282,000 through 405 loans to Vermont businesses in FY06.

• The measure establishes a rural lender outreach program to attract small lenders back into SBA's lending program -- reducing application burdens for borrowers and lenders to streamline and expedite the lending process.

• It also assists veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to secure funding to start or expand their firms by eliminating borrower and lender fees and increasing to 90 percent the guaranteed portion of loans made to veteran-owned small businesses.

• It makes long overdue changes to strengthen the community ties between certain lenders (Certified Development Companies (CDC)/504) and their local economies and gives CDCs the tools they need to make the loans that are needed by area businesses.

Back to top 

Dairy Safety Net Extended:

After intense negotiations, House and Senate conferees on a supplemental spending bill have accepted legislation that would pave the way for a full extension and expansion of the MILC program, the safety net that helps dairy farmers ride out downturns in milk prices. The bill also includes more than $3 billion in farm disaster relief funds long awaited by farmers in Vermont and in other states, and it also sets aside $20 million to help dairy farmers in Vermont and across the country.

Back to top

Workforce Visas:

Vermont businesses have recently experienced unacceptable delays with the Department of Labor's review of H2B worker permit applications.  As Vermont's summer season approaches, it is important it is for businesses to receive a prompt response to these applications.

Our office has joined Senator Patrick Leahy in writing a letter to Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao requesting that immediate attention be paid to this matter.  Attached here is a copy of this letter and we will keep you informed of any response we receive.

Back to top

America COMPETES Act:

Congressman Welch voted in support of H.R. 2272, the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education and Science Act (COMPETES) Act, a major part of the House Democrats' Innovation Agenda.

The bill authorizes funding for programs to create more qualified teachers in science and math fields and to support scientific research and innovation through the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

H.R. 2272 is based on the 2005 National Academies report, "Rising Above the Gathering Storm," which found that the U.S. could stand to lose its competitive edge without immediate action. The report was produced at the request of a group of bipartisan Congressional lawmakers.

The series of recommendations from that report included in the provisions of H.R. 2272 are:

• Keeping the National Science Foundation and the NIST research labs on a 10-year doubling path;
• Creating thousands of new teachers and provide current teachers with content and pedagogical expertise in their area of teaching;
• Expanding programs to enhance the undergraduate education of the future science and engineering workforce;
• Expanding early career grant programs for outstanding young investigators at both the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy;
• Strengthening interagency planning and coordination for research infrastructure and information technology;
• Establishing and Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy to recruit and hire the nation's most talented scientists and engineers who will research and rapidly develop clean, revolutionary energy technologies to be pushed from the lab into the marketplace.

The legislative package authorizes a total of $22 billion over fiscal years 2008 - 2010 for research, education and other programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF); $2.65 billion for the research labs, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and other activities at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST), and $17 billion, over fiscal years 2008 to 2010, for programs at the Department of Energy (DOE), including $150 million for K-12 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educational programs.

H.R. 2272 is a result of a conference with Senate competitiveness legislation, S. 761. The Senate is expected to consider H.R. 2272 either this week or when they return from recess. 

Back to top