The Senate approved H.R. 366 by unanimous consent without amendment yesterday, so it’s a done deal.
SBIR extended until May 31st
Now it’s up to us to get the word on the value of SBIR to as many of our legislators as we can reach.
In the President’s speech the other night, he talked specifically about the value of small business innovation. That give us precisely the platform we needed to drive the message home to our elected Representatives.
Here’s exactly what he said:
Now, the true engine of job creation in this country will always be America's businesses. (Applause.) But government can create the conditions necessary for businesses to expand and hire more workers.
We should start where most new jobs do -- in small businesses, companies that begin when -- (applause) -- companies that begin when an entrepreneur -- when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream, or a worker decides it's time she became her own boss. Through sheer grit and determination, these companies have weathered the recession and they're ready to grow. But when you talk to small business owners in places like Allentown, Pennsylvania, or Elyria, Ohio, you find out that even though banks on Wall Street are lending again, they're mostly lending to bigger companies. Financing remains difficult for small business owners across the country, even those that are making a profit.
So tonight, I'm proposing that we take $30 billion of the money Wall Street banks have repaid and use it to help community banks give small businesses the credit they need to stay afloat. (Applause.) I'm also proposing a new small business tax credit -- one that will go to over one million small businesses who hire new workers or raise wages. (Applause.) While we're at it, let's also eliminate all capital gains taxes on small business investment, and provide a tax incentive for all large businesses and all small businesses to invest in new plants and equipment. (Applause.)
What I wished he would have said next was,
“And, while we’re at it, let’s expand and improve the successful Small Business Innovation Research Program, to give those entrepreneurs who have good ideas the opportunity to build a company and create high-paying jobs, by asking them for more proposals on how to solve some of the toughest technological problems our Government Agencies face, and then funding the best of those proposals. And the good news is that this doesn’t take any new spending. SBIR is included as a portion of their R&D budgets already.”
Betcha that would have gotten some applause too!
So that’s got to be our message. Let’s get it out there!
Fred
