Senators Reid, Landrieu Discuss Impact of Jobs Bill to Boost Innovation by Small Businesses

Nevada Senator Harry Reid [pictured] and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, chair of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, today discussed the U.S. Senate’s third jobs bill: Reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research [SBIR] and Small Business Technical Transfer [STTR] programs.

First passed under President Ronald Reagan in 1983, these initiatives have awarded more than 89,000 research and development grants worth more than $28 billion to help thousands of small businesses across the country expand and hire new workers.

The senators were joined on the call by Dr. Kenneth Eilertsen, Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Louisiana-based NuPotential Inc., and Jim Hodge, Chief Technical Officer of southern Nevada-based K2 Energy Solutions Inc. Both companies have taken advantage of the SBIR and STTR programs.

"Tens of thousands of small businesses like Nevada-based K2 Energy Solutions have taken advantage of these innovation grants to create jobs and discover the exciting, new products that will keep America competitive in a 21st century global economy," Reid said. "These grants have a highly successful track record. They have helped launch new ideas -- everything from the electric toothbrush, to satellite antennae that helped first responders in Haiti, to technologies that keep our food safe and our military’s tanks from overheating in the desert.

"The only way to turn our economy around is to continue investing in the small businesses in Nevada, and across our country, that are come up with the next brilliant technological advancement that will put people back to work."

"We have already created the formula to get the best return on our investment in small, high-technology firms," said Sen. Landrieu. "Businesses like Mezzo Technologies in Louisiana, which began with only two employees, now has an annual payroll of $1.2 million. That’s putting Americans back to work with cost-effective investments in America’s entrepreneurs through programs like SBIR and STTR.

"In addition to the good return on investment from Mezzo, we’ve got the undeniable success of Qualcomm. With roughly $1.5 billion in SBIR awards, Qualcomm now pays more than $1 billion in annual taxes -- essentially paying for half of the SBIR and STTR programs each year.

"Clearly, there is a plan of action in place. Now it’s time for to execute, and I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting America’s innovators and job creators."

Since the SBIR and STTR programs began 28 years ago, Louisiana has received nearly $60 million and 239 grant awards for its small-business community. Louisiana-based NuPotential received more than $550,000 in STTR grants in collaboration with Louisiana State University to improve cattle somatic cell nuclear transfer [cloning] using NuPotential technology.

Over the last three decades, Nevada has received more than $76 million in grants -- 224 awards, with an average of $341,549 per award -- placing Nevada seventh among all states in dollars-per-award average and well above the national average of $316,341 per award per state.

The Henderson, Nev.-based company, K2 Energy Solutions -- one of the nation’s leaders of rechargeable battery technology -- has received nearly $140,000 in SBIR grants to create an updated BB-2590 battery for the U.S. Army that is three times as powerful, can be used longer, is lighter-weight, capable of a faster recharge, and costs less than the original. Such improvements will drastically reduce the number of batteries that troops must carry in the field, and save weight and logistics needed to transport the battery to the field.

After 10 short-term reauthorizations since 2008, the Senate will soon vote to give stability to the SBIR and STTR programs, so that they can continue to support America’s small businesses. Stay tuned...

SOURCES: GovTrack.us, U.S. Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
____________________

Introducing the Mailstation 2™ Digital Mailing System from Pitney Bowes -- The Easiest Way for Your Small Business to Send Mail and Packages. ^AF

Sen. Reid Announces Small Business Committee Assignments for 112th Congress

Today, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid [D-Nev., pictured] released Small Business Committee assignments for the 112th Congress.

"I am looking forward to continuing to work with the members of this committee in the new Congress," said Sen. Mary L. Landrieu [D-La.], selected to continue in her role as committee chair.

"We have taken some extraordinary steps over the last two years to improve access to capital for small businesses," Landrieu noted, "to promote trade and exporting opportunities, and to ensure that small businesses receive their fair share of federal contracts.

"But our work is not finished. We have built the foundation for small businesses to lead our economic recovery and to create jobs. Now, it is time for us to strengthen those initiatives, so that our nation’s job creators can truly succeed in today’s competitive global marketplace."

Members of the Small Business Committee for the 112th Congress include Carl Levin [D-Mich.], Tom Harkin [D-Iowa], John Kerry [D-Mass.], Joseph Lieberman [ID-Conn.], Maria Cantwell [D-Wash.], Mark Pryor [D-Ark.], Benjamin Cardin [D-Md.], Jeanne Shaheen [D-N.H.], Kay Hagan [D-N.C.], Olympia Snowe [R-Maine], David Vitter [R-La.], Jim Risch [R-Idaho], Marco Rubio [R-Fla.], Rand Paul [R-Ky.], Kelly Ayotte [R-N.H.], Mike Enzi [R-Wyo.], Scott Brown [R-Mass.] and Jerry Moran [R-Kan].

SOURCES: Harry Reid: United State Senator for Nevada [photo], U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
____________________

Business Proposals: It’s All About Trust. [affiliate link]

Democrats Call on Government to Increase Minority Advertising Contracts

Today, leading Senate and House Democrats urged federal agencies to take an active role in increasing the amount of federal advertising contracts awarded to disadvantaged and minority-owned businesses. Their action comes in response to a report by the Government Accountability Office [GAO], to be released today, concluding that federal agencies are falling short of the standards set by an executive order [E.O. 13170], issued in 2000, calling on the government to “aggressively” reach out to minority and underserved firms.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid [D-Nev.], Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Chairman John Kerry [D-Mass.], senior Senate Judiciary Committee member Chuck Schumer [D-N.Y.], and Congressional Black Caucus Chair, Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick [D-Mich., pictured] today sent letters to the Departments of Defense and the Treasury expressing concern for their poor record of awarding contracts to minority and disadvantaged businesses. They also asked the agencies to outline specific steps they are taking to increase contracts with minority advertising firms.

The Defense Department awarded minority advertising firms only 1.8 percent of contract dollars and paid them, on average, nearly 84 percent less per contract than majority firms. The Treasury Department awarded minority advertising firms only 1.9 percent of contract dollars and paid them, on average, nearly 47 percent less per contract than majority firms.

The GAO also reviewed the records of three other agencies, which all spent more advertising dollars with minority firms: Health and Human Services Department [24.6 percent], Interior Department [6.4 percent], and NASA [88.9 percent].

“I am deeply concerned that the Departments of Defense and Treasury are denying minority advertising firms the opportunity to work with the federal government,” said Sen. Reid. “That they may even be discouraging hiring minority firms and paying them nearly 84 percent less than majority firms is even more disturbing. We will continue to aggressively monitor these and other federal agencies to make sure that our government meets our own standards of contracting with minority firms.”

“This report shines a spotlight on the federal government’s failure to make equal opportunity a reality, not just rhetoric,” Sen. Kerry noted. “The Defense and Treasury Departments are woefully behind the curve. Awarding less than two percent of advertising contract dollars to minority-owned and disadvantaged firms is unacceptable, and this report must be a wake-up call. My committee will keep up the pressure and stay on top of this until these agencies drastically improve their contracting practices.”

“The federal government is supposed to be doing everything it can to help minority businesses, yet the Departments of Defense and the Treasury are penny-pinching and falling far short of federal goals,” said Sen. Schumer. “These standards were established to foster minority business growth and to make sure that federal advertising is crafted by a diverse community of talented entrepreneurs. These departments need to do an about-face and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that minority-owned advertising businesses are getting the fair shake that they need and deserve.”

“Despite an executive order, federal agencies are not providing minority business owners -- who pay taxes, provide jobs, and help strengthen our economy -- with equal opportunities in the federal contracting process,” declared Congresswoman Kirkpatrick. “Failure to promote inclusion and fairness in contracting is not only an egregious disservice to America’s families, but it is also a mockery of the promise upon which our country was founded.

“We must continue to advocate for the underserved and underrepresented, and encourage our government to lead by example. Diversity is America’s strength. By expanding access, we improve our ability to compete in the global marketplace, ensure that all people have the chance to achieve their potential, and enhance efforts to build a united America.”

The report, which was requested by Sens. Reid, Kerry and Schumer, will be released by GAO sometime today.

Sources: Federal Register, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
____________________

Introducing iWork '08. Now with Numbers '08. Just $79. Free Shipping.