Kerry’s Floor Statement on Relief For Small Businesses - Katrina

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John Kerry’s Floor Statement on Relief For Small Businesses Harmed by Hurricane Katrina
September 15th, 2005

The following is the text of Senator John Kerry’s Floor Statement, today on Relief For Small Businesses Harmed by Hurricane Katrina:

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to bring up Senate Amendment No. 1695 to the CJS FY2006 Appropriations Act. I offer this amendment with my colleague, Senator Landrieu, to provide comprehensive relief to the small businesses harmed by Hurricane Katrina. This assistance is necessary because of the two supplemental spending bills sent to Congress, not one penny of the combined $63 billion was for small business relief.

In spite of this gross omission, members have come to the floor to say we shouldn’t do any emergency assistance for Katrina victims on the Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill. Mr. President, I disagree. This appropriations bill is the funding source for the Small Business Administration, and it is through the Small Business Administration that disaster loan assistance is available, for homeowners and business owners, and it is through the Small Business Administration that the Federal government provides the full complement of assistance to the small businesses in our nation. The SBA is indispensable to the recovery of the Gulf region after Hurricane Katrina. If the Administration is not going to provide small business relief in the emergency spending bills its sends to Congress, this is absolutely appropriate.


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