Act TODAY!
We need your help to move the SBIR reauthorization forward in the next 10 days!
Congress reconvenes on Jan. 19, 2010, so most of your Representatives are in their home offices until then. Please visit them and/or their staffs before Jan. 19 and ask them to urge the House Small Business Committee to work with the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee to reauthorize the SBIR program before it expires on Jan. 31, 2010.
The reconciliation between the House and Senate versions of the SBIR program is being conducted by the staffs of the two committees. The Senate staffs have been very diligent in proposing compromises that SBTC supports. The House staff has not taken this as a critical issue and has delayed our important program through six Continuing Resolutions over 18 months!
Here is the status:
1. The Senate and the House both passed bills for reauthorization of the SBIR program and the two bills must now be reconciled by the staffs of the commit-tees.
2. The differences between the Senate position and the House is that the House favors:
(a) providing considerably more access for VC control of SBIR companies;
(b) much larger Phase I and Phase II awards;
(c) allowing some awards to go directly to large Phase II contracts, bypassing the Phase I competition; and
(d) reauthorizing the program for only 2 years instead of the Senate’s 14 years.
SBTC believes that the House position will dramatically change the program from a small business program with a level playing field for the smallest com-panies to one that favors larger, well-funded companies with lobbyists and large marketing departments.
We’ve prepared some talking points that you can download and take to your meeting with your Representative. If you can, invite them to your company to meet and speak to your staff. They are always pleased to have an opportunity to listen and spread their message to constituents.
Remember, they have to win reelection this year so they are looking for votes. This is a great time to talk to them and/or their staffs – they are in a mood to listen to constituents!
Please don’t be frustrated if you only get to meet with the staffs. They are the ones who gather the information on constituent issues and your message will get to your representative.
Thanks for your efforts and let us know how the meetings went.
Jere W. Glover
How to Find Your Representative:
To obtain the contact information for your representative and the location of their home office(s), please visit the SBTC/NSBA action center.
SBIR Reauthorization Talking Points
Click here for SBTC's one-page talking points that you can use in your meeting and share with your Congressional offices.
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