Voinovich declares he'll push Obama small-business package
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WASHINGTON -- Retiring Sen. George Voinovich said he planned to help push a package of small-business incentives through the Senate next week, a move that would give President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats a key victory on the economy in the final weeks before the November midterm elections.
In an interview, Mr. Voinovich, R-Ohio, said he could no longer support efforts by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to delay the measure in hopes of winning the right to offer additional GOP amendments. Most of the proposed amendments "didn't have anything to do with the bill" anyway, Mr. Voinovich said, and amounted merely to partisan "messaging."
"We don't have time for messaging. We don't have time anymore. This country is really hurting," Mr. Voinovich said.
If a single amendment to reduce paperwork for business owners is considered on the floor, Mr. Voinovich said he told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., that he would add his vote to that of 59 Democrats. That would give the majority party the 60 votes needed to overcome a possible GOP filibuster and move the package to final passage when Congress returns to Washington next week.
The small-business bill is a top priority for Mr. Obama, who has repeatedly called upon Senate Republicans to drop their "blockade" of the measure. He mentioned it again during a speech Wednesday in Cleveland, arguing that the weeks of delay in the bill's passage "is actually leading [small-business owners] to put off hiring."
The package of tax breaks and other incentives includes a new loan fund that would encourage community banks to provide as much as $30 billion to small businesses, improving access to credit -- a problem hurting small businesses in Ohio, Mr. Voinovich said. He cited the case of a constituent whose business was turned down for a loan by 42 banks.
First Published September 10, 2010 12:00 am
