Firms Face Hurdles Overseas By Angus Loten, Wall Street Journal August 25, 2011 When Nancy Simmons was contacted by customers in Brazil about buying refurbished aerospace parts from her Orlando, Fla., plant, she wasn't sure how to handle the language barrier. None of her eight employees spoke Portuguese, and she didn't have the… Read more »

Trade Pacts Urged for Export Growth By Angus Loten, Wall Street Journal July 28, 2011 With a target of doubling exports by 2015, the Obama Administration needs to push through pending free-trade pacts with Colombia, Panama and South Korea to level the playing field for smaller U.S. exporters, House lawmakers said Wednesday. “Until the administration and Congress act on these… Read more »

Lawmakers Revisit Some Worries About Consumer Bureau By Ben Protess, New York Times July 28 With the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau formally opening its doors this month, a year after Congress created it to oversee Wall Street’s biggest banks, some lawmakers have begun sounding alarms once again about its impact on community banks… Read more »

Treasury Releases Funds to Spur Business Lending By Glenn Somerville, Reuters July 7, 2011 Six community banks will get $123 million from a special fund at the U.S. Treasury Department that was created to spur lending to small businesses but has drawn criticism for being slow to kick into action. Treasury said the disbursements, the first… Read more »

Chairman Sam Graves Discusses Small Business Uncertainty on MSNBC's "Your Business" "There is so much apprehension out there, in terms of small business"     CLICK HERE to view On Sunday, Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), Chairman of the Small Business Committee, appeared on MSNBC’s "Your Business" show to… Read more »

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to Testify Before Small Business Committee Wednesday WASHINGTON, DC— On Wednesday, June 22nd, House Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) will hold a full committee hearing entitled, The State of Small Business Access to Capital and Credit: The View from Secretary Geithner. “One of the biggest issues faced by small businesses is the… Read more »

Rep. Jeff Landry Highlights Unnecessary Regulations That Are Killing Gulf Jobs "It’s hard to work and earn a living under those regulations" "Now tell me how regulations are not smothering our economy" CLICK HERE to view During today’s House Small Business Committee hearing to examine the impact on federal regulations on small… Read more »

House Panels Probing Contract Awarded to Perelman-Affiliated Company By Eamon Javers, CNBC   Two Congressional committees are investigating how a company affiliated with financier Ron Perelman won a massive federal contract for smallpox antiviral medicine, CNBC has learned. At issue is whether or not Perelman’s Democratic political… Read more »

Eye on Albany: Hanna Hopes to ‘Harvest’ Jobs By Robert Harding, Auburn Pub Rep. Richard Hanna unveiled his plan to grow jobs in upstate New York this week. Hanna’s plan, called the “HARVEST” plan, focuses on seven areas: High-tech manufacturing, agriculture, reforming taxes, veterans in the workforce, education, strengthening small… Read more »

Graves: Small Businesses Key to Economic Recovery By Rep. Sam Graves Special to Roll Call June 9, 2011 On Friday it was announced that once again many Americans were handed a pink slip instead of a paycheck. May’s disappointing unemployment numbers are more proof of the failed big-government policies of the Obama administration and are why we… Read more »