FW: URGENT - NADCO Legislative Update and Request for Urgent Phone Calls to Senators TODAY

Please see email from NADCO[ 504 lenders]. It clearly spells out where we are with our SBA situation on financing.

Note HR 4213 is gone now and we are down to one last shot with HR 5297. Senators Boxer and Feinstein are supporting this.

SB Cal is working with NADCVO and the National Association of Government Lenders on getting this passed. The National Small Business Association is also working on this and did a press conference this morning with Senator Boxer.

Scott Hauge
President
Small Business California
2311 Taraval Street
San Francisco, CA 94116
shauge@cal-insure.com
415-680-2188




6764 Old McLean
Village Dr.
McLean, VA 22101703-748-2575

July 21, 2010

NADCO Legislative Update and Request for Urgent Phone Calls to Senators TODAY
This is an update on recent Senate actions on key legislation and an urgent request for your immediate actions to contact your Senators to ask for their support of HR 5297.

HR 4213 status: Last night, the Senate invoked cloture on a substitute amendment to HR 4213. This new amendment extends unemployment benefits, but nothing else. The original 504 and 7a fee offset funding and the 90% 7a loan guarantee we expected were stripped from this Senate amendment. We expect the Senate to pass this new bill language today. We also expect the House to quickly pass this narrow bill, and the President to sign it shortly. Again, this new bill does not contain any funding for SBA program fee reductions.

HR 5297 status: Still pending in the Senate is HR 5297, or the small business lending fund bill that could provide up to $30 billion in re-cycled TARP funds to community banks for lending purposes.
Senate majority leader Reid is expected to introduce an amendment to this bill that will NOT include the $30 billion in bank loan funds. Due to the efforts of the Senate Small Business Committee leadership, Senators Mary Landrieu (D-La) and Olympia Snowe (R-Me), we expect Reid’s amendment to include:

• Increase the 504 loan size to $5 million• Increase the 7a loan size to $5 million• Expand refinancing by 504 for businesses to retain jobs• Increase the size standards for 504• Extend the ARRA 504 first mortgage guarantee program for two years Further, and again due to the efforts of the Senate Committee leadership, an amendment may be included that extends and provides funds for 504 and 7a borrower fee relief until 12/31/2010. This would also extend the 7a 90% loan guarantee.

REQUEST TO EVERY CDC: With this new amended bill containing so many benefits for our small business borrowers now and in the future, we urgently request that you make immediate phone calls (letters and emails will not be read or have time to get there) to all Senate offices for states that your CDCs serve.

Ask every Senator to support and vote for HR 5297. If necessary, explain to them how these program enhancements will help the small businesses you serve to preserve and create jobs. THAT is the most important issue that will sway Senate votes.

Please call both Democrats and Republicans. Members of both parties should support this bill. You can access Senate offices either by going to the NADCO.ORG web site legislative section and getting your Senator’s phone numbers from our on-line directory (CapWiz), or be calling the Senate switchboard at 202-224-3121, and asking for the Senator’s office.

Please get back to us with a brief email on what your Senators agree to do. Thank you for your immediate action on this request. This is likely the last opportunity to get these changes done in this Congress. It must be done today.

Chris Crawford
President/CEO
703-748-2575
chris@nadco.org