S6484 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 13, 2011 fact, university research led to skilled entrepreneurs and to help grow The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without groundbreaking discoveries such as the our country. objection, it is so ordered. polio vaccine, antibiotics, black-and- Finally, the Startup Act would en- f white television, barcodes, and, more courage progrowth State and local CONCLUSION OF MORNING recently, e-mail and Google. policies. To help bring more cutting-edge re- While Federal policies certainly im- BUSINESS search to the marketplace, my bill cre- pact the formation and growth of new The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under ates an incentive for universities to re- businesses, State and local policies the previous order, morning business is form their technology policies and also play an important role in their now closed. practices. The Startup Act requires the creation and growth. In order to iden- f tify the States which are the most en- top Federal R&D grant-making agen- AUTHORIZING APPOINTMENT OF trepreneur-friendly, this legislation cies to give preference to universities ESCORT COMMITTEE that have a proven track record of suc- will create the ‘‘State Startup Business cess in discovering commercial applica- Report’’ to analyze State laws and poli- Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask tions for their research. cies. The report will encourage healthy unanimous consent that the President Fourth, this legislation will enable competition and lead to the develop- of the Senate be authorized to appoint new businesses to attract and retain ment and expansion of progrowth poli- a committee on the part of the Senate highly trained workers, including those cies. to join a like committee on the part of who immigrate to our country. In conclusion, our first priority in the House of Representatives to escort Our country was founded on immi- Congress should be to create an envi- His Excellency Lee Myung-bak, Presi- grants who have long contributed to ronment that encourages companies to dent of the Republic of Korea, into the the strength of our economy by start- grow and create jobs. We know our House Chamber for the joint meeting ing businesses and creating jobs. In economy cannot continue on the path at 4 p.m., Thursday, October 13, 2011. fact, a 2007 study found that more than it is on. In a recent Chamber of Com- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without one-quarter of technology and engi- merce study, 64 percent of small busi- objection, it is so ordered. neering companies started in our coun- ness executives said they do not expect f try, from 1995 to 2002, had at least one to add to their payroll in the next year, EXECUTIVE SESSION key founder who was born overseas. and another 12 percent said they plan These companies produced $52 billion to cut jobs. in sales and employed 450,000 workers The Startup Act would encourage NOMINATION OF ALISON NATHAN in 2005 alone. American entrepreneurs to do what TO BE UNITED STATES DISTRICT Research shows that 53 percent of im- they do best: dream big and pursue JUDGE FOR THE SOUTHERN DIS- migrant founders of U.S.-based tech- their dreams. The American economy TRICT OF NEW YORK nology and engineering companies can and will recover when we give completed their highest degree at an American entrepreneurs the tools they American, a U.S. university. Unfortu- need to succeed. NOMINATION OF SUSAN OWENS nately, many foreign-born immigrants By removing those barriers to growth HICKEY TO BE UNITED STATES leave the States after they complete for new companies, attracting business DISTRICT JUDGE FOR THE WEST- their studies and return to their home investment, bringing more research ERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS countries to start businesses because from the laboratory to the market- they have a hard time securing a visa place, retaining talented entrepreneurs to stay in the United States. and skilled employees, and encour- NOMINATION OF KATHERINE B. It does not make much sense to make aging progrowth policies, we will spur FORREST TO BE UNITED STATES such an investment in these students growth in the marketplace and assist DISTRICT JUDGE FOR THE and then not give them the oppor- in putting people back to work. SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW tunity to apply what they have learned The ongoing debate about how to cre- YORK by starting a company in the United ate jobs needs to turn from rhetoric to The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under States that will generate jobs for other reality. Nothing in this legislation is the previous order, the Senate will pro- Americans. We should be doing all we designed to be highly partisan. It is de- ceed to executive session to consider can to attract and retain highly skilled signed to make certain Republicans the following nominations which the and entrepreneurial folks so they can and Democrats can come together with clerk will report. work in the field where they have stud- a plan that will make a difference. The bill clerk read the nominations ied and contribute to our economy. It is time for Congress to put policies of Alison Nathan, of New York, to be The Startup Act will help retain this in place that give job creators more United States District Judge for the talent in two ways. confidence and certainty in the mar- Southern District of New York; Susan First, it creates a new visa, called a ketplace. If we fail to act as we should, Owens Hickey, of Arkansas, to be STEM visa, for any immigrant who if we continue to ignore the economic United States District Judge for the graduates with a master’s or Ph.D. in problems facing our country, if we let Western District of Arkansas; and science, technology, engineering or partisanship and bickering get in our Katherine B. Forrest, of New York, to math. This will give those graduates way, we will reduce the opportunities be United States District Judge for the the opportunity to stay for up to 1 year the next generation of Americans have Southern District of New York. beyond their graduation date to find a to pursue the American dream. It is The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under job and put to work the high-tech our greatest responsibility as citizens the previous order, there will be 2 skills they learned and that our econ- of our country to make sure the next hours for debate with respect to those omy so desperately needs. generation of Americans can live in a nominations, with the time equally di- Second, the bill creates another visa, country with freedom and liberty and vided in the usual form. called an entrepreneur’s visa, for immi- have the opportunity to dream their Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask grants who register a business and em- dreams and see them fulfilled. unanimous consent that—it is now 10 ploy at least one nonfamily member I yield back and suggest the absence minutes past 12—the 2 hours be deemed within 1 year of obtaining that visa. of a quorum. as having begun at 12 so the first vote Once they have satisfied those require- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. will be at 2 o’clock. ments, the entrepreneur would be al- WHITEHOUSE). The clerk will call the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without lowed to remain here for an additional roll. objection, it is so ordered. 3 years if they employ additional em- The bill clerk proceeded to call the Mr. LEAHY. With the time equally ployees and further grow their busi- roll. divided as under the normal agree- ness. Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask ment. The goal of both these visas is to en- unanimous consent that the order for The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without courage innovation among highly the quorum call be rescinded. objection, it is so ordered. VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:29 Oct 14, 2011 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G13OC6.019 S13OCPT1 rfrederick on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with SENATE October 13, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6485 Mr. LEAHY. And that the time in Democratic leadership, Republican the Judiciary Committee. As many as quorum calls be equally divided. Presidents and Democratic Presidents. 25 States are served by Federal courts The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Especially for district courts, when with vacancies that would be filled by objection, it is so ordered. nominees were voted out of the com- these nominations. Millions of Ameri- Mr. LEAHY. With votes today on 3 of mittee with a bipartisan majority or cans across the country are harmed by the 30 judicial nominations reported fa- voted out unanimously, they were delays in overburdened courts. When vorably by the Judiciary Committee, voice-voted within a matter of weeks. most people go to court they do not the Senate will complete action on the That has changed: under President consider themselves Republicans or nominations that were part of the Obama, Republicans are delaying Democrats; they just know they have a unanimous consent agreement reached judges who were voted on unanimously reason to go to court. But they now 3 weeks ago, prior to the last recess. by every Republican and Democrat in find many vacant judgeships. They I want to thank the majority leader the Judiciary Committee. I do not cannot get their cases heard, and jus- for pressing at that time for Senate think that is right. tice delayed is, as we know, justice de- votes on all 27 of the judicial nomina- The path followed by the Senate in nied. tions then on the Executive Calendar. considering the nomination of Judge As I have said, we have 27 judicial Unfortunately, the Republican leader- Jennifer Guerin Zipps is the path that nominations remaining on the cal- ship would consent to vote on only 10 should be followed with all consensus endar—24 of them voted for unani- of those long-stalled nominations.