October 2, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10489 

local Postal Service employees. His 

work as Las Vegas Postmaster was recognized in 1988 by the Direct Marketing 

Association, which awarded him the 

National Postmaster of the Year 

Award. In 1991, I was happy to join my 

friend and colleague Senator Richard 

Bryan in honoring Postmaster Ryan 

with the U.S. Senate Productivity 

Award. 

Beyond his work with the Postal 

Service, Mr. Ryan has been an active 

member of the Las Vegas community 

and has given his time and efforts to 

improve this fast-growing city. He 

worked with the Nevada Development 

Authority, served on the board of the 

United Way of Southern Nevada, and 

was a member of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Leadership Group. 

Joe and his wife Pamelia have been 

married for over 50 years and have four 

children and three grandchildren. Mr. 

and Mrs. Ryan are especially proud 

that all four of their children are college graduates. Joe Ryan has served 

the Postal Service admirably and has 

contributed greatly to our community, 

so it is fitting that the Congress recognize his hard work by naming a post office in his honor. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed 

in the RECORD. 

There being no ojbection, the text of 

the bill was ordered to be printed in 

the RECORD, as follows: 

S. 3681 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in 

Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. JOSEPH A. RYAN POST OFFICE 

BUILDING. 

(a) DESIGNATION.—The facility of the 

United States Postal Service located at 5070 

Vegas Valley Drive in Las Vegas, Nevada, 

shall be known and designated as the ‘‘Joseph A. Ryan Post Office Building’’. 

(b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, 

map, regulation, document, paper, or other 

record of the United States to the facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to 

be a reference to the ‘‘Joseph A. Ryan Post 

Office Building’’. 

By Ms. SNOWE (for herself, Ms. 

CANTWELL, and Mr. STEVENS): 

S. 3682. A bill to provide incentives to 

small business concerns for innovative 

energy-efficient technologies and products, and for other purposes; to the 

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. 

Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise in 

support of the Small Business Energy 

Innovation Act, which I am introducing today to inspire Americans to 

invest in the technologies that will ultimately solve our energy crisis. As our 

country confronts the challenges of an 

economic crisis it is essential that the 

financial resources for our nation’s energy entrepreneurs are sustained. This 

legislation will provide technical assistance and make financial resources 

available to ensure that energy 

innovators have greater access to capital to develop meritorious energy 

ideas. 

One of the truly concerning aspects 

of the current financial situation is 

that loans to small businesses are becoming more difficult to obtain. One 

industry in particular, our clean energy sector, is working harder to find 

startup funds in order to help meet the 

challenges of greenhouse gas emissions, energy costs to consumers, and 

our reliance on foreign oil. At a recent 

speech in Atlanta, author Tom Friedman urged America to retake the lead 

in the world through innovation in 

‘‘ET’’—Energy Technology. Friedman 

said the United States needs to ‘‘invent 

a source of abundant, cheap, clean, reliable electrons.’’ He compared the 

‘‘ET’’ movement to the ‘‘IT’’, Information Technology, movement of the last 

decade. The author called on Washington to create the environment and 

the incentives to allow the ET movement to prosper. 

As Ranking Member of the Small 

Business Committee, I have heard 

countless stories of small business success and how the Small Business Administration can facilitate the transition of a small business to a major 

company. Nowhere is this role more 

critical than in our renewable energy 

sector. Businesses and families are 

struggling with the inordinate costs of 

diesel, gasoline, electricity and home 

heating oil. Yet, we know that our 

country can do better. We must develop technologies that allow Americans to utilize clean energy from 

America’s resources. Accordingly, my 

legislation would create a Director of 

Energy Innovation in the Small Business Administration who is entrusted 

with coordinating energy innovation at 

the SBA and ‘‘promoting energy independence.’’ 

In addition, the legislation provides 

grants of up to $200,000 for nonprofits 

to assist small businesses that are developing renewable energy systems, advanced energy efficiency systems, advanced transportation fuels, carbon 

capture and sequestration practices, 

advanced electrical generation, efficient end-use energy technologies, production facilities for fuel efficient vehicles, and pollution control equipment. 

These critical initiatives require expertise that is, in many cases, difficult for 

a small business to find. This provision 

will assist small businesses in bringing 

products to market. 

The Small Business Energy Innovation Act creates in the Department of 

Energy a grant program of up to 

$250,000 for small businesses that are 

working to improve our energy security. When you consider the potential 

dividends of this investment, this critical seed money for energy innovators 

who are leading our energy revolution 

is a prudent investment. The potential 

rewards to our economy, our environment, and our national security are 

well worth this modest government expenditure. 

Finally, this legislation develops a 

small business guaranteed loan program that is modeled after the loan 

guarantee program that was authorized 

in the 2005 Energy Bill. The current 

loan guarantee program is fostering 

the development of commercial scale 

innovative technologies for large companies, while this legislation will develop a corresponding small business 

loan program. Loan guarantees will enable the Department of Energy to 

share some of the financial risks of 

projects that employ new or significantly improved energy technologies 

that will move our country towards energy self-sufficiency. 

I hope that this legislation, coupled 

with the America Competes Act, which 

I cosponsored last year, will bring 

about the research and entrepreneurship that our country requires to claim 

the lead in producing energy efficient 

products. I look forward to working 

with Chairman BINGAMAN of the Energy Committee and Chairman KERRY

of the Small Business Committee and 

my other colleagues to pass this legislation and create a strong commitment 

to the energy innovators who possess 

the ideas that will facilitate the end to 

our reliance on foreign oil. 

f 

SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS 

SENATE RESOLUTION 702—COMMENDING DAVID J. TINSLEY ON 

HIS SERVICE TO THE UNITED 

STATES SENATE 

Mr. REID (for himself and Mr. 

MCCONNELL) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to: 

S. RES. 702 

Whereas Dave Tinsley, a native of the 

Commonwealth of Virginia and graduate of 

Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland, has worked in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate since October 1977; 

Whereas Dave Tinsley has served the Senate with distinction as a staff assistant, a 

reference assistant, as the assistant Executive Clerk, assistant Journal Clerk and assistant Legislative Clerk; 

Whereas Dave Tinsley has, since 1999, 

served as the Senate’s Legislative Clerk and 

Director of Legislative Services, supervising 

36 employees and has at all times discharged 

his duties with dedication and diligence; 

Whereas Dave Tinsley’s sonorous voice is 

known to all in the Senate and the C–SPAN 

audience; 

Whereas Dave Tinsley has earned the respect and affection of the Senators, their 

staffs and all of his colleagues for his calm 

and kind demeanor and his good humor; and 

Whereas Dave Tinsley now retires from the 

Senate after 31 years to spend more time 

with his wife, Jane, and his children, Joe, 

Dan and Katie: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate expresses its appreciation to Dave Tinsley and commends 

him for his lengthy, faithful and outstanding 

service to the Senate. 

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate 

shall transmit a copy of this resolution to 

David J. Tinsley. 


rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with SENATE