Washington Report: Updates from Capitol Hill

Democrats Gear Up for 2010

President Barack Obama and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine outlined this week the party’s strategy for the 2010 midterm elections. Ever since Theodore Roosevelt was in office, first-term presidents have lost an average of 28 House seats and 4 Senate seats during the midterms. Democrats are hoping to minimize their losses by running a campaign based on what they’ve accomplished so far with the support of the voters who helped Obama win in 2008.

In a video released on Monday, Obama issued a call-to-action to those voters, urging them to “stay involved.” The special interest groups that “rule Washington,” he warned, are gearing up to put their allies back in power so they can undo what Democrats successes, such as healthcare reform.

“It will be up to each of you to make sure that the young people, African Americans, Latinos, and women who powered our victory in 2008 stand together once again,” he said. “If you help us do that–if you help us make sure that first-time voters in 2008 make their voices heard again in November–then together we will deliver on the promise of change and hope and prosperity for generations to come.”

David Bositis, senior political analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, said that if African Americans turn out en masse as they did two years ago, young voters would be a bonus for Democrats. According to Bositis, a significant number of black voters live in states where there will be some very competitive races for Congress and statewide, where they can make a difference, so Obama’s appeal is a good idea.

“They will still lose some seats, but they’ll do okay,” he said.

Kaine announced on Wednesday that Democrats plan to spend approximately $50 million to woo first-time voters and past supporters. In addition, Democrats will run as the “Party of Results “and bill Republicans as obstructionists who put the needs of Wall Street above Main Street’s.

His prepared remarks reportedly included comments that Republicans also would try to suppress low-income and minority voters from casting ballots this fall, that weren’t delivered. That didn’t stop the GOP from calling foul, however.

“Out of options, the president and his top campaign aide are going back to the Democrats’ worn-out playbook

and making false and reprehensible comments accusations of voter suppression,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele in a statement. “At what point will Chairman Kaine and the Democrats realize that polarizing this country on the lines of race is not only passé, it’s wrong and ineffective.”

Others charged both Obama and Kaine with playing the race card, which Bositis said is ludicrous and suggests that they do not take the problems of race in this nation seriously.

“Social norms in this country have changed to the degree that it’s seriously frowned upon by most decent people to use overtly racist language so they use coded language,” said Bositis. “And clearly their attitude toward Obama and the things they say about him are a reflection of their general attitudes toward black people and those attitudes are negative.”

Greater Broadband Access for Small Businesses Sought

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs that depend on broadband and information and communication technologies will grow by 25% between 2008 and 2018. In addition, broadband connectivity can be powerful tools to help small businesses reach new markets, increase productivity and efficiency, and generate economic

growth, said Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski in testimony before a Senate small business panel on efforts to expand small business Internet access.

According to FCC reports, businesses with 25 or fewer employees pay two times more per employee for broadband than those with more than 25 employees. The agency’s National Broadband Plan encourages broadcasters to give up unused spectrum so it can be used to expand broadband services to small businesses around the nation.

Genachowski said that the FCC’s Office of Communications Business Opportunities is working with various business chambers to improve digital literacy among minority and women-owned businesses as part of its efforts to support and encourage diversity in the telecommunications industry.

Those efforts also include workshops and roundtable discussions on broadband’s impact on small and diverse businesses, capitalization challenges, and a networking program to connect those firms with larger telecommunications firms.

“Expanding broadband access and adoption is not just the FCC’s job; we all have a role to play,” said Senator Mary Landrieu, who chairs the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship. “We have some challenges ahead, and it’s important that we understand how to best work together to implement our National Broadband Plan to benefit small businesses, particularly in rural, underserved and unserved areas of the nation.”

SBA Announces Energy Efficiency Aid to Small Businesses

Does your business need an energy upgrade? The Small Business Administration announced on Friday that it has awarded small business energy efficiency grants to Small Business Development Center (SBDC) networks in seven states.

Each grant is in the amount of $125,000 and will be used to provide energy assistance. Small businesses will receive education, training, energy efficiency audits, and information on how to adopt energy efficient practices. They may also receive help with the purchase and installation of energy-efficient building fixtures and equipment.

“It’s a win-win because a small business saves on energy bills while contributing to the growth of green jobs in other local businesses,” said SBA Chief Karen Mills. “The grants contribute to SBA’s efforts to help small businesses facing increasing costs of fossil fuels and diminishing energy resources.”

The SBDCs that received grants are in Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Idaho, New York, Nevada, and Nebraska. The latter four will use the grants to expand existing programs.