'I support the GAO recommendations to strengthen responses to environmental exposures at our military installations,' said Hagan. 'It is absolutely necessary that our military provide effective, safe, and environmentally sound living and work spaces for our service members. Improved military responses would help protect our service members from environmental contaminants and help ensure that our military families are never again left struggling with the health repercussions that we have seen following water contaminations at Camp Lejeune.'

The GAO report outlines the following three recommendations:

· Establish procedures to track and document the status and nature of DOD responses to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) recommendations and findings of significant risk.

· Establish a policy that identifies when installations should consider requesting public health assessments in addition to the initial assessments at National Priorities List sites.

· Provide guidance on what actions, if any, DOD should take to identify and address possible health risks faced by individuals from past exposures at military installations.

Together, Senators Hagan and Richard Burr (NC) included key provisions in the FY2011 Defense Authorization bill requiring the Navy and Marine Corps to provide ATSDR a complete picture of all relevant Lejeune water contamination documents. This coordination was absolutely necessary to help ATSDR complete their studies, and provide an accurate picture of the contaminants that were present in Camp Lejeune's water supply.

Since coming to the Senate, Hagan has made it a priority to help provide closure to former Lejeune families. Hagan, along with Senator Burr, is a cosponsor of the Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act (S. 277) that would open access to VA health care for veterans and their family members who developed health problems after exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

'I'm glad that President Obama is in North Carolina this afternoon to speak directly to students about an important issue: preventing interest rates on student loans from doubling. If Congress does not act before July 1, interest rates on federal student loans will double and paying for college will become even tougher for some students in North Carolina and around the country.

'I'm proud that North Carolina is home to dozens of outstanding private colleges and universities, as well as the finest public university and community college systems in the country. Business owners I talk to routinely say that our highly educated and highly skilled workforce is what attracted them to North Carolina. And there is no doubt that the strength of our economy going forward depends on the continued strength of our education system.

'However, the rising cost of college is putting higher education out of reach for too many North Carolina students, and they cannot afford to have interest rates on their student loans doubled. Students deserve a fighting chance when they graduate; we shouldn't put them tens of thousands of dollars behind before they even reach the starting line. I will do my part to ensure students in North Carolina have the chance to thrive after graduating.'

'One way to get people back on the job is through small businesses. I recently announced legislation that will help small businesses grow by simplifying the application process when seeking federal assistance. Small businesses are powerful economic engines that employ almost half of North Carolina's private sector workforce, and we must ensure that we're helping them thrive. I will continue working to move our economy forward and supporting legislation that will put North Carolinians back to work.'

Senator Hagan invites anyone looking for a job and all businesses interested in recruiting new employees to her North Carolina Back to Work Job Fair at the Nash Community College Business and Industry Center on April 30th from 9 am until noon. The job fair is free to employers and job seekers. Businesses and employers large and small with open positions are strongly encouraged to participate. For employer questions or to register, please call Senator Hagan's office toll free at 1-877-852-9462 or register online at www.nashcc.edu/jobsfair. For more information about the jobs fair please click here.

'In these tough economic times, we need to protect taxpayers' investment of billions of dollars in student financial aid by ensuring that it is used to help students succeed in college, not on out-of-control advertising, marketing and recruitment budgets,' said Senator Hagan, a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. 'I am especially troubled by the tactics some for-profits have employed in targeting active duty servicemen and women and their families. North Carolina has one of the largest populations of active duty service members and veterans in the country, and each of these courageous men and women deserves access to a quality education. This legislation takes the most significant action yet to protect students, active duty military, veterans and their families from deceptive recruiting practices by some for-profit colleges.'

For a copy of Senator Hagan's full remarks and for graphs from her presentation, please click here.
For a photo of Senator Hagan and Senator Harkin at the bill's announcement, please click here.

'Today we are sending a strong message to colleges that choose to spend federal dollars on advertising at a time that middle class students and families are struggling to get ahead: find the money for marketing elsewhere, not from taxpayers. This is common-sense, fiscally responsible legislation to maximize financial aid dollars for educating students,' said Harkin, who is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. 'Our Committee's investigation revealed a staggering amount of money is being spent on advertising and recruiting from for-profit colleges that fail their students. Taxpayers should not be picking up the tab for colleges with dismal graduation rates that spend up to 30 percent of their revenue on marketing machines.'

While the majority of colleges and universities devote a small percentage of their revenue to advertising, marketing, and recruiting, the HELP Committee investigation of the for-profit higher education industry led by Chairman Harkin has revealed that several colleges with high dropout rates and low graduation rates devoted as much as 30 percent of their revenue to advertising, marketing and recruiting. This legislation would require all colleges and universities to pay for such activities with non-taxpayer dollars.

For a full copy of the Protecting Financial Aid for Students and Taxpayers Act, please click here.
For a one page fact sheet detailing the Protecting Financial Aid for Students and Taxpayers Act, please click here.  

Further analysis by the HELP Committee has revealed:

• Fifteen of the largest for-profit education companies received 86 percent of their revenues from federal student aid programs - such as the G.I. Bill and Pell grants;
• In Fiscal Year 2009, these for-profit education companies spent $3.7 billion dollars, or 23 percent of their budgets, on advertising, marketing and recruitment, which was often very aggressive and deceptive;
• These colleges not only outspend other institutions of higher education in their efforts to secure student enrollments, but such spending is highly disproportionate when compared to American businesses overall.
• One study found, 'In the corporate world, marketing budgets typically represent between 4-12 percent of sales,' and in the for-profit education sector, 'marketing budgets can approach a whopping 40 percent of tuition revenue.' 
• In contrast, the study found that nonprofit colleges and universities spend an average of one-half of one percent of their revenues on marketing.

The Veterans 4 Ventures initiative focuses on training veterans for jobs in programming, engineering and technology management and also teaches the skills necessary to build a startup utilizing intellectual property. The program will not only help fill an unemployment gap for veterans but will also serve as an economic and social lever for the city of Charlotte.

'CPCC is proud to support veterans in achieving their academic and career goals,' said Mary Vickers-Koch, dean of Business & Industry Learning. 'The College welcomes veterans and their families to a wealth of resources, starting with our Veterans Resource Center on the Central Campus.'

Click above to watch video of Senator Hagan speaking on the Senate floor to urge Congress to take action on the Violence Against Women Act

U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (NC), has launched an online petition and is asking North Carolinians to show their support for legislation that would help protect women from domestic violence and sexual assault. On average, 73 women, children and men are killed in North Carolina every year because of domestic violence.

Since its original passage in 1994, the Violence Against Women Act has transformed America’s criminal justice and victim service systems, helping to prevent and respond to domestic violence and sexual assault. The reauthorization that Senator Hagan is fighting for strengthens and streamlines crucial existing programs and incorporates new approaches to more effectively combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.
 
The reauthorization includes Hagan's Violence Against Women Health Initiative, intended to raise awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault among health care providers, allowing them to better assess and treat survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
 
Unfortunately there are those in Washington who are blind to the needs of these victims and are trying to prevent the passage of this bill. We need your help pushing forward the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.
 
To show your support for this critical legislation and to receive future updates on women’s rights and women’s health issues, enter your name and email address into the online petition:
 
I urge Congress to act with all possible speed to pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.  This legislation is critical to women’s health and well-being, and to the posterity of our country.

'Nearly half of all North Carolinians live in rural areas,' said Hagan, 'and these funds will support vital water treatment services to the rural communities of Lenoir and Yanceyville. Today's announcement is another example of the vital services and assistance that USDA Rural Development provides to North Carolina's rural communities.'

The North Lenoir Water Corporation in Caldwell County received a low-interest loan of $670,000 and a grant of $327,000. The funds will be used to construct a new 1.5 million gallon elevated water tank and the rehabilitation of one well and a pressure reducing station. The Town of Yanceyville in Caswell County received a loan of $673,000 and a grant of $327,000 that will fund the construction of a water line connecting to Danville, Virginia as an emergency water supply.

USDA Rural Development provides support for a host of essential public facilities and services, including water and sewer systems, housing, health clinics, emergency service facilities and electric and telephone service. The Water and Waste Disposal Direct Loans and Grant program provides helps communities with populations under 10,000 to develop water and waste disposal systems. The funds are available to public bodies, non-profit corporations and Indian tribes.

Small Business Common Application Act Background:

Whether it's applying for a grant, seeking technical assistance, or bidding on a contract, small businesses face a dizzying array of paperwork when interacting with the federal government. Different agencies will often ask for the same information from the same small businesses. Small business owners don't have the time or staff to navigate this intricate maze, and too frequently just avoid the hassle altogether, losing out on potentially significant business opportunities. According to a 2010 study from the SBA Office of Advocacy, it costs small businesses with less than 20 employees more than $10,500 per employee to comply with federal regulations. When compared to their larger counterparts, it costs small firms over $2,800 (or approximately 36%) more for each employee.

The Small Business Common Application Act of 2012 will reduce the resources that small business owners devote to applying for Federal assistance, and increase the Federal resources available to them by creating a common application that meets their needs. Modeled after the common application that allows college applicants to apply to multiple universities with the same application, the small business common application will allow small businesses to apply for all Federal assistance with a single form.

Web Portal
The bill charges the Small Business Administration (SBA) with establishing a small business common application and web portal within one year of enactment of the Act.

Task Force
The bill charges the Economic Development Administration (EDA) in the Department of Commerce - an office with a history of success in coordinating disparate Federal agencies - with leading an interagency Task Force to make recommendations for how best to implement the common application government-wide.

The Task Force will consist of one senior officer appointed by each of:
• The Administrator of the GSA
• The Administrator of the SBA
• The Director of the NIH
• The Director of the NSF
• The Pres. of the Export-Import Bank
• The Secretary of Agriculture
• The Secretary of Defense
• The Secretary of Health & Human Services
• The Secretary of Labor
• The Secretary of State
• The Secretary of the Treasury
• The Secretary of Veterans Affairs

The Task Force will also hold a public meeting to receive comments from small business owners directly. It must report its recommendations within 6 months of enactment to the SBA and other Executive agencies, which will then have 30 days to submit to Congress any recommendations for statutory changes that will be necessary to carry out the common application.

Comparison 
Here's how the common application compares with a few resources that are already available to small business owners:

Status	Site	Function
Existing	Grants.gov	Database for finding and applying for federal grants. Different applications required for different grants.
	Fedbizopps.gov	Database for finding and applying for federal contracting opportunities. Different bids required for different contracts.
	Central Contractor Registry (CCR)	Current and potential federal government vendors must register with CCR to facilitate electronic payments. CCR also acts as a central storage location for vendor data rather than each federal agency. However, agencies are not required to pull grant applicant data from CCR, and may request duplicate information from small businesses. Different grants and contracts require different applications and bids.
	Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)	Government-wide compendium of Federal programs, projects, services, and activities that provide assistance or benefits to the American public. Does not receive, review, process, approve, or deny applications.
In Progress	System Award Management (SAM)	Will combine eight federal procurement systems and the CFDA into one. With SAM, one user ID and password will store small business data for the government in a central place, allow a small business to register to do business with the government, and create one site to view business opportunities with the federal government.
Proposed	Hagan Common Application	Web portal that allows small businesses to use a single common application to apply for all kinds of federal assistance.

Timeline
Here is a timeline depicting how Hagan's bill will create the Small Business Common Application: