Last year, the FBI announced it had closed its investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks. Even though the government has decided to move on, some of us continue to have strong concerns about the FBI’s bungled investigation. All of us – but especially the families of the victims of the anthrax attacks – deserve credible answers about how the attacks happened and whether the case really should be closed.

I’m pleased to report that last month, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) – the investigative arm of Congress – agreed to investigate the scientific and technical methods used by the FBI, something I requested earlier this year. The GAO investigation will be the first Congressionally-directed investigation of the FBI’s handling of the case.

The investigation is welcome, as is an ongoing National Academy of Sciences examination into a range of scientific questions about the FBI’s scientific conclusions. Yet, I still am working to pass legislation to create a comprehensive Congressional commission to investigate the attacks and the federal government’s response to and investigation of the attacks. The bipartisan commission would make recommendations for preventing and responding to any future bioterrorism attack.

Tax Relief for Small Businesses

The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act, which I wrote about last week, is expected to be signed into law later this week. This is something that provides small businesses with the capital needed to get off the ground or expand operations.

In addition to the lending provisions I previously detailed, the bill contains significant tax relief. The legislation contains more than a dozen tax breaks to encourage small businesses to hire and reinvest in their companies. One tax incentive will allow small businesses to accelerate depreciation schedules on capital investments, allowing them to recover costs more quickly. Under another incentive, one million small businesses will be eligible to have all capital gains taxes eliminated for certain small business investments. The bill also will double the amount of start-up expenses an entrepreneur can deduct from taxes and allow self-employers to write off their health insurance costs. In all, these cuts and incentives for small businesses total $15 billion.

Share Your Story with the Library of Congress

You may be aware of StoryCorps, an independent non-profit that partners with the American Folk Life Center of the Library of Congress to collect stories from ordinary Americans, documenting their lives and experiences. Since 2003, StoryCorps has recorded more than 23,000 interviews with nearly 45,000 people. Some of the stories are broadcast on the radio. All of them are added to the archives of the Library of Congress.

Through October 3, a StoryCorps MobileBooth is at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, providing an opportunity to record, preserve, and share your own stories. If you want to set up a recording you can call 800-850-4406 or use the website.