Lynchburg, VA - Senator Mark Warner says the Senate needs to act on legislation to help small businesses as soon as they return from recess. He met with about 25 business owners Friday at Inklings Bookshop in Lynchburg.

He's been working on a bill that would jump start lending to small businesses and give them about $12 billion in tax breaks. Warner says in the past, small businesses have created about two-thirds of the jobs coming out of a recession.

"We're starting to see those small businesses that normally get through downturns actually go out of business, and the big problem is they can't get credit. So I need to put out my ideas, but I also need to hear their ideas," Warner said.

Warner also toured Babcock and Wilcox. He says another way to improve the economy is to give large companies the confidence to start investing.