Agency Accountability Act of 2024

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7103) to amend the Small Business Act to require Federal agencies to testify and report on scores received under the scorecard program for evaluating Federal agency compliance with small business contracting goals, to testify for failure to meet Governmentwide contracting goals, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7103, the Agency Accountability Act of 2024, introduced by Representatives Stauber and McGarvey. H.R. 7103 holds Federal agencies accountable for failing America's small businesses.

The Federal Government is one of the largest customers in the world. In order to ensure small businesses are able to access this vital customer, President Ronald Reagan signed into law a goal for Federal agencies to award a certain percentage of government contracts to small businesses. Not only has this opened the Federal marketplace to small businesses, it also ensures a strong and resilient industrial base in America.

Unfortunately, not every Federal agency is meeting the commitment to contract with the little guys. Worse than that, when an agency misses its small business contracting goals, they face no consequences.

The Agency Accountability Act will help solve these issues. This bill will force agencies to testify to Congress and explain why they aren't meeting their small business goals and what they will do to rectify these issues.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 7103, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation that will ensure small businesses have access to one of the largest customers in the world, the Federal Government. I thank Congressmen Stauber and McGarvey for working on this legislation that will help our government meet its contracting objectives.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in favor of the Agency Accountability Act. I will start by thanking the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. McGarvey) for his support with this legislation.

I can think of no better way to start off National Small Business Week than by passing legislation to ensure the Federal contracting system has a fair playing field for even the smallest of our businesses.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They are the innovators, the job creators, and the driving force behind economic growth. In Minnesota, small businesses account for over 99 percent of all businesses and employ over half of the workforce.

The very least that we can do is to ensure that small businesses have every opportunity to contract with the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world, the Federal Government.

Right now, Federal agencies set goals for awarding contracts to small businesses, but meeting those goals is often treated like a suggestion and not a requirement. The result? Too many agencies fall short, leaving billions of dollars out of reach of American small business owners.

My bill, the Agency Accountability Act, changes the game. It shines a spotlight on agency performance by requiring public testimony for failures. Agency heads will answer directly to Congress for missing goals, explaining why they haven't prioritized small businesses and what they will do to fix it.

This isn't just about finger-pointing. It is about finding solutions. Public

scrutiny, paired with mandated reporting on scoreboard performance, will expose systemic roadblocks and identify best practices.

Our small businesses are more than just economic engines. They are the embodiment of the American spirit, equipped with creativity, resilience, and a fierce determination to succeed. This bill gives them a fighting chance, a seat at the table, and the opportunity to prove themselves on the national stage.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Agency Accountability Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Agency Accountability Act. I thank Chairman Williams, Ranking Member Velazquez, and my colleague from Minnesota, Representative Stauber, for bringing this important bill forward and getting it to the floor.

As Representative Stauber said, small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. They are what keep things moving. In Louisville, our small businesses are so special. We have a saying in our small business community that says ``Keep Louisville Weird,'' meaning make sure our small businesses are here and they are thriving.

One of the reasons I enjoy being on the Small Business Committee is we get together every week, and we talk about what small businesses need and how we can make sure we are helping foster the growth and entrepreneurship that keep America's small businesses moving forward.

When you look at what small businesses need, however, they need a fair shot, among other things. The Federal Government is the largest purchaser of goods and services around the world, so we have recognized that the Federal Government must engage in purchasing things from our small businesses.

Representative Stauber, a former hockey player, knows a rule isn't any good unless it is enforced. With the Federal Government having a quota, what happens if it doesn't meet it? This bill answers that question, and it says that we must hold failing agencies accountable, that if they aren't meeting their quota of purchasing from small businesses, that they are going to have to come before the House and the Senate and testify as to why.

I am proud to support this bill because it makes sure that we are continuing to support our small businesses all over this country, and I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Agency Accountability Act.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Mr. Stauber and Mr. McGarvey, for their work to bring this bipartisan bill to the floor today.

In an effort to ensure that small firms can participate in the Federal marketplace on a level playing field, Congress sets a goal for Federal agencies of annually awarding at least 23 percent of prime contracting dollars to small businesses. These goals have helped millions of small businesses compete and have helped the government leverage their creativity and innovation.

Many Federal agencies regularly meet or even exceed their individual goals, but some do not, and they are not formally penalized for this failure. This legislation would apply additional pressure to Federal agencies to meet their small business goals by requiring them to testify before us when they fail. It is a productive step that will add additional congressional oversight to maximize contracting opportunities for small government contractors.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. McGarvey), the ranking member of the Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, I emphasize that this bill specifies that agencies that have not met two or more of their subcategory goals must also testify before our committee.

Each of the categories, including and especially the WOSB program, continue to need additional focus to ensure that the government's acquisition professionals are maximizing contracting opportunities for those small businesses.

Again, I thank the sponsors of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.