Plain Language in Contracting Act

Mr. Speaker, America's southern border is not a social construct.

On a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border this past weekend, an academic from a prestigious institution shocked our bipartisan group by stating that he teaches students the border is a social construct to facilitate the free flow of people and ideas.

What the heck, Mr. Speaker?

It is appalling, but it sheds light on the ideology guiding President Biden's border policy decisions. These decisions include: halting border wall construction, implementing a mass parole system, and failing to promptly expel noncitizens who illegally cross in between ports of entry.

This mindset ignores the fundamental importance of border security and the rule of law. By dismissing the border as a mere social construct, it undermines the legitimate efforts to protect our Nation's sovereignty and ensure the safety of our citizens.

We must reject such dangerous rhetoric and work toward policies that prioritize border security.

accessible federal contracting for small businesses

Mr. Speaker, the hurdles facing America's small businesses in obtaining Federal contracts are unjustifiably high.

These businesses, the lifeblood of our economy, shouldn't require a legal team or extensive compliance infrastructure just to compete for Federal contracts. That is why I have introduced H.R. 7987, the Plain Language in Contracting Act, aimed at simplifying the process for small businesses to secure government contracts.

I extend my gratitude to my colleague, Representative Thanedar of Michigan, for co-leading this crucial legislation across party lines.

With over 33 million small businesses in America, only a small fraction secure Federal prime contracts. Many entrepreneurs cite the complexity of government procurement processes as a major deterrent. The language used in contract solicitations is often ambiguous and unnecessarily complex, deterring small businesses from even attempting to bid.

A study by the Naval Postgraduate School revealed that less than 3 percent of DOD contract solicitations are written in plain English. This complexity drives small businesses away from Federal contracting, eroding competition, and harming our economy.

My bill mandates Federal agencies to use clear language in contract solicitations, fostering greater accessibility to contracts for small businesses.

I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation, recognizing the pivotal role small businesses play in our Nation's economy.

Let's pave the way for a more accessible Federal contracting process for all businesses. Doing so benefits small businesses, the Federal Government, and its taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7987) to require plain language and the inclusion of key words in covered notices that are clear, concise, and accessible to small business concerns, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 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. 7987, the Plain Language in Contracting Act, introduced by Representatives LaLota and Thanedar.

Far too often, the government uses language that is difficult to understand when it solicits contract opportunities. No one feels the burden of this government-speak more than small business owners looking to break into the Federal marketplace.

We have heard from small business owners about how their limited resources often prevent them from employing a team of attorneys to sift through government solicitations to interpret what the government is actually trying to purchase. One entrepreneur even told our committee that they examined thousands of government contracts, and only 3 percent were written in a way that someone without a college degree could understand.

The number of small businesses contracting with the government has been shrinking for years. We consistently hear that the barriers to entry are simply too high.

H.R. 7987 will finally remove this barrier facing small businesses by forcing the government to take commonsense action and write contract solicitations using simple and plain language.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 7987, the Plain Language in Contracting Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaLota).

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressmen LaLota and Thanedar for this bill. Interpreting the Federal contracting language should not be a barrier that small businesses need to overcome in order to compete for a government contract.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I hear what the ranking member is saying. It is a great week for small business and the National Small Business Week we have ahead of us.

This is another example of what this committee is doing, Mr. Speaker, on bipartisan legislation that we are getting out to help America. We can get it done in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their work on this bill, which states that certain contracting documents should be written in a way that is ``clear, concise, and accessible'' for small businesses.

This bill is an attempt to reduce confusion and add clarity for some small firms that contract with or are looking to contract with the Federal Government.

While we have concerns about how elements of this legislation could be implemented, simplifying the contracting process and recruiting new entrants into the Federal marketplace are priorities that we share. There are certainly ways for the government to improve in both of those areas.

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

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

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

Again, I thank the sponsors for their work on this bill, and I believe that the goals are laudable.

It is a mandate of our committee to regularly review the processes that SBA and Federal agencies put in place to recruit, retain, and contract with small businesses--and do so with the goal of making it easier for them to compete for and win Federal awards.

Given that small businesses are leaving the Federal market at a record pace, and fewer small businesses are choosing to work with the government to begin with, we must use the tools available to us to provide remedies where we can.

In closing, I thank the chairman and the sponsors of the legislation for their commitment and dedication to our Nation's small business owners.

National Small Business Week is a good reminder that we need to work together in a bipartisan way to create more opportunities for our Nation's 33 million entrepreneurs.

Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I didn't mention there are a sizeable number of Democratic bills that have been reported favorably from the committee but have not been scheduled for the floor.

In a spirit of bipartisanship, which is what National Small Business Week showcases to our constituents, I look forward to the chairman bringing more of these bills to the floor soon.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7987, the Plain Language in Contracting Act, which I am co-leading with Representative Nick LaLota of New York. I applaud Representative LaLota's leadership, and it is a pleasure to work with him on this bipartisan bill.

I am also, as an entrepreneur, delighted and excited to be working on the Small Business Committee led so well by Chairman Williams and Ranking Member Velazquez.

Having experienced the challenges of running a small business, I recognize the urgent need to cut through the jargon of bureaucracy and provide clear, concise, and accessible information to our Nation's small business owners.

This bill would require all notices related to small business concerns to comply with the Federal plain language guidelines established by the Plain Writing Act of 2010, reflecting our core values of transparency, efficiency, and unwavering dedication to fostering a level playing field for all businesses, regardless of size.

By including key words and sticking to the Federal plain language guidelines, we are not just drafting legislation. We are empowering small businesses to navigate the complexity of

government contracting with confidence and ease.

This is about more than just policy. It is about supporting our economy and ensuring that every entrepreneur has the opportunity to succeed.

Walking down the streets of my district, I meet a lot of small business owners every day. Often, I hear from these small businesses, the mom-and-pop shops, the entrepreneurs who are working so hard, that the complexity of the language contributes to the difficulty in obtaining Federal contracts.

This bill goes a long way in simplifying the matter, helping our small businesses that create most of the jobs to be able to acquire Federal contracts and work with the Federal Government.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, America's small businesses from Long Island and throughout our great country should not need an attorney on staff or a compliance department to apply for and win a Federal contract.

That is why I have introduced the Plain Language in Contracting Act, which is aimed at simplifying the process for small businesses to secure government contracts.

I extend my gratitude to my colleague, Representative Thanedar of Michigan, for co-leading this crucial legislation across party lines, and to the skipper, Chairman Williams, and his diligent staff for seeing to it that this bill got to the floor today.

With over 33 million small businesses in America, only a very small fraction win Federal contracts. Many entrepreneurs cite the complexity of government procurement processes as a major deterrent.

The language used in contract solicitations is often ambiguous and unnecessarily complex, deterring small businesses from even attempting to bid on a contract.

A study by the Naval Postgraduate School revealed that less than 3 percent of Department of Defense contract solicitations are written in plain English. This complexity drives small businesses away from Federal contracting, eroding competition and harming our economy.

My bill mandates Federal agencies to use clear language in contract solicitations, fostering greater accessibility to contract bids for small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation recognizing the pivotal role small businesses play in our Nation's economy. Together, let's pave the way for a more accessible Federal contracting process for all small businesses. Doing so benefits small businesses, the Federal Government, and all of our taxpayers.