Northern Mariana Islands Small Business Access Act

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3496) to amend the Small Business Act for microloan eligibility for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam 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.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3496, the Northern Mariana Islands Small Business Access Act. This bill was introduced by Delegate King-Hinds and Representative Conaway.

The SBA microloan program provides entrepreneurs with access to small-dollar loans through qualified lenders. Sometimes, entrepreneurs do not need to access large sums of capital for their operations. That is where the SBA microloan program can help entrepreneurs get just enough capital to meet their exact needs.

Under current law, the SBA apportions microloan program funding to intermediaries in 55 States and territories. Unfortunately, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is excluded. This creates unnecessary barriers for small businesses in the Northern Mariana Islands by limiting

opportunities for local entrepreneurship and economic growth.

H.R. 3496 fixes this oversight and ensures that the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is included within the geographic scope of the SBA microloan program, increasing the number of States and territories eligible to receive microloan program funding from 55 to 56.

Expanding eligibility for the microloan program will help spur entrepreneurship, strengthen local economies, and ensure that small businesses in all States and territories have a fair opportunity to grow.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3496, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (Ms. King-Hinds), my good friend.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3496 to bring access to capital for small businesses in the Northern Mariana Islands. I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 3496, as amended, the Northern Mariana Islands Small Business Access Act.

This bill would include my district, the Northern Mariana Islands, in the Small Business Administration's microloan program. The microloan program issues loans of $50,000 or less at low interest rates to help small businesses that may be unable to access capital elsewhere, grow their businesses, or create jobs.

Since the program became operational in 1992, it has issued over 69,000 loans, totaling over $900 million, and supported over 250,000 American jobs. Despite the program's impressive impact for Americans across the country, the Northern Mariana Islands is the only State or territory not explicitly included under the law. This bill would simply add the CNMI to be eligible for the program alongside every other territory.

The CNMI is currently facing an economic crisis following the collapse of our primary industry, which is tourism. Local small businesses are struggling to get approved for affordable loans, in part because of this economic uncertainty. Gaining access to this program could help local entrepreneurs make the investments they need to help put our economy on a more solid footing.

Madam Speaker, I thank my co-lead on the bill, Representative Conaway, for his steadfast support, as well as Representatives Cisneros and Goodlander for also cosponsoring this legislation. I also thank Chairman Williams and Ranking Member Velazquez for their support and help in bringing this bill to the floor.

Again, my bill simply adds my district to the microloan program that is already available to all other Americans. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan, commonsense, no-cost bill.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3496, the Northern Mariana Islands Small Business Access Act.

This is a straightforward but important bill that expands access to SBA's microloan program to small businesses in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

These small businesses face unique challenges, as geographic isolation leads to higher costs for goods and services. Their economy is heavily reliant on tourism, which can ebb and flow with the economy and natural disasters.

Having access to affordable credit gives small businesses the ability to weather the storms and economic uncertainty and fully prepare for the next opportunity.

The extension of the microloan program to CNMI will be critical to support business growth, create jobs, and stimulate the local economy.

I have long supported efforts to ensure the territories have full access to SBA products and services. In previous Congresses, I worked with then-Representative Sablan to establish an SBDC center in CNMI, and I also worked to ensure that CNMI had access to the microloan program as part of a more comprehensive bill.

Unfortunately, the bill to improve the microloan program was not enacted into law. I am glad to be working across the aisle again to make sure territories receive full access to SBA services.

Madam Speaker, I urge Members to support this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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