Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2025

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the proud great- granddaughter, granddaughter, and daughter of New Hampshire small business owners. I proudly represent New Hampshire on the Small Business Committee here in the House of Representatives, and today, I am very proud to be a cosponsor of this important bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 832, the Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act. I am very proud to be doing this together with Chairman Williams, Congressman Van Drew, and Congressman Tran.

My family's small business story is an American story. It is a New Hampshire story. My home State is home to more than 136,000 small businesses. That is 99 percent of all New Hampshire businesses and more than 305,000 small business employees.

Small businesses are truly the beating heart of New Hampshire's economy, from our cutting-edge aerospace and life sciences companies to our retailers on Main Streets. From my hometown, Nashua, all the way up to the North Country, New Hampshire small businesses are truly world class.

At a moment when big businesses in our economy are more consolidated than ever before in so many industries, small businesses are living through some of the most truly uncertain times in American history, from the threats of Federal funding freezes to the threats of trade wars against our neighbors and allies.

In Congress, I am fighting every single day to ensure that New Hampshire small businesses get true advocates and a seat at the table in trade negotiations and discussions that impact our international and interconnected economy. I am looking for a level playing field for small businesses to compete and equal access to critical Federal resources.

I have traveled all across New Hampshire and heard directly from small business owners and employees about the concerns they have about the use of tariffs, which are an important tool in leveling the economic playing field, but they will have a real impact on our small businesses in New Hampshire.

I am really proud to be a part of cosponsoring this legislation because what it is going to be is a commonsense solution to empower an important office within the Small Business Administration, the Office of Advocacy, to represent small businesses on international issues.

It is a critically important seat at the table for our small businesses at a time when they need advocates here in Congress and throughout the executive branch.

I am very proud to be a part of this legislation, and I thank Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Velazquez for keeping the Small Business Committee one of the most bipartisan committees in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 832) to clarify the primary functions and duties of the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration, 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 in support of my bill, H.R. 832, better known as the Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act.

I thank my colleagues, Representatives Van Drew, Tran, and Goodlander, for joining me in support of this critical legislation.

By design, the SBA Office of Advocacy acts as the independent voice representing the views and interests of all small businesses within the Federal Government. This means calling attention to harmful regulations and inefficient rules preventing small businesses from competing for government contracts.

This legislation would clarify the functions and duties of the SBA Office of Advocacy when advocating for small businesses on the world stage, specifically when regulatory international trade initiatives are being developed.

Small business voices can easily be drowned out during these important conversations. This legislation fixes that problem by ensuring the views of Main Street are represented and heard before foreign governments and international entities.

My hope this Congress is that we can continue to look for bipartisan ways to make the SBA Office of Advocacy more effective in helping our American small businesses.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 832, the Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2025.

The Office of Advocacy was established in 1976 to be an independent voice for small businesses within the Federal Government and is tasked with representing the views of small businesses before Congress, the White House, and other Federal agencies.

The office has regional advocates on the ground that provide outreach to small businesses, local chambers of commerce, and other associations to hear firsthand the concerns of small businesses. It works closely with Federal agencies to elevate these concerns throughout the rulemaking process.

Over the years, their work has saved small businesses billions in regulatory costs while still accomplishing the important goals of the regulations. However, their charter does not specifically state that they have the authority to represent the views and interests of small businesses before foreign governments and international entities.

As our economy has become increasingly more interconnected and more small businesses are tapping into international markets, it makes sense to give the office the authority to advocate on behalf of small businesses overseas.

The Office of Advocacy has proven to be a strong proponent for small businesses in the Federal Government and is well-poised to promote their views in the international regulatory arena.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Williams, Mr. Tran, Mr. Van Drew, and Ms. Goodlander for their bipartisan work on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Tran).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Goodlander).

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 832, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, America's small businesses are the backbone of Main Street America, yet too many of them face roadblocks when trying to do business with the Federal Government's largest buyer, the Department of Energy. That is why I proudly introduced the DOE and SBA Research Act, which strengthens the relationship between America's small businesses and the Department of Energy.

This legislation creates a partnership between the Department of Energy and the Small Business Administration for joint research. It expands opportunities for entrepreneurs to fuel innovation and drive economic growth, and it provides small businesses with a clear, more direct path to collaborate with our national labs on groundbreaking research and technology development.

Brookhaven National Laboratory in my district is a perfect example of how small business and Department of Energy partnerships can transform a region into a premier center for scientific innovation. The partnerships made possible by the DOE and SBA Research Act will empower Main Street America to contribute to cutting-edge

research, drive the Department of Energy's mission, fuel American ingenuity, and keep America at the forefront of scientific innovation and technological advancements.

I thank my colleagues, Representatives Morrison and Thanedar, for joining me in introducing this important bipartisan legislation.

This legislation passed the House with unanimous support last Congress. Unfortunately, we couldn't get it over the finish line in the Senate in time, so I thank Chairman Williams for his important leadership in getting it back to the floor and across the finish line a second time in the House. We will get it done this time.

I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 832, the Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act.

This bipartisan bill would provide small businesses with improved access to international markets by expanding the function and duties of SBA's Office of Advocacy.

In particular, the bill authorizes the office to represent the views and interests of small businesses in international discussions and analyze international economic data for the benefit of America's small business owners.

As the world becomes more and more connected, participating in the global economy is vital to small businesses' success.

I proudly represent California's 45th Congressional District, an international hub for America's small businesses. Businesses in my district connect with diverse companies and international markets every day and are a dynamic part of the economic engine driving southern California. Over 90,000 small businesses call Orange County home, including many in Little Saigon, where exporting and importing goods and working with partners overseas is an important part of their success and allows them to grow.

This bill would ensure that small businesses have a strong voice advocating on their behalf regarding international matters and help us to better understand how international economies impact our Nation's small businesses.

I am proud to be a co-lead on this bill, and I thank Chairman Williams and Ranking Member Velazquez for working together to advance this bill to the floor, as well as my colleagues Congressman Van Drew from New Jersey and Congresswoman Goodlander from New Hampshire, for working with me to improve SBA's Office of Advocacy.

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