Floor Statements

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1490, the 504 Modernization and Small Manufacturer Enhancement Act of 2021.

When capital options are limited for a small business, the SBA offers numerous lending programs, including the 504/Certified Development Company Loan Program. Also known as a 504/CDC loan, the program provides long-term and fixed-rate financing that primarily supports purchases of real estate and machinery.

Due to the program's unique cost structure that includes a small business, a lender, and a certified development company, the process is often lengthy and cumbersome. H.R. 1490 takes important steps to streamline the closing process and ensures the Nation's job creators move through the program in a smooth and efficient manner.

Additionally, H.R. 1490 enhances the 504/CDC loan program for America's small manufacturers. By increasing the maximum loan amount for small manufacturers, H.R. 1490 ensures these small businesses have the capital to expand and create jobs in Missouri and beyond.

Enhancements to lending resources and tools, such as those outlined in H.R. 1490, is exactly what our small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups need.

I want to highlight the work of Ms. Craig from Minnesota, Mrs. Kim from California, Mr. Chabot from Ohio, and Ms. Davids from Kansas on this important matter. I would also like to thank the chairwoman for her efforts as well.

The changes in H.R. 1490 will improve delivery of the 504/CDC loan program for all of America's small businesses. I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 1490.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), someone who believes in cutting red tape to help ease the regulatory burden on all our small businesses.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney), a small business owner herself who knows the importance of cutting red tape and how it can be linked to success of a small business.

Madam Speaker, we have one more gentleman coming, but there is a long path between his office and here. Apparently he is not here on time, so I am prepared to close.

Madam Speaker, as our economy continues to recover and as our small businesses rebuild, existing Federal Government programs, tools, and resources need to be ready to provide assistance. Processes that are slow and unwieldy must be examined and retooled to ensure they are working on behalf of small businesses and the American public.

H.R. 1490, the 504 Modernization and Small Manufacturer Enhancement Act of 2021, takes these steps to streamline the program while ensuring it is a viable option for small businesses as they recover and grow.

Additionally, H.R. 1490 places a direct focus on our Nation's small manufacturers. We must continue to work in a bipartisan manner to ensure these programs are ready for recovery.

With that, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1490.

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

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

I rise in support of H.R. 1482, the 504 Credit Risk Management Improvement Act of 2021.

I thank the chair again for advancing all these bills that are meant to assist small businesses across the Nation. I also thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Bishop), the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), the gentlewoman from Kansas (Ms. Davids), the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Craig), as well as the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) for working in a bipartisan manner to strengthen the 504/CDC loan program.

Government programs, especially government guaranteed loan programs, are only as strong as the oversight that is required.

In order to protect and safeguard American tax dollars, executive branch agencies must have a watchful eye focused on these programs.

The Office of Credit Risk Management is a division at the Small Business Administration that is charged with overseeing many of the government guaranteed lending programs that the SBA offers to small businesses. H.R. 1482 ensures the Office of Credit Risk Management has a trained eye focused on the 504/CDC loan program.

Specifically, the legislation outlines how the office should conduct reviews under the lending program.

Additionally, H.R. 1482 details the enforcement authority of the Office of Credit Risk Management. These enhancements will ensure the program operates effectively and efficiently into the future.

Lastly, the bill requires the SBA to clearly and concisely define how the 504/CDC loan program operates in conjunction with the Nation's environmental laws and rules. Unfortunately, this process currently lacks certainty by the SBA.

Simply put, Federal Government programs require robust oversight and the

programs must have clear rules for small businesses. H.R. 1482 addresses both of these issues head on.

Madam Speaker, I urge and recommend all my colleagues to support H.R. 1482, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), the former chairman of the Small Business Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), a really hard worker and a big supporter of small businesses around this country.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Bishop).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Oversight of Federal Government programs is paramount to ensure American taxpayer dollars are used wisely. H.R. 1482 not only increases the oversight capabilities of the SBA over the 504/CDC loan program, but also requires clear and concise guidance for small business owners moving forward. There are sound changes that will improve the program for future 504/CDC borrowers.

I applaud all Members for working on this legislation and all of the small business bills before us today. We must continue to put our Nation's job creators at the forefront of this economic recovery.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take a few moments to make a couple comments here with regard to all the bills that we have offered here today. All these bills dealt with things that deal with oversight.

We, as legislators in this body, have two jobs. One is to provide legislation to improve the lives of our businesses and the people in this country, protect our country. Second is to provide oversight over all of the activities that go on within the executive branch, as well as the judicial branch, to whatever extent we can.

In our committee, we oversee the legislation with regard to the Small Business Administration, as well as oversight of their activities. We have come to find over the last several weeks here that the inspector general reports that the SBA is not being run as well as it should. There is fraud rampant in some of the programs, which is verified by the AG reports. We have a new Administrator who has got her hands full because of the lack of knowledge of what goes on with all the brand-new things going on.

So we have got a real problem and we, as legislators, have got to step up. These bills today are just one step in the process of providing the kind of oversight that it takes. We will continue to provide oversight, I can assure you. And those listening and watching today need to take heart in the fact that we are going to continue to provide the kind of oversight over the Small Business Administration and all of its programs that we have been tasked with and are responsible for.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1482, the last bill we will discuss today, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 1799, the PPP Extension Act of 2021, as amended.

The Paycheck Protection Program has proven to be a successful rescue vessel for millions of small businesses across the country. When COVID- 19 wiped out their operations, their plans, and their next steps, the PPP provided stability and confidence to small businesses in a time of darkness.

With over two rounds of funding, the program has provided 7\1/2\ million loans for approximately $687 billion. According to the SBA's own statistics, the program assisted or saved roughly 50 million American jobs from April of last year to August of last year.

This has been a monumental task for the SBA and the Department of Treasury. However, more work needs to be done to ensure this program can wrap up smoothly for small businesses and lenders.

Currently, PPP loans are facing lengthy delays as error codes force multiple back-and-forth conversations between small businesses, lenders, and the SBA. It is these cross-checks that are creating uncertainty as to how the loans will proceed.

Complicating this even further, the PPP is set to expire 2 weeks from tomorrow, and the SBA is reporting that the end date will prevent all loans that are currently in the pipeline from being processed.

Under no circumstances should an American small business that applied for a PPP loan have their loan discarded due to a bureaucratic technical delay at the SBA. Simply put, if they completed their PPP paperwork on time, their loans should be considered.

To correct this, H.R. 1799, the PPP Extension Act, provides a 30-day exclusive window for the SBA to fully process and consider all PPP applications that are received before the program concludes.

Additionally, given the current demand for the PPP and the billions of dollars remaining within the program, H.R. 1799 extends the application window for 60 days.

As a reminder, Congress reformed and replenished the PPP in December with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, providing the program with $284.5 billion. This funding should be reserved solely for American small businesses and should remain available to them through a program that is proven to be successful.

I thank Chair Velazquez for working in a collaborative manner with me to ensure the program remains available to the hardest-hit small businesses through May 31 and that the SBA will have enough time to fully consider and address all error codes.

Additionally, I look forward to working with Chair Velazquez to address other PPP issues in the coming weeks.

I applaud the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim) and the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. Bourdeaux) for working efficiently and in a bipartisan manner to address these issues that are creating uncertainty across the Nation.

I urge and recommend all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1799, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).

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

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, through no fault of their own, small businesses were forced to change how they operated in the face of COVID-19. Some adapted; some had to change their product lines; and unfortunately, some had to close.

As a response, Congress created the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program. Its impact and effectiveness have been instrumental to the small business economy.

With technical difficulties plaguing applications and a fast- approaching deadline, H.R. 1799 provides a targeted, straightforward approach to addressing these issues.

H.R. 1799 will extend the PPP for 60 days through May 31 and extend a 30-day exclusive window to the SBA in order to address all outstanding PPP applications.

The program was always meant to be temporary assistance to struggling small businesses. The PPP Extension Act will provide small businesses and lenders the confidence they need while also creating a plan for a smooth conclusion of the program.

As America continues to open up and recover, small businesses will drive our economic recovery forward.

Madam Speaker, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that this bill stands as one of the most impactful bipartisan pieces of legislation to advance in Congress this year. I thank Chairwoman Velazquez for her sincere efforts and hard work on this. I look forward to working with her, on a bipartisan basis, on other issues for the remainder of our term here. And I hope that this bipartisan product will serve as a prime example of what can get done in Washington when both sides come together and talk through the issues.

Madam Speaker, I recommend and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1799, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, most of us had that special teacher growing up who went the extra mile and left a lasting impression on us. All these years later a few still come to mind right away. Recently a Missouri teacher, Robin Mach who teaches preschool in the Meramec Valley R-III School District, gave a whole new meaning to ``going the extra mile'' and became a real-life hero when she donated a kidney to one of her students.

Kayleigh Kulage was born premature at 26 weeks weighing only 15 ounces. From her very first day on earth Kayleigh had to fight for her survival and persevere in the face of the longest of odds, including living the first five years of her life with failing kidneys. In the summer of 2019, a Doris Hoffman Early Learning Center teacher met Kayleigh Kulage at a dentist office in Pacific, Missouri and encouraged the Kulage family to apply for educational services. In the fall of 2019, Ms. Robin, as Kayleigh calls her, began providing in-home educational services to Kayleigh. One year later, Kayleigh met the criteria to be placed on the transplant list. Ms. Robin talked to the Kulages about the donation process and ultimately decided to get tested to see if she would be a match for Kayleigh. As fate would have it, the two were a match, and on February 3, 2021, Robin and Kayleigh had successful surgeries to complete the transplant.

Robin Mach began working with pre-kindergarten students in 1999 and has long been known for going above the norm for her students. Dr. Stephanie Bechard stated, ``Ms. Robin has always had a very strong sense of community and supporting our students outside of school. She always thinks of others in need and sees how all things affect our students and families. Her heart for our students, families, and community is monumental.''

Monumental is an excellent way to describe the selflessness Robin Mach has displayed. She risked her life for her student and in doing so changed lives of that little girl and her family forever. She is a true hero among us, and we are lucky to have her educating our students and our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to honor the life of Sergeant James Cook, who was tragically killed while serving as a security guard at the MetroLink Delmar station. This is especially heartbreaking as James leaves behind a wife and two young daughters. Along with being a husband and father, James was a veteran who served this country bravely for eight years in combat in Afghanistan and Africa. After his service, James would carry on his service to the community by continuing his work in law enforcement as a jailer in Crawford County. It is always a tragedy when a hero like James is taken. We must continue to honor him by living in service to others just as James did during his life. He will always be remembered for his sacrifices to his nation and his love for his family. I thank him for his service, and I wish my most sincere blessings to his family. May he now peacefully rest with God and watch down upon his wife and daughters as they live life in his honor. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the life of Sergeant James Cook.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of Senator Roy Blunt, Congressman Sam Graves, Congressman Billy Long, Congressman Jason Smith, Congresswoman Ann Wagner, Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, and Congressman William Lacy Clay to congratulate Seth Daniel Appleton on his confirmation to the position of Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

While working for two Members of our delegation, myself and Representative Sam Graves, Seth showed an exceptional ability of working across the aisle to achieve bipartisan policy solutions. As a legislative staffer he managed numerous policy areas including housing, banking, defense and agriculture. He excelled in his duties, eventually rising to the position of Chief of Staff in my office.

It was in this role that Seth truly showed his ability to excel in housing policy. Working for the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance and with fellow Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver as the Ranking Member, they coauthored the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act, which unanimously passed the House and Senate and was signed into law in 2016. Seth was a key part of the passage of this bill, advising me every step of the way.

Madam Speaker, we are pleased that the U.S. Senate has confirmed Seth to be Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research. Housing issues are not only of vital importance to our home state of Missouri, but to the Nation as a whole, and we have no doubt that Seth will find great success in this distinguished role.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Camdenton LASER 3284 robotics team on their great success at the 2019 FIRST Robotics World Championship.

For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition is held each year for robotics teams around the country to compete and display their ingenuity. Camdenton LASER 3284 has competed in this competition since 2010, and every year the team has taken home numerous awards for their work and team spirit. This year, the team built a 125-pound robot, named Decennium, stemming from the Latin root ``dec,'' to commemorate their 10th year of competition.

Decennium competed in the Deep Space FIRST Competition. The robot exemplified the team's creativity and bright innovation, making the quarterfinals in their division, bringing home the World Championship division Underwriter Laboratory Safety award for the third consecutive year, and receiving the highly esteemed Engineering Inspiration Award. This award is given to the team that most demonstrates outstanding success in advancing the respect and appreciation of engineering within the team's school, community and beyond.

Camdenton LASER 3284 team is no stranger to hard work, building community, and team pride. This is evident in the history of the team's achievements, and this year because of their great success they have prequalified for the World Championship in 2020.

Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in congratulating the members of Camdenton LASER 3284 team, Maya, Vanessa, Zane and Nick for a job well done.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Blair Oaks Falcons Baseball team for winning the 2019 Missouri Class III State Baseball Championship.

This team and Coach Mike DeMilia, should be commended for their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. This is Blair Oaks' third state championship win in the history of their baseball program.

Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in recognizing the Blair Oaks Falcons Baseball team for a job well done.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Gabe Kurtz of the Camdenton High School Lakers for winning the 2019 Missouri Class IV State Javelin Throw Title. This is the second year in a row Gabe has won the state championship title.

Gabe and Coach Nick Bruck, should be commended for their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state title to their school and community.

Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in recognizing Gabe Kurtz for a job well done.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the St. Dominic Crusaders Girls Soccer team for winning the 2019 Missouri Class III State Soccer Championship.

This team and Coach Greg Koeller, should be commended for their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. This is the first state championship win for the girls' soccer team since 2013, with many more to come.

Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in recognizing the St. Dominic Crusaders Girls Soccer team for a job well done.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating my hometown high school, the St. Elizabeth Hornets Baseball team for winning the 2019 Missouri Class I State Baseball Championship.

This team and Coach, Caleb Heckemeyer, should be commended for their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state championship to their school and community. This is the first year since 1997 the Hornets have won the title, with many more good seasons to come.

Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in recognizing the St. Elizabeth Hornets Baseball team for a job well done.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Coach Linda Lampkin on her retirement after a remarkable 40-year career at Hermann High School.

Coach Lampkin is a Missouri high school sports icon. Growing up in Berger, she spent her childhood in the same school district she would later dedicate four decades of her adult life to--Gasconade County R-I schools in Hermann, MO. At Hermann High she excelled in softball and volleyball before going on to play volleyball at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri.

In 1979 Coach Lampkin returned to Hermann to begin her teaching and coaching career. Throughout her years at Hermann High, she filled a variety of positions including: physical education, health, and weightlifting teacher; athletic director, assistant principal, and coaching both volleyball and softball. Starting as the assistant volleyball coach, she became head coach in 1980 and held the position for an astonishing 39 years.

Throughout her Hall of Fame career, Coach Lampkin's teams accomplished unbelievable success. Her teams won 22 Four Rivers Conference championships, 32 district championships, qualified for the final four 24 times, and won 13 state championships. 49 young women who played for Coach Lampkin have received All State honors. It's safe to say if you played volleyball at Hermann High over the last 40 years, you experienced a great deal of success.

Twelve times over the course of her career Coach Lampkin was named Coach of the Year by the Missouri Coaches Association. In 2011, she was named to the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Two years later she was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of fame.

Even with all that success and countless accolades I believe Coach Lampkin would say her greatest accomplishment was the positive impact she had on so many lives. She helped shepherd countless young women into adulthood who, in many cases, got to watch their own daughters play for arguably the best volleyball coach in Missouri's history. As a parent and grandparent there are few greater comforts than knowing when your children leave for school they're being taught and cared for by people of the highest integrity. Thanks to Coach Linda Lampkin, parents in Gasconade County have been given that comfort for 40 years.

Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Coach Linda Lampkin on an extraordinary career and wish her all the best in her much- deserved retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary life of David Ryan Hurst.

David Ryan Hurst represented the very best among us. While his life was taken far too soon it was filled with purpose, dedication, and sacrifice while here on earth. David was born on June 14, 1992 in Belleville, Illinois. Upon graduating from high school, he joined the brave men and women of the United States Army. Unfortunately, he was only able to serve a few short months before sustaining a broken back and being discharged.

After leaving the military, David's commitment to his country and community did not stop. He accepted a job as a reserve officer for the Bellflower Police Department in Montgomery County, Missouri where he worked over 60 hours a month for free. He truly believed that being an officer was not just a job but answering the call to serve his community. From there, he became a patrolman for the Wellsville Police Department just up the road from Bellflower.

Outside of work David filled his life doing the things he loved most: fishing, rooting on the St. Louis Cardinals, and most importantly being a dedicated father to his son and daughter Meia and Wyatt and loving husband to his wife Anna.

At 10:42 p.m. on May 16 of this year, David passed away after his brave battle with cancer. Appropriately, the time, 10:42 translates in law enforcement's 10 Code to the end of duty. Perhaps this was God's way of letting us all know that his soldier, his officer, and our hero had been called home.

Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring the life of David Ryan Hurst.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. and Mrs. Carl and Janet Brewer and congratulate them on their 50th Wedding Anniversary. The Brewers will celebrate this incredible milestone anniversary on June 14, 2019.

Carl and Janet both grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. They married at age 16 and have been by each other's side ever since. The couple eventually moved to Lohman, Missouri then to Wardsville where they still reside today. Both dedicated their lives to public service and the betterment of our community while working for the Missouri Department of Revenue. Carl's dedication as a public servant did not start and stop there. His service in our military and as a policeman at the John Cochran Hospital and Jefferson Barracks is a perfect example of a man who put the lives of his neighbors and fellow Americans before his own.

Now, both retired from the Missouri Department of Revenue, Carl and Janet most enjoy spending time with what they consider their proudest accomplishment: their family. They have been blessed with a son, Carl Brewer II and daughter, Stephanie Brewer Palmer. Stephanie and her husband Jason have given the Brewers the greatest gift a family can receive with the birth of their granddaughter, Miranda.

When they aren't spending time with their family, the Brewers can often be found at Solid Rock Family Church in Jefferson City where they attend service each Sunday and Wednesday. Along with their congregation and family, I thank the Brewers for their many contributions to Missouri and our community.

Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mr. and Mrs. Carl and Janet Brewer on their 50th Wedding Anniversary. May they have many more happy years to come.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to discuss an issue that is probably on the radar for almost everybody in this country that is watching or listening, but it involves new accounting standards being proposed called CECL.

This is supposed to put some transparency into the balance sheet for people investing in banks, but it has a far-reaching impact in credit unions, debt collection, and all sorts of other funds, including the GSEs and credit cards; yet this accounting standard is being promoted by the Federal Accounting Standards Board without any study to show whether it is going to have an impact or not on our economy and on our consumers.

The Home Builders Association says, for every $1,000 incoming into the cost of a home loan, 100,000 people across this country will no longer have access to home loans.

What a dramatic impact on low- to moderate-income folks as well as our economy as a whole, as well as to financial institutions as a whole.

The result of this, in other words, whenever this thing is implemented, when we have a downturn in the economy and all of a sudden you have to reserve additional money because of that, it will exacerbate, in my opinion, the downturn.

This is a horrible deal. We need to take another look at it. We need to stop it and study it.