Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jorge Ramos, one of our nation's leading voices in Hispanic media who recently announced his retirement after nearly forty years with Telemundo 47.

Jorge has been with Telemundo 47's news team since the beginning, serving as an original founding member of the station's news operations. Throughout his time at Telemundo 47, Jorge helped the station achieve many milestones, including historic ratings. In both July and August of this year, the 11pm edition of Noticiero 47 Telemundo anchored by Ramos was ranked as the most-watched local newscast in the entire New York market, regardless of language.

Jorge began his media career in 1972, working at the radio station WKVM in Santurce, Puerto Rico. He later joined Telemundo 47 in 1979 where he served as the station's first field reporter. His talent and tenacity on camera was rewarded shortly thereafter when he was named news anchor--a position that he has held ever since.

Jorge is the recipient of seven Emmy awards for journalistic excellence and worked closely with the Tri-State's Hispanic community for over 35 years. Throughout that time, he has collaborated with many community organizations, non-profits and charities, in addition to serving as grand marshal and godfather of numerous parades throughout the Tri-State region.

Mr. Speaker, multiple generations of Telemundo 47 viewers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut look at Jorge as an extended member of their families. He has been a steady, calming and always-smiling presence at their dinner tables and in their living rooms for nearly forty years. Finally, Jorge is the proud father of a former Marine and has been a steadfast advocate for Hispanic veterans as they return into civilian life.

Mr. Speaker, Jorge Ramos has served our community and our country well. I would like to thank Jorge for his service and I am proud to recognize his many professional accomplishments.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6348, the Small Business ACE Act.

This important legislation updates SBA's outdated real estate appraisal threshold for the 504 loan program. It is vital for our country's small businesses that we keep current laws in sync with what is going on in the commercial market.

More importantly, this commonsense fix ensures as many small business borrowers as possible can affordably access the capital they need to grow their businesses and create jobs.

Finally, I would like to take a moment to recognize the chairman for his continued willingness to work across the aisle. He and his staff have set a bipartisan tone that I think all of us on this committee can be proud of. As a result, we are carrying out our responsibilities in a timely manner with input from both Republican and Democratic Members.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans), who is the ranking member on the Subcommittee of Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, with this legislation, we are only responding to the reality of the situation in the commercial lending market.

This is a commonsense fix with bipartisan support that will ensure small businesses are not unfairly burdened with appraisal requirements. Doing so allows small firms to allocate their working capital as wisely and efficiently as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6347, the 7(a) Real Estate Harmonization Act, which updates SBA's outdated real estate appraisal threshold for the 7(a) loan guarantee program.

The 7(a) loan program, the SBA's flagship lending product, is a vital source of capital for thousands of small businesses unable to secure financing through traditional lending. Today's bill brings the 7(a) program's real estate appraisal threshold in line with other Federal banking regulators, namely the Fed, OCC, and FDIC. In doing so, it eliminates the burden lenders currently face in having to meet two different standards. I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans) for his leadership on this important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bipartisan piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans), who is the sponsor of the bill.

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

This past spring, Federal banking regulators updated their threshold level for when a State licensed or certified appraisal is required, raising it to $500,000. In order to remain consistent with the rest of the market, SBA's levels should match the market. This bill does this by harmonizing the real estate appraisal threshold for the SBA's 7(a) program with the rest of the marketplace.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6316, the Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act.

There are nearly 30 million small businesses in the United States, representing more than 99 percent of all businesses. These small firms employ nearly 50 percent of all private sector employees in the U.S. The SBA's Office of Advocacy represents an important tool for these businesses because it is their voice that the office embodies in all matters of government.

Clarifying the authority of advocacy to examine international economic data and represent small business interests in international discussions, particularly in trade negotiations, raises the ability of small American firms to participate in a global market.

Mr. Speaker, that is why I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

There is no question that we need to support our small businesses across the country, no matter their location or industry, when they are attempting to break into international commerce. Today's bill leverages the unique position and knowledge of the SBA's Office of Advocacy to amplify the voice of small firms in international settings.

I commend Congressman Comer and Congresswoman Adams in taking the important step to break down international barriers for small entrepreneurs entering into the world of trade.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6330, the Small Business Runway Extension Act of 2018.

Over the years, Congress has created numerous Federal programs, set- asides, tax preferences, and SBA loan programs to help small businesses succeed. However, the advantages conferred by this program have led to heated debate over who is truly a small business and what an acceptable small business size standard is.

The answer is an important one, as it can be underinclusive, thereby pushing a firm outside the standard, or it can be overinclusive, allowing large firms to compete in these programs. The end result is the same: small firms deprived of Federal contracting opportunities.

This bill addresses the pressure placed on those businesses not able to compete against large entities from being prematurely placed outside their size standard by providing a more inclusive review of 5 years of their gross receipts.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this very important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6367, the Incentivizing Fairness in Subcontracting Act of 2018.

Mr. Speaker, in fiscal year 2017, the Federal Government purchased goods and services worth over $508 billion through over 22 million contract actions. Yet, not all this money stayed with the original prime contractor and, instead, trickles down to subcontractors.

Subcontracts are growing in importance as an avenue for small businesses to work with the government, so it is important that barriers to entry are reduced. By improving the tools that exist for small businesses to become subcontractors, today's measures will draw in more small businesses that are not regular government contractors.

This is a critical step to expanding the industrial base and including more small firms. Most importantly, it ensures more small contractors have just recourse through the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization if payment is not received within 90 days of completion. Timely payment protects small contractors who do not have the overhead margins to continue operating without being paid.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lawson), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health and Technology and sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lawson) and his cosponsor, Mr. Kelly, for introducing this important legislation. H.R. 6367 protects our small contractors by updating the subcontracting goaling regime through increased flexibility and accountability.

Establishing incentives to count low-tier subcontracting awards and a dispute process for subcontractors to utilize in the event of nonpayment ensures a healthy Federal procurement marketplace.

Today's legislation spreads the economic power of Federal procurement to more companies and the communities they are located.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6368, Encouraging Small Business Innovators.

For almost 40 years, our Nation has experienced increased innovation and job creation through the Small Business Innovation Research program, or SBIR, and the Small Business Technology Transfer program, or STTR. Research conducted by SBIR and STTR awardees has helped address our country's most technological and research-based challenges while generating tremendous economic growth and employment opportunities.

By incentivizing more experienced SBIR/STTR companies to mentor newer companies and rewarding mentors through a past-performance rating increase, Congressman Espaillat's legislation positively promotes integrating these program participants into the larger Federal marketplace. That is why I urge Members to support this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat), the sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat) for introducing today's bill to spur increased contracting activities in the SBIR/STTR programs, and I ask all my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.

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

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

I rise in support of H.R. 6369, the Expanding Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses Act of 2018.

The Small Business Act sets forth a government-wide 23 percent goal of Federal contracts that should be awarded to small businesses. Each Federal agency is charged with setting its own small business goals which are to reflect the maximum possible opportunity for small businesses within that agency.

By promoting the use of sole-source contracts to small businesses, this bill adds to the government's pool of suppliers. This results in higher-quality goods and increased job creation for the economy as these direct awards require the small businesses to do the majority of the work and not subcontract out.

I urge Members to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Kansas for introducing this important legislation to provide flexibility to contracting officers when awarding sole-source contracts.

H.R. 6369 promotes the use of sole-source contracts to small business concerns through the SBA contracting programs by raising the dollar threshold of these contract types to account for inflation. This bill will make valuable strides to a more equitable playing field for small contractors. I urge Members to support this bill.

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

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

I rise in support of H.R. 6382, the Clarity on Small Business Participation in Category Management Act of 2018.

Our committee has long acknowledged small businesses' critical role in

the $500 billion a year Federal marketplace. When small firms are awarded Federal contracts, the result is a win-win.

While category management is billed as the strategy to get agencies the lowest price, we have heard the contrary in our committee, in that more contracts are being consolidated out of the reach of small businesses.

By requiring that contracting activity under this new regime be reported in the annual goaling report from agencies to Congress, today's bill protects the industrial base by creating a mechanism for much needed accountability.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 6382, and commend Congresswoman Adams for her work to provide accountability to the category management regime.

I urge Members to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Adams), who is the sponsor of the bill and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Adams) for introducing this important piece of legislation to provide much needed oversight of small business participation in the streamlined acquisition strategy known as category management.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all the Members to support this important piece of legislation.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 791, the Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017.

Innovation is an indispensable element driving economic growth and ensuring America's competitive edge in the global marketplace. In fact, it is so important that studies show the IP industry supports an estimated 30 percent of all jobs and contributes over $6 trillion to

Mr. Speaker, in line with the bills we are debating today, this recognizes the special place small firms have in America's economy and provides them a simple tool to protect themselves and their ideas.

Today's bill leverages the current role of the USPTO and SBA to educate and protect innovative entrepreneurs at home and abroad. Doing so is paramount to remaining the global leader in innovation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the ranking member--the chairman, Mr. Chabot, and the staff of both the minority and the majority side. It has been a great pleasure working on these nine bills.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my congratulations to Henry Street Settlement, as it celebrates its 125th year anniversary on September 13, 2018.

Henry Street Settlement is a non-profit organization located in Manhattan's Lower East Side. In 1893, Henry Street Settlement was founded by Lillian Wald, one of the most influential social reformers of the 20th century. At Henry Street, Wald and her colleagues developed a pioneering model for social reform, spearheading comprehensive social services and educational instruction for New Yorkers living in poverty.

Today, Henry Street Settlement provides a variety of services including education, employment, health and wellness, and housing, to over 60,000 New Yorkers each year. A bedrock of the community's history, Henry Street has helped welcome immigrants, integrate neighborhoods and alleviate poverty.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Henry Street Settlement and its leadership on this special 125th year anniversary. These dedicated individuals exemplify outstanding leadership through their public service to the community. I wish Henry Street continued success in many more years of service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my congratulations to Masaryk Towers on the special occasion of its 50th and 51st Anniversary Rededication ceremony.

This complex is more than brick and mortar. Built at the height of the Civil Rights movement, and three decades after the New Deal and the 1934 Federal Housing Act, the Masaryk Towers development is a symbol of vision, innovation and hope in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

We all know and embrace the rich history of the Lower East Side from the arrival and settlement of hard working immigrants seeking freedom and the American Dream to the history of poor tenants living in crowded subpar tenements, with unsanitary and unsafe housing conditions.

From the 1900's to the present, government initiatives have sought to improve the quality of life for its citizens. In the 1930's, after the stock market crash, our nation had more than 12 million unemployed people, many of whom faced homelessness. This crisis pushed New Yorkers, especially immigrants, into decades of despair. After World War II, New York City saw a peak in population, but also a massive flight by the middle-income. families, industries and businesses to the suburbs, leaving lower-income working families behind.

Recognizing a need to help address the housing crisis facing working families, New York State Representatives Senator MacNeil Mitchell and Assemblyman Alfred Lama created the Mitchell-Lama program in 1955. In 1967, Masaryk Towers was completed under the program and named after Tomas Masaryk, the first President of Czechoslovakia. Today, Masaryk Towers consists of more than 1,100 apartment units and is home to thousands of residents in Manhattan's Lower East Side community.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Masaryk Towers and its leadership: President Bernice McCallum, Board Officers Laura Pagan and Ted Reich and the entire Board on this special anniversary, and for their dedication and commitment to preserving Masaryk Towers for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate the Chinese American Medical Society as they host their 55th Annual Scientific Symposium and Annual Red Lantern Gala.

As the oldest and one of the largest Chinese American medical societies, CAMS provides meaningful support for Chinese American medical students, educates the Chinese American community on health issues that disproportionally impact Chinese Americans, and is a leader in research on the ever-changing field of medical practices and medical technology.

The Chinese American Medical Society's 55th Annual Scientific Conference and Red Lantern Gala stands as a testament to CAMS's dedication to recognizing talent and hard work from skilled professionals who dedicate their lives to improving the health of others in the Chinese American community.

I would like to specifically congratulate S. Chiu Wong as a recipient of the CAMS Scientific Award, as well as the Chinese American Nurses Association and UnitedHealthcare Asian Initiatives as recipients of the Community Service Awards.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in saluting the Chinese American Medical Society for decades of lifechanging work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Helen Keller Services (HKS) on its 125th anniversary, which will be celebrated at its Gala at the Liberty Warehouse in Brooklyn, New York on September 13, 2018.

I am pleased to learn the news of the non-profit organization's move this fall of its headquarters to a new 44,000-square-foot state-of-the- art facility located in my district at 180 Livingston Street in Brooklyn. This modern structure will house new classrooms and training rooms; a specialized gym for pre-kindergarten students; new offices and workstations, a Low Vision Center and a technology training space.

Since 1893, Helen Keller Services has been steadfastly committed to improving the lives of

individuals who are blind, visually impaired or have combined hearing and vision loss to live, work and thrive in communities of their choice in Brooklyn, the surrounding communities, and the entire New York Region.

On behalf of all residents of the 7th District and indeed all New Yorkers, I offer best wishes and heartiest congratulations to HKS.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to extend my congratulations to the First Chinese Baptist Church located in Chinatown, one of Manhattan's historic neighborhoods, as it celebrates its 92nd year anniversary on August 12, 2018.

It is with great pride that I congratulate this longtime church from my district on its 92nd anniversary. The First Chinese Baptist Church, established in 1926, evolved from the Morning Star Mission in a then strife-torn neighborhood and became part of the rich fabric and history of the Chinatown community. Over the past 92 years, the church served as a safe haven for the community's Chinese Americans and immigrants during the early half of the 20th century at the time of the Chinese Exclusion Act and turmoil in China. Founded by Dr. Mabel Lee, a Chinese-American pastor, community organizer, feminist and suffragist, the church created a community that has served thousands of Chinatown residents. Lee advocated for continuous education and taught English to congregants who passed down her teachings to those who arrived later. Additionally, during World War II, many men from the church served in the United States Armed Forces.

Today, the First Chinese Baptist Church continues to hold weekly worship services open to all and offers English classes, sponsors basketball teams, manages youth summer mentorship programs, and assists those seeking citizenship. It works with community-based organizations to conduct special events and support immigration rights and social justice throughout the year. Its dedication to service for God and country, education, advocacy and respect for individuals has been the cornerstone of the First Chinese Baptist Church and has not diminished in its 92-year history.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the First Chinese Baptist Church and its leadership on this special 92nd year anniversary. The Church has long exemplified outstanding community and public service to the greater New York City community. I wish them continued success and many more years of service.