Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4754, the Change Order Transparency for Federal Contractors Act.

As this body seeks ways to foster small business growth and expansion, we must always carefully consider what is being done to maximize entrepreneurs' participation in the Federal marketplace.

As we all know, when small companies are awarded Federal contracts, the result is a win-win. Small businesses provide quality goods and services at affordable prices, meaning a better deal for the government and the taxpayer. At the same time, it can mean significant growth opportunity for small businesses and even the need for new employees.

Yet one longstanding barrier remains to small business participation in the Federal marketplace. The practice of contract modifications drastically delays the payment to contractors

while increasing the risk they take on, and processing change orders slows down other parts of the project, jeopardizing the ability of contractors to meet their obligations.

All of this results in significant financial burdens on contractors, often ending in bankruptcy. This is particularly true when liquidity is slim and the burden of insurance and licensures is high.

H.R. 4754 provides much-needed certainty to prospective Federal construction contractors and subcontractors so they can appropriately plan their operations before submitting their bid for Federal work. This level of transparency is vital to securing the survival of small construction contractors.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lawson), who is the lead cosponsor of the bill.

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

In closing, it is obvious that we must take this historic step in providing transparency in the contract modification process. As we contemplate ways to bolster our infrastructure with the goal of employing millions, H.R. 4754 provides certainty to the many small firms potentially involved in that process.

By requiring Federal agencies to prospectively notify contractors of the agency processes they would be subject to if awarded a contract, the Federal marketplace is once again attainable to small construction contractors.

It is critical that this Congress work to remove barriers preventing small firms from successfully performing Federal work and getting paid for all of the work they perform.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1680, the Women's Business Centers Improvements Act of 2018.

Small businesses are as diverse as our Nation, and the SBA entrepreneurial development initiatives are no different.

Women's business centers, or WBCs, are a critical initiative for female entrepreneurs. WBCs provide in-depth counseling, training, and mentoring to small firms, resulting in substantial economic impact.

Women businessowners have used this program to develop business plans, obtain financing, and expand their operations. As more women turn to entrepreneurship as a career path, it is critical this initiative remain in place to close these gaps.

Women are the fastest growing sector of entrepreneurs, and as more women establish home-based businesses, downsize from corporate executive positions, these centers are crucial in addressing the whole range of women's entrepreneurial needs.

The Women's Business Centers Improvements Act builds upon their success by creating uniformity through accreditation for WBCs and increasing maximum grant levels to ensure they have the resources to meet the growing demand for their services.

We all agree that women businessowners offer invaluable contributions to our economy, so we must step up to help them, and this legislation achieves that.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lawson), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health and Technology.

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

Mr. Speaker, the United States has over 9 million women-owned firms, over one-third of all firms. Our economy relies heavily on women-owned small businesses, as they generate over $1 trillion in revenues and employ over 8 million workers. H.R. 1680 ensures that they have access to the tools they need to succeed.

Because nearly half of aspiring women businessowners report a lack of available mentors, we must take action to break down the barriers hindering their success. That is why it is imperative for us to pass this legislation today, ensuring access to mentorship and professional guidance to the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs.

Today's measure is endorsed by the Association of Women's Business Centers, along with other organizations.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1702, the Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act.

Whether it is helping to create a business plan, navigate the procurement process, market a new product, or identify international trade opportunities, the SBA's entrepreneurial development programs provide an array of services to help small firms navigate obstacles, grow, and thrive.

Entrepreneurs, therefore, significantly benefit from having tools to identify, fiscally plan for, and maintain critical business improvements.

Entrepreneurs located throughout the country, including in underserved rural and inner-city communities, benefit from accessible, affordable technical assistance. This reduces their isolation from buyers and other businesses.

In addition to outreach, hands-on counseling is critical for businesses to obtain information pertinent to their local market and capacities. That is why SBDCs are so critical to our local communities.

Today's bill modernizes and strengthens the SBDC network by improving data collection, streamlining collaboration, reducing paperwork, and allowing additional outreach on marketing to be performed.

H.R. 1702 is a comprehensive bill providing necessary steps forward to advance our Nation's entrepreneurial economic system.

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 Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans), who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access and also a sponsor of the bill.

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

There is no question that we need to support the cornerstone of the SBA's entrepreneurial programs, the small business development centers. H.R. 1702 does just that by updating marketing strategies and requiring more reporting so we can better understand the system provided to our constituencies.

Today's bill is endorsed by America's SBDCs, an association representing the 63 SBDC networks and their nearly 1,000 centers.

I would like to thank Representative Evans for leading this bill and all his efforts to improve the program. I would also like to thank Halimah Locke and Veena Srinivasa for their dedicated work on this legislation.

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.

I rise in support of H.R. 4111, a bill that will improve access to the Small Business Investment Company program in underserved communities.

SBICs have assisted thousands of high-growth companies over the years by ``filling the gap'' in the capital markets for businesses that have outgrown the SBA's 7(a) guaranteed loan program but remain too small or too risky for traditional private equity markets to bear.

SBICs operate in a unique public-private partnership with SBA. Once managers raise enough private capital, the agency provides matching funds which are pooled together and invested in high-growth small businesses.

To maximize the impact of the program, it is essential that SBIC licenses are processed in a timely fashion and also geographically spread across the country. As it stands now, nearly three-quarters of SBICs are located in just 10 States.

Today's bill will address these points by prioritizing those license applications from managers that will invest in our underserved communities.

The SBIC program has done a lot of good for the small business community over the years. Enabling SBA to fast-track more capital into the hands of small-business owners is a top priority for both sides of the aisle in this committee.

I urge Members to support this 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. 5236, the Main Street Employee Ownership Act, a commonsense measure to improve SBA's lending and training programs to enable employees to purchase the companies they work for.

As baby boomers near retirement, the country faces a substantial dilemma: Roughly half of privately held companies are owned by baby boomers, and fewer than 15 percent have a formal exit plan in place. And while it is wonderful to think that family members will take over the business, this is a relatively rare occurrence. Some will be bought out; others will close. This will have significant secondary economic impacts that will ripple through our local communities.

Mr. Speaker, I have been working with Senator Gillibrand's office to help address this looming problem.

The bill before us will reward workers and invest in our Main Street economy by improving the lending landscape for employee-owned businesses, such as employee stock ownership plans and co-ops.

There are 7,000 such companies in existence all over the Nation, contributing to our local communities and economies. However, businesses seeking to transition to employee-owned status face difficulty in obtaining adequate capital to cover the oftentimes prohibitive costs.

The SBA was authorized to loan to ESOPs in 1979. Unfortunately, this tool has rarely been used due to misunderstanding of the business structure and cumbersome transition requirements.

This bill seeks to align common industry practices with SBA protocols to encourage more lending to ESOPs and co-ops. By codifying current SBA standards of practice and easing some burdensome guarantee restrictions, it is my hope we will keep local enterprises in their communities, saving jobs along the way and preventing economic dislocation for many workers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis).

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

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that we need to support our Main Street small businesses, especially those that fall outside of traditional business structures. H.R. 5236 does just that by requiring more training and clarifying lending protocols.

Today's bill is endorsed by at least 25 organizations, including America's SBDCs, the American Sustainable Business Council, the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, ESCA, and a variety of co-ops and employee-owner associations.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Justin Pelletier and Jon Cardinal for their tireless work on this complex topic.

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. 4743, a bipartisan, bicameral bill that will improve oversight of the 7(a) Loan Program, the SBA's flagship lending product.

At the beginning of this Congress, our committee held a series of hearings to take the temperature of the 7(a) program. We actively investigated how it is being utilized, and we worked with stakeholders to address the deficiencies that were identified.

Both lenders and the agency have said oversight could be improved and transparency increased with legislative action. This bill is the product of that feedback and will make long overdue reforms to the program.

The legislation increases transparency and uniformity for both lenders and the agency by codifying the Office of Credit Risk Management and Lender Oversight Committee. It also requires the Office to internally submit a budget to ensure there is justification of the fees, salaries, and expenses used to carry out oversight functions.

We also heard that the credit elsewhere test--a bedrock of the program--was not clear and lacked a verification component. This bill better clarifies the credit elsewhere test and bolsters substantiation of how it is fulfilled.

Finally, we all remember 2015, when the program ran out of authority to lend before the end of the year. This created an artificial run on the lenders to get loans approved, unfairly harmed small businesses that needed credit, and ultimately required congressional intervention.

Today's bill incorporates provisions from legislation I introduced earlier this year, empowering the Administrator to request additional lending capacity from Congress to meet unexpected demands late in the fiscal year.

H.R. 4743 strikes a meaningful balance between strong oversight and protecting the interests of small businesses that need loans.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, in crafting H.R. 4743, the chairman and I worked closely with our Senate counterparts, the SBA, and the lending industry. Everyone had a seat at the table, and through debate and compromise, we arrived at a legislative product we can all be proud of, and that, most importantly, will help deserving small businesses access loans.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chairman Chabot and Senators Risch and Cardin for their bipartisanship. And, finally, I would like to thank our staff for working diligently on this important bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to commend Jessenia Filomeno, a young Latina who has dedicated her life to volunteerism and community service. She is a role model who selflessly mentors at risk youth and helps them achieve academic success.

She is a graduate from Brooklyn's Pratt Institute where she earned a Bachelor degree in Architecture. She has served as a young Ambassador to Brooklyn representing Puerto Rico. Since her youth and for the past 20 years, Ms. Filomeno has been a member of the Brooklyn Three Kings Day Parade Inc. where she coordinates the distribution of more than 1,000 toys for underserved children.

Jessenia is also the CEO of Filomeno Family Awards Foundation, Inc. A foundation who mentors and monitors the progress of the students they support from kindergarten to college. Jessenia and the Foundation annually host a gala where students are awarded scholarships and recognition for their accomplishments. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, Jessenia organized a community relief effort to help the children and families impacted by this disaster.

What is amazing is that Jessenia suffers from chronic Lupus disease and yet she manages to volunteer and help the underserved and most vulnerable in our community. Jessenia is proud to bring hope and a smile to all her initiatives. She states that she is very fortunate to be 35 years of age and able to live and contribute to society.

Please join me in saluting Jessenia Filomeno and the Filomeno Family Awards Foundation Inc. on the celebration of its annual gala held on March 31, 2018.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to the Spanish Speaking Elderly Council--RAICES as it celebrates its 40th Anniversary on May 17, 2018.

This invaluable organization was founded in 1978 by retired Hispanic senior citizens to meet the needs of New York City's growing Latino community in Brooklyn. Instead of enjoying retirement, determined retirees and founders went back to work to create an organization that would lift communication and service barriers for elderly Latinos.

Through its activities, workshops, outings and classes, RAICES provides an opportunity for seniors to receive resources, information, exercise and nutrition, but also an opportunity to give back to the community through programs. Members have learned about elder abuse, crime prevention, and fire safety.

In addition to building upon their skills, knowledge and ability, it provides members with an array of case assistance, advocacy, benefits and entitlement assistance, improving the lives of hundreds of seniors living below or at the federal poverty line.

Today, RAICES operates seven senior centers in the counties of Brooklyn and Queens New York. I congratulate Spanish Speaking Elderly Council--RAICES, Inc. for forty years of invaluable services. I commend Lisette Sosa-Dickson, Executive Director and Board of Directors for their leadership and public service. I wish RAICES many more years of continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the upcoming 94th birthday of an honorable New Yorker, Esther Mestre. At just twenty years old, Esther moved to New York City from her native Puerto Rico. While the fast-paced city proved to be a dramatics transition from her tranquil life in Puerto Rico, Esther never lost sight of pursing a happy and productive life on the Mainland.

From her humble roots as one of eighteen children in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Esther has raised seven wonderful children of her own. As leaders in their own communities, many of her children have become successful small business owners.

A beloved friend and dedicated community servant, Esther exemplifies the spirit of the greater Puerto Rican family of New York.

As we approach her 94th birthday celebration, I would like to send my deepest gratitude to Esther for her friendship, service and commitment to our community. My best wishes for a successful and joyful birthday celebration for a cherished leader and a dear friend.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed, in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, 2017 was a year of historic disasters. We saw category 5 hurricanes, devastating floods, and wildfires that covered hundreds of miles. For the towns and communities in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, California, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, they continue to struggle with what once would have been considered a once-in-a-lifetime disaster.

My motion will help these communities right now. It will do so by waiving the local matching requirements for FEMA assistance for those affected by Irma, Harvey, Maria, and the wildfires out west. This is critical because many States like Florida and Georgia did not have dedicated disaster funds set aside to pay for such requirements. The result is that these disasters will require States to dip into their operating budgets, meaning less money for roads, business investment, healthcare, and schools.

In addition, many communities hit by these disasters are struggling financially as businesses close, homes are rebuilt, and many individuals leave for good. This reshuffling of economic fortunes creates massive financial stress. It is in our power to help these towns and cities, whether they are in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico.

Take Port Aransas, just outside Corpus Christi. It used to have 4,000 residents but now only has 3,000, a decline of 25 percent. Its hotels should be packed with college students on spring break, but 33 percent are vacant. Why? Because they are still rebuilding, struggling to be ready for what should be the most financially important part of this season.

These areas and places like Galveston, Texas; Lake Charles, Louisiana; or Isle of Palms in South Carolina must come up with millions of dollars if they want to access FEMA assistance. And out west, entire communities are still reeling from wildfires: towns like Lake Perris, Kettleman City, Orosi, and Corona.

People's lives, Mr. Speaker, have been turned upside down, and communities, cities, and States are under massive budget pressure to rebuild. The least we can do is provide relief from these massive, unforeseen costs.

This motion to recommit will boost assistance for areas still struggling to rebuild. It will take stress off municipal and State budgets, recognizing that massive disasters like these cannot simply be absorbed by small fishing towns and rural areas.

If you vote ``no,'' you are voting against these small communities; you are voting against the people who live in Texas, Florida, California, Georgia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. I urge you to stand with them and vote ``yes'' on the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).

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

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 70th Anniversary of the Independence of the State of Israel. I would also like to salute the Consulate General of Israel in New York for decades of work towards strengthening the bond between New York and Israel.

For 70 years, Israel has served as a place of refuge for millions of Jewish people around the world. Despite facing tremendous adversity at every turn, Israel has become a vibrant and inclusive democracy.

As the home of the largest Jewish population outside Tel Aviv, I know the ties between New York and Israel are particularly deep. Israel is one of our leading partners, and will continue to be in the decades to come.

In the words of President John F. Kennedy: ``Israel can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom.''

I would also like to send my deepest gratitude to everyone that has tirelessly worked to build bridges between Israel and the United States. Thanks to their heroic efforts, the bonds between America and Israel are stronger than ever.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding time to me and thank my friends for organizing this tribute.

Louise was a remarkable woman, an astute legislator, a skilled negotiator, and a gifted debater. She will be remembered for all those traits. But she will also be remembered for her compassion, her humor, and the many kindnesses she extended to all of us.

I will always recall the many times coming down to this very floor to speak and hearing Louise arguing for fairness and opposing policies bad for our Nation. She was a fierce orator with a sharp wit. When she disagreed with how this House was doing business, she let it be known.

She was a passionate voice for progressive values. Like a New Yorker, she never backed down from a fight. If she wanted to get something done, she dug in her heels and fought like hell for it.

But, as a daughter of the South, she will equally be remembered for her amazing wit, her gentle touch, her disarming smile, and her genuine friendships on both sides of the aisle.

What is remarkable is that, at the end of the day, when the debate concluded and the votes were taken, Louise was known for sharing a laugh with her colleagues on the opposite side of the aisle.

Someone once described her as ``a combination of Southern charm and backroom politics, a Southern belle with a cigar in her mouth.'' She truly was larger than life.

When Louise came to Congress, there were far fewer women in this body. She helped lead the way for so many of us who came after, breaking down barriers. So many of us owe her a debt of gratitude for the trails she blazed.

As a fellow New Yorker, as a fellow female Member of Congress, but most of all, as her friend, I know I will miss her.

This body is better served for her service, and the U.S. House will certainly be a less colorful place without seeing her on the floor, leading debates on the rules with her Kentucky accent and her commitment to progressive values.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for the opportunity to speak.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 3336, the Employ Young Americans Now Act, a bill originally introduced by Representative Conyers of Michigan, for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the Yee Shan Benevolent Society, Inc. on its centennial celebration on March 18, 2018.

Since 1918, the Yee Shan Benevolent Society has been sharing fellowship, support, friendship, benevolence and hope with immigrants from the Pan Yu County of the Canton Province in China. Over the course of a century, it has expanded its services to include fundraising for local hospitals, health centers, non-profits and other initiatives. Today, the Society is a beloved cornerstone organization that continues to provide social and community enrichment to Chinese Americans in New York City and the greater NY region.

I am proud that the constituents of my district continue to support the traditions and values of this esteemed fraternity along with its partners, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and Lin Sing Association. My district is enriched and indebted to them for their service to advance the betterment of the Chinatown and Lower East Side community.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Yee Shan Benevolent Society in New York for its commendable and exemplary work and wish it many years of continued success.

Mr. Speaker, as we speak today, the people of Puerto Rico continue to suffer. Currently, 200,000 families and businesses, 16 percent of the island, remain without power. That is not 6 days after the hurricane or 6 weeks. We are talking about 6 months.

For those still without power in Puerto Rico, they are now living through the longest blackout in modern history.

While parts of the island are recovering, it is the rural, far-flung portions of the island that continue to suffer the most and where aid has been slowest to reach. For example, if you go to my hometown of Yabucoa, where Hurricane Maria made landfall, it looks like the hurricane struck yesterday. Two-thirds of the residents living there are without electricity.

For decades, Yabucoa's baseball stadium stood as an important symbol of that town's community. The people there love baseball, and the stadium was a community anchor, a symbol of the town and its people. Those who live in Yabucoa are proud of their baseball diamond, as this town fielded Puerto Rico's team in the 2017 Junior League World Series.

Today, the baseball stadium sits empty, now a symbol of how the people of Yabucoa struggle daily to survive. Meanwhile, basic services are hard to come by, with hospitals relying on generators to provide lifesaving treatment. Older, rural parts of Puerto Rico continue to suffer immensely.

Thirty miles east of Yabucoa's coast sits the island of Vieques. As an island off an island, Vieques also has been neglected, waiting for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restore power.

Just a few weeks ago, I was there and I saw this on the road: power poles dangling from electric wires, just waiting to snap.

Can you imagine seeing that in the mainland United States?

Again, this is not 1 week or 2 weeks after the hurricane. It is close to 6 months later. Meanwhile, the island's connection to the main power grid has been cut off, and some workers think it will take years to fully restore the undersea cables.

Those are just two towns in a commonwealth of 3.3 million American citizens, but all across Puerto Rico there are rural areas that have been hit hard and are still suffering today.

We cannot afford to forget what has happened there. These are fellow American citizens. For 120 years they have fought, shed blood, and died in our wars, defending our freedoms. Now they need our help to recover from a humanitarian crisis.

I implore my colleagues, we must not forget Puerto Rico. We must allocate additional aid and help. We must rebuild Puerto Rico stronger and better than ever before. Until we do, we will be failing the people of Puerto Rico, we will be failing our fellow Americans.