Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 789) to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to issue rules for cancelled covered solicitations, to amend the Small Business Act to provide assistance to small business concerns relating to certain cancelled solicitations, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 today in full support of H.R. 789, the Transparency and Predictability in Small Business Opportunities Act, introduced by Representatives Latimer, Alford, and Mfume.

H.R. 789 seeks to bring clarity to small business owners when solicitations for contracts are canceled. Often, small businesses devote a considerable amount of time and resources in preparing these proposals for solicitations.

Unfortunately, these solicitations are often canceled by agencies with no explanation provided to the businesses that have already submitted proposals.

H.R. 789 will require agencies to share with the SBA information as to why the solicitation was canceled. Moreover, this bill requires agencies to assist small businesses impacted by the canceled solicitation by identifying similar contracts to bid on.

Small businesses deserve to have a full understanding of what opportunities are available to them and to know how agencies will fulfill their buying needs.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 789, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Alford).

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1804) to amend the Small Business Act to require a report on 7(a) agents, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 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 today in support of H.R. 1804, the 7(a) Loan Agent Oversight Act, introduced by Representatives Meuser and McIver.

H.R. 1804 is an important piece of legislation that brings an additional layer of transparency in the fight against fraud in the Small Business Administration's flagship 7(a) loan program.

This bill would require the SBA Office of Credit Risk Management to submit annual reports to Congress on the 7(a) loan program. The reports would include the number and dollar value of fraudulent loans associated with loan agents. The SBA already collects this information, and an annual reporting requirement would allow for more effective oversight.

Similar versions of this bill have passed on the House floor with bipartisan support in both the 117th and 118th Congresses. I look forward to seeing the Senate take swift action on this bill, which supports President Trump's agenda to root out fraud and abuse.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1804, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from the great State of Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).

Mr. Speaker, 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.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Sessions.) The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1804.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1634) to provide for a memorandum of understanding between the Small Business Administration and the National Council on Disability to increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 today in full support of H.R. 1634, the ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act, introduced by Representatives Stauber and Simon.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their collaboration on this important legislation which aims to break down barriers and provide greater opportunities for individuals with disabilities nationwide.

Far too many individuals with disabilities continue to face systematic

challenges when trying to enter the workforce or start a small business. As Congress, we have a responsibility to recognize their talents and create opportunities that empower them to succeed.

The bill takes a simple, practical step toward directing the SBA to work directly with the National Council on Disability, and together they will coordinate efforts to help individuals with disabilities pursue entrepreneurship, secure employment with small businesses, and overcome accessibility challenges. This will help ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to business counseling through existing SBA programs, like the Small Business Development Centers.

Importantly, H.R. 1634 is a commonsense, no-cost solution that provides individuals with disabilities more opportunities to succeed on Main Street and start their own small businesses.

I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan effort, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1621) to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to submit to Congress a report on the entrepreneurial challenges facing entrepreneurs with a disability, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 H.R. 1621, the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2025, introduced by Representatives McGarvey and Stauber.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation requires the SBA to report to Congress on the challenges facing individuals with disabilities and what resources or programs the SBA provides to assist them. The report will also include legislative recommendations to address those challenges.

America is the land of opportunity, meaning that anyone can and should be able to engage in entrepreneurship without regard to whether they have a disability. This bipartisan legislation will assess the challenges that individuals with disabilities encounter when starting a small business and identify whether and how government policies may exacerbate those challenges.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives McGarvey and Stauber for their leadership on this important issue and for introducing this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, due to a personal family matter, I was unable to vote on H.R. 881--the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 120.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and honor the life of my friend, Joshua King, of Weatherford, Texas.

Joshua was a man of strong faith, a dedicated Texas patriot, and a loving family man. Spiritually and physically, he embodied what it means to be a good husband, father, and son. He was a giver who spent his time and energy making the world a better place.

Throughout his battle with cancer, he stayed faithful to God and always trusted in the Lord. No matter the situation, he always managed to see the good in life and to see the good in people.

He loved baseball and the Texas Rangers, the outdoors, and cherished spending time with loved ones. Josh will be remembered for his strength, his courage, selflessness, and faithfulness. He touched people he never knew he touched.

My prayers are with his family, who are my dear friends, and all their friends during this difficult time.

In God we trust.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on National Medal of Honor Day to commemorate the opening of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas.

This museum is a one-of-a-kind tribute to those who risked and, in many cases, sacrificed their lives to save their fellow soldiers and others.

The Medal of Honor is our Nation's highest military decoration for valor in combat by our heroes in the armed forces, symbolizing courage, sacrifice, commitment, integrity, citizenship, and patriotism.

Future generations must learn from history, remember those who came before us, and ensure that their stories are never forgotten.

Thank you to those who have dedicated their time to telling the stories of American patriots and preserving history for all to admire.

Let us continue to be inspired by the stories of our Nation's heroes and promise to strive for greatness in our daily lives.

May God bless our servicemembers and their families.

May God bless Texas.

And may God bless the greatest country in the history of the world, the one we love and call, the United States of America.

In God We Trust.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my dear friend and former colleague, Mia Love.

On Sunday, after a courageous battle with glioblastoma, Mia passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones. She was a woman of faith, a patriot, an extraordinary leader, and a fighter who inspired many to do great things.

Under the care of the exceptional doctors at Duke University, Mia fought alongside my wife, Patty. I am forever grateful for her enduring friendship and support throughout this journey.

I also extend my deepest thanks to the caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, and advocates whose tireless work brings us closer to a future without glioblastoma.

Mia's legacy of strength, resilience, and unwavering dedication to others will never be forgotten and certainly not forgotten by the Williams family. My prayers are with her family as we continue to fight and find a cure for this deadly disease.

In God we trust.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 825) to prohibit individuals convicted of defrauding the Government from receiving any assistance from 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 today in support of H.R. 825, the Assisting Small Businesses Not Fraudsters Act.

Mr. Speaker, SBA financial assistance programs are critical to entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, fraudsters infiltrated pandemic-era loans at an alarming rate. An estimated $200 billion was stolen from honest, hardworking small businesses who needed help when they were forced to close their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The harm these fraudsters caused small businesses is devastating to see.

My bill creates accountability and ensures fraudsters are banned from receiving SBA resources for the rest of their lives. As chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, it is my duty to support America's small businesses, not fraudsters.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support prioritizing honest, hardworking entrepreneurs over those who defrauded the government, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this important legislation will hold these fraudsters accountable, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

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 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 reserve the balance of my time.

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 move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 818) to amend the Small Business Act to include requirements relating to new small business entrants in the scorecard program, 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 full support of H.R. 818, the SPUR Act, led by my colleagues Representatives Stauber, Cisneros, and Perez.

The SPUR Act is crucial in assessing the Federal Government's progress in bringing in new companies and expanding the industrial base.

Understanding the number of new small businesses engaged in government contracting will highlight the concerning decline in industrial base participation and track agencies' progress on rebuilding it.

Small businesses are an essential component of the United States industrial base. Despite their importance, over the last few decades, small businesses have been squeezed out of the industrial base at an alarming rate, with nearly half of the businesses leaving over the past 10 years. This threatens America's economic interests and strategic readiness, which must be remedied.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 818, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. 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 move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 788) to provide for Department of Energy and Small Business Administration joint research and development activities, 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 today in support of H.R. 788, the DOE and SBA Research Act, led by my colleagues, Representatives LaLota, Morrison, and Thanedar.

This legislation would require the SBA and DOE to enter a memorandum of understanding to help unify and streamline research efforts between the national labs and American small businesses. Currently, the 17 national laboratories across the United States provide the government with some of its most cutting-edge research.

At the same time, our Nation's small businesses contribute extensively to public and private sector research and development efforts. Aligning research efforts between the DOE and the SBA would increase the efficiency of the national labs and better integrate small business innovation into government research.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 788, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaLota).

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew).

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 move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 754) to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to increase the amount that may be invested in small business investment companies.

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 today in support of H.R. 754, the Investing in Main Street Act of 2025, led by my colleagues, Representatives Chu, Finstad, McIver, and Garbarino.

As chairman of the Small Business Committee, one of my top priorities is expanding access to capital for small businesses. The Small Business Investment Company, or the SBIC, program plays a crucial role in this effort by attracting private equity investments to help small businesses grow, create jobs, and strengthen our economy.

SBIC has been an invaluable tool for investing in small businesses that build critical technologies and support American national security.

H.R. 754 builds on this success by increasing the maximum allowable investments by SBICs from 5 percent to 15 percent of their excess capital. This change will allow more significant private equity dollars to go toward small businesses.

As we continue working to improve programs that support small businesses, this change will immediately impact our Nation's job creators. I thank my colleague from California for introducing this bipartisan solution to expand successful programs that empower the private sector to invest in small businesses.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from the great State of Minnesota (Mr. Finstad).

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

Mr. Speaker, 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, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 804) to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to improve access to disaster assistance for individuals located in rural areas, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 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 today in support of H.R. 804, the Rural Small Business Resilience Act, led by my colleagues, Representatives Morrison, Downing, Pappas, and Bean.

As we look ahead to the summer months, many Americans are eager for the warm weather and sunshine, but with that comes the reality that hurricane season is approaching. Many communities, particularly in rural America, are still working to recover from the devastating storms of last season, even as we prepare for the next.

Too often, small businesses and disaster survivors in rural communities are unaware of the critical assistance the SBA provides after disasters. That assistance can be the difference between staying open or shutting down for good.

Rural small businesses face unique challenges. Disaster recovery efforts must be tailored to meet the needs of rural America to ensure they have access to the full range of resources and support. The Rural Small Business Resilience Act is critical to ensuring SBA disaster assistance is tailored to the needs of rural America.

As someone who spent a lifetime in business, I know that getting the correct information to the right people at the right time is key. This bill will ensure disaster survivors in rural communities are not left in the dark when they need help the most.

I urge all my colleagues to vote for H.R. 804, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, 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 move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 828) to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to report on the veterans interagency task force, to require the Comptroller General of the United States to report on access to credit for small business concerns owned and controlled by covered individuals, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 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 today in strong support of H.R. 828, the SERV Act, led by my colleagues Representatives Davids, Alford, and Conaway.

It is an honor to reflect on the tremendous contributions of our veterans who have defended our freedoms and continue serving our country once they transition back to civilian life, often on Main Street America.

Our Nation's heroes are uniquely positioned to become successful businessowners because of the skills

they gained in the military, which have made them natural and effective leaders. Unfortunately, veterans often face barriers when starting or growing their businesses. Chief among them are access to capital and general awareness of available resources.

The SERV Act seeks to reduce those barriers by directing the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development to create an action plan to improve outreach to veterans and inform them of available resources that directly apply to their unique needs.

We must work together to ensure that our veterans have access to the tools necessary to start or grow their businesses. I urge my colleagues to support our veterans and pass the SERV Act.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Alford).

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

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