Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7988) to amend the Small Business Act to include requirements relating to new small business entrants in the scorecard program, and for other purposes.

Madam 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.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7988, the Small Business Procurement and Utilization Reform Act of 2024, also known as the SPUR Act, sponsored by Representatives Stauber and Perez.

Small businesses are vital to the health and resiliency of America's industrial base. Broad and robust small business participation ensures that America can continue to lead the world in innovation and defend us against foreign adversaries. However, small businesses are getting squeezed out of the industrial base at a staggering rate, a direct threat to America's dominance.

There are just half as many small businesses participating in the industrial base as there were just a decade ago. This downward trend is a culmination of years of bad government policy and is being made worse by the Biden administration's regulatory onslaught, dissuading small businesses from even considering participating in the Federal marketplace.

The SPUR Act is a critical step into looking under the hood of the government and bringing accountability to agencies. By grading agencies on how many contracts have been awarded to small businesses for the very first time, we will bring together a great focus on reversing the declining participation of small businesses in the industrial base.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 7988, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Madam Speaker, we must ensure that a greater number of small businesses are entering the government contracting space. By forcing agencies to recognize the shortcomings in awarding contracts to first- time suppliers of the Federal Government, I am hopeful that these numbers will begin to move back in the right direction.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7989) 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.

Madam 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 this bill.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7989, the ThinkDIFFERENTLY about Disability Employment Act.

Individuals with disabilities are more likely to be self-employed than the average American, and across the Federal Government, there are numerous programs and resources to assist American small businesses. Yet, many of these resources are not tailored to entrepreneurs with disabilities.

In order to ensure that we are not leaving behind this population, this bill will increase coordination between the SBA and the National Council on Disability. The National Council on Disability is an independent Federal agency whose mission is to provide recommendations to policymakers on issues impacting individuals with disabilities. This bipartisan council is uniquely qualified to advise and assist the SBA in their pursuit of assisting individuals with disabilities to achieve the American Dream.

I thank Representatives Molinaro and Pappas for their commitment to ensuring Congress works to pave the way to success for entrepreneurs and employees with disabilities.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Madam Speaker, from the start of this Congress, Representative Molinaro has been a strong advocate for individuals with disabilities. I am thankful for his efforts in the Committee on Small Business to continue his work to ensure Federal resources are being used as effectively as possible so every entrepreneur has a chance to succeed.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7984) 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.

Madam 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.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7984, the Rural Small Business Resilience Act. This legislation would require the SBA to meet communities immediately following a disaster.

It is no secret that Americans in rural communities face different challenges following a disaster than their urban counterparts. It makes sense, then, that a one-size-fits-all outreach plan from the SBA is inadequate.

The GAO confirmed this in their February report, stating individuals in rural areas do not even know assistance is available from the SBA as they try to get back on their feet following a disaster.

The SBA's disaster loan program offers loans to help homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofits recover from physical and economic losses following a declared disaster.

I am grateful to Representative Pappas and Representative Bean for introducing this legislation so that rural Americans will have full access to these resources when disaster strikes.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, national disasters are devastating, and it is important that Americans understand what resources are available regardless of where they live.

I, once again, thank Representatives Pappas and Bean for their work on this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8014) 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.

Madam 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.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8014, the Transparency and Predictability in Small Business Opportunities Act sponsored by Representatives Mfume and Alford.

H.R. 8014 seeks to bring clarity to small business owners when an agency cancels a contract solicitation. Small businesses spend an incredible amount of time and resources preparing to bid on government contracts. When an agency cancels a contract solicitation, the small businesses that started preparing are left with nothing to show for their work. Furthermore, there is little clarity about what the agency will do with the products and services it originally intended to purchase.

H.R. 8014 will require agencies to share with the SBA its future plans with the canceled solicitation and a

justification as to why it was canceled all while providing assistance to small businesses who were impacted by the cancellation by helping them identify similar contracting opportunities.

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

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 8014, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Madam Speaker, this bill will prevent small businesses from being left with nothing to show for contracting opportunities that never materialize for one reason or another. It is my hope that this will increase the number of small businesses willing to take the leap of faith to compete for government contracts.

Before I yield back, I thank Representative Mfume for this bill and all the work he has done for small businesses throughout the years. I appreciate it very much.

While he may no longer be serving on our committee for the remainder of the 118th Congress, I appreciate his contributions that he has made throughout the years to America's entrepreneurs, and he is my friend.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Commander Jon Fay's tremendous career serving his country and commemorate his retirement from the U.S. Navy. For 24 years, Jon has dedicated his life to serving our great Nation and keeping it a great Nation.

From ensign to executive officer, Jon has worked his way through the ranks. Today, he is highly decorated and holds various personal, unit, and service awards.

In September of 2021, he joined the Blue Angels and has accumulated an impressive 2,900 flight hours and 168 carrier arrested landings.

Jon is a humble leader and true patriot fueled by love for his family and love for his country.

Jon's wife, Amy, and children have played a crucial role in his service. We must also honor the unwavering support and countless sacrifices they have made over the years.

On behalf of a grateful Nation and this Congress, I thank Jon Fay and his family for their selfless service to ensuring our freedoms for generations to come.

His life is one to be copied. As Jon would say: Go Navy. Beat Army. In God we trust.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 5403, the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act.

This necessary legislation would prevent the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency to individuals directly or indirectly through a financial institution. This bill also prohibits the Fed from using a CBDC as a tool to implement monetary policy and control the economy.

Around the world, governments have weaponized central bank digital currencies to track the spending habits of their citizens. In China, the CCP uses CBDC to track spending of their citizens and created a social credit system, which punishes individuals based on their spending and behavior. We cannot allow this kind of surveillance to be imposed on American citizens.

The issuance of a CBDC by the Federal Government would lead to decreased competition as the Federal Government would then be in direct competition with banks. This is antibusiness for the benefit of Big Government. A government-controlled CBDC is an attack on Americans' privacy and free-market competitiveness.

Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 5403. In God we trust.

Mr. Speaker, American campuses once respected and envied across the world have become breeding grounds for the radical left to promote their anti-America agenda.

For weeks, Joe Biden, far-left Democrats, and university leaders have stood by as woke mobs have stormed college campuses across this Nation.

These so-called leaders have allowed thousands of students to blatantly disregard the law and build encampments on campuses for the sole purpose of harassing and intimidating Jewish students, even physically barring them from attending class. Authorities have turned a blind eye as these hateful people continue to destroy property, deface statues, and burn the American flag.

There must be consequences. We must respect our Nation and protect our schools and our students. This is not free speech. There are not peaceful protesters in this group. These are terrorists hiding behind masks and using violence, threats, and intimidation to control Jewish and Israeli students.

Today, I am proud to introduce the No Student Loan Forgiveness for Antisemitic Criminals Act, which would bar any student who is arrested for engaging in anti-Semitic activities within the United States from receiving student loan forgiveness through Federal income-driven repayment programs.

Clearly, these out-of-control students have never faced meaningful consequences in their lives. If woke leadership will not hold these violent protesters accountable and keep our students safe, House Republicans will. I can guarantee that defunding violent gender studies majors will end this chaos immediately.

No one should feel unsafe on campus. Anti-Semitism is a virus that we cannot allow to spread. Let us not forget, on October 7, 2023, Israel was brutally attacked by Hamas. We must stand with Israel as they protect the future of Israel and the Jewish people.

On another note, what in the world is going on with the Boy Scouts? In God we trust.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my dear friend, Don Nicholas.

Don was a crucial member of the Texas 25th Congressional District team for over 10 years and dedicated his life to selflessly serving his country.

Time and time again, he stepped up to help those in need, day or night. He never missed a call from a veteran and opened his home up to soldiers every holiday.

Don was a 31-year Army veteran, a man of great faith and a loving husband, father, and grandfather, and always believed the North Dakota State Bison were going to win every game.

America lost a patriot, Texas lost a servant leader, and we all lost a friend. He will be dearly missed by those privileged to know him.

I am honored to celebrate the life and impact that Don had on so many. In God we trust.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and

pass the bill (H.R. 5333) to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to exclude from the limit on leverage certain amounts invested in smaller enterprises located in rural or low-income areas and small businesses in critical technology areas, 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, we all know small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. Main Street employs nearly half of all Americans and the vast majority of businesses in the United States are small businesses.

As we kick off this year's National Small Business Week, I can think of no better way to pass H.R. 5333, the Investing in All of America Act, introduced by Representatives Meuser and Scholten.

Small businesses are faced with constant challenges when it comes to accessing capital. With burdensome regulations and high-interest rates, banks are being forced to tighten their lending standards, forcing small business owners to pay higher prices for much-needed funds.

Unlike large corporations, small businesses don't share the luxury of utilizing debt and equity markets for financing. Main Street America is instead forced to bridge the funding gap and return to resources like the SBIC program, where Federal funding is matched with experienced private investors to invest in small businesses.

The program has been successful in the early-stage funding of several companies that have gone on to become household names, such as Apple and Tesla, among others. However, often overlooked are investments in rural areas, including investment in American-made military technology. This is where H.R. 5333 comes in, making thoughtful improvements to ensure that the SBIC program continues to be an essential part of helping small businesses navigate the current economic challenges and increase avenues to access capital.

This program has never cost taxpayers any money and has always been seen as a positive return on investment. These commonsense changes will allow more businesses to access critical funding without increasing the risk of the government losing money.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5333, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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 that will provide more opportunities for our Nation's job creators to access capital. I once again thank Representatives Meuser and Scholten for bringing this solution to the table, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7103) to amend the Small Business Act to require Federal agencies to testify and report on scores received under the scorecard program for evaluating Federal agency compliance with small business contracting goals, to testify for failure to meet Governmentwide contracting goals, 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. 7103, the Agency Accountability Act of 2024, introduced by Representatives Stauber and McGarvey. H.R. 7103 holds Federal agencies accountable for failing America's small businesses.

The Federal Government is one of the largest customers in the world. In order to ensure small businesses are able to access this vital customer, President Ronald Reagan signed into law a goal for Federal agencies to award a certain percentage of government contracts to small businesses. Not only has this opened the Federal marketplace to small businesses, it also ensures a strong and resilient industrial base in America.

Unfortunately, not every Federal agency is meeting the commitment to contract with the little guys. Worse than that, when an agency misses its small business contracting goals, they face no consequences.

The Agency Accountability Act will help solve these issues. This bill will force agencies to testify to Congress and explain why they aren't meeting their small business goals and what they will do to rectify these issues.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 7103, 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 yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation that will ensure small businesses have access to one of the largest customers in the world, the Federal Government. I thank Congressmen Stauber and McGarvey for working on this legislation that will help our government meet its contracting objectives.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7985) 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.

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. 7985, the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024, introduced by Representatives McGarvey and Molinaro.

This legislation will require the SBA to issue a report to Congress on the challenges individuals with disabilities face when starting a business. Further, it will require the SBA to look at resources across the Federal Government that assist individuals with disabilities.

The Government Accountability Office estimates that there are nearly 50 programs across nine Federal agencies that support employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. However, Federal agencies often fail to coordinate or collaborate on such programs to ensure that their efforts are not duplicated and are working as efficiently as possible. The Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024 will require the SBA to look at this fragmented system and do its part to consolidate and streamline those efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives McGarvey and Molinaro for their

leadership on this important issue and for introducing this bill. 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 the State of New York (Mr. Molinaro).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we have held hearings this year that have highlighted the great work of disabled entrepreneurs across the country. I thank Representatives McGarvey and Molinaro again for offering this solution to ensure the government is working efficiently to offer these individuals the resources that are already available.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7987) to require plain language and the inclusion of key words in covered notices that are clear, concise, and accessible to small business concerns, 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. 7987, the Plain Language in Contracting Act, introduced by Representatives LaLota and Thanedar.

Far too often, the government uses language that is difficult to understand when it solicits contract opportunities. No one feels the burden of this government-speak more than small business owners looking to break into the Federal marketplace.

We have heard from small business owners about how their limited resources often prevent them from employing a team of attorneys to sift through government solicitations to interpret what the government is actually trying to purchase. One entrepreneur even told our committee that they examined thousands of government contracts, and only 3 percent were written in a way that someone without a college degree could understand.

The number of small businesses contracting with the government has been shrinking for years. We consistently hear that the barriers to entry are simply too high.

H.R. 7987 will finally remove this barrier facing small businesses by forcing the government to take commonsense action and write contract solicitations using simple and plain language.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 7987, the Plain Language in Contracting Act, 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 have no further speakers. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressmen LaLota and Thanedar for this bill. Interpreting the Federal contracting language should not be a barrier that small businesses need to overcome in order to compete for a government contract.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I hear what the ranking member is saying. It is a great week for small business and the National Small Business Week we have ahead of us.

This is another example of what this committee is doing, Mr. Speaker, on bipartisan legislation that we are getting out to help America. We can get it done in Washington, D.C.

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

Mr. Speaker, due to a personal family matter, I was unable to be in D.C. and vote on April 15, 2024. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 123.

Mr. Speaker, due to a personal family matter, I was unable to be in D.C. to vote on March 12, 2024. Had I been present, I would have voted ``Yea'' on Roll Call No. 84, and ``Yea'' on Roll Call No. 85.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 2799, the Expanding Access to Capital Act.

This commonsense legislation is critical for long-term, sustainable economic growth by strengthening our public markets, helping small businesses and entrepreneurs, and increasing opportunity for all investors.

The Biden administration has continuously increased obligations and regulations, which in turn have increased compliance costs for public companies and businesses. H.R. 2799 would reduce compliance burdens and allow for companies and markets to thrive.

This important legislation would also benefit small businesses by reducing regulatory barriers to ensure small business and entrepreneurs have access to the capital they need to support their operations and communities.

I thank Chairman McHenry for including language from my legislation that expands benefits currently reserved for emerging growth companies to other public companies. The EGC on-ramp has been a key tool in funding growth and will make public markets more attractive to help small issuers and level the playing field.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, the Expanding Access to Capital Act, to help strengthen public markets. In God we trust.