Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and thank Sergeant Thomas Reid, Jr., for his 45 years of service with the Cincinnati Police Department.

A lot has changed since he joined the department back in 1972, after serving in Vietnam, but one thing has remained the same. For 4\1/2\ decades, Sergeant Reid continued to dedicate himself to keeping our community safe.

During his time on the force, Sergeant Reid led by example and passed his knowledge and experience on to his fellow officers, often advising them to ``treat others as you want to be treated.''

Sergeant Reid retired at the end of December as the Cincinnati Police Department's longest-serving member, and his leadership and guidance will be missed. The city of Cincinnati is a better place because of his service, and his legacy and impact will be felt in our community for years to come. For that, Mr. Speaker, we Cincinnatians are deeply grateful and indebted to him.

Thank you, Sergeant Reid.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership on this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of all three of these overwhelmingly bipartisan bills.

First, I would like to speak on H.R. 535, the Taiwan Travel Act, a bill which I introduced this Congress along with my colleague, Congressman Sherman. We appreciate his support on this and a lot of other issues in this Congress, Chairman Royce and other Members as well.

For close to 4 decades now, the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act has served as a cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan relations, and together, with President Reagan's six assurances, we have maintained peace and stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region. However, there are still major steps that we can take to further strengthen the U.S.-Taiwan relationship.

I believe one of the most important improvements that we can make is to allow the President of Taiwan and other high-ranking officials, like Taiwan's foreign and defense ministers, to visit Washington, our Nation's Capital, something that is currently prohibited. This is our own self-imposed policy and it is outrageous. These restrictions are only carried out because of potential diplomatic retaliation from the PRC, from China.

Personally, I think restricting high-level visits by senior Taiwanese officials is not only insulting, but it is counterproductive.

We should be encouraging more direct dialogue with the democratically elected President of Taiwan and other highest elected officials.

We let the leaders of China, the PRC, come to Washington on a regular basis and we give them the highest honors, yet we shun the democratically elected leaders of our longtime ally, Taiwan.

We need to send a strong signal that the current approach to bilateral contacts and communications between the U.S. and Taiwan is outdated and it is time for it to go and be changed, and that is what this bill is all about.

If we seriously want to promote greater democracy in the region, we should be as supportive as possible to the countries that are actually practicing democracy, and that is what Taiwan does. It is a longtime ally of ours.

That is exactly why I introduced the Taiwan Travel Act along, again, with Congressman Sherman and Chairman Royce a year ago--January 13, 2017, to be exact.

This bill, which has broad, bipartisan support from a long list of cosponsors, states that our government should encourage visits between the U.S. and Taiwan at all levels.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to quickly voice my support for H.R. 3320, a bill championed by my friend and colleague, Chairman Ted Yoho. This bill directs the Department of State to assist Taiwan in regaining observer status in the World Health Organization, WHO. Unfortunately, Taiwan has been excluded from participating in most of the really important international organizations, including the WHO, for almost 50 years now.

Many of my colleagues and I have advocated for years for Taiwan's meaningful participation in the WHO, much to the dismay of China, which has consistently thwarted these efforts.

Taiwan's exclusion from the WHO creates a dangerous and unnecessary gap in global health, especially considering the stellar health research and medical resources Taiwan has to offer.

That is why H.R. 3320 is so important. WHO membership for Taiwan is not only in the best interests of Taiwan, it is in the best interests of the rest of the world, including the United States.

Mr. Speaker, lastly, I want to voice my support for H. Res. 676, Chairman Royce's and Ranking Member Engel's resolution supporting the rights of the people of Iran and condemning the Iranian regime for its crackdown on legitimate protesters. This is a commonsense measure.

The current regime in Iran has never respected human rights or the rule of law. The recent situation in Iran only underscores this reality.

I am pleased to see my colleagues quickly condemning the atrocities by that government this very day; however, I want to take this opportunity to stress the importance of remembering the big picture in Iran. It is a country, let's face it, that is being run by thugs. Not only do they perpetrate violence and marginalize their own people, they harbor, promote, and finance terrorism throughout the region. They threaten America and its allies. They continue to develop ballistic missiles, which we know that one day they would like to have tipped with nuclear devices. That could be a threat not just to our allies in the region, but the United States.

This most recent outbreak of civil unrest in the country should not be a surprise, considering the Iranian regime's ruthless tactics.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues join me in support of this measure also and take further steps to hold Iran accountable for both its domestic and international violations. I urge my colleagues to support all three of these measures.

Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank the gentlemen from California, Chairman Royce and Mr. Sherman, for their support on these and other measures.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in support of H.R. 477, and I want to thank Chairman Hensarling and Chairman Huizenga for their hard work on this effort.

While we are finally seeing improvements in our economy, we will not experience its full potential until we fully unleash American small businesses.

As chairman of the House Small Business Committee, I frequently hear from small-business owners that regulations are preventing their growth and expansion. The bill before us today addresses one of the many regulatory hurdles that stand in the way of small business development. Reducing red tape on brokers would decrease the burdens on small businesses that are going through the next phase of their growth, including transitions in ownership.

This should be a time of expansion and increased opportunities, not higher cost and bureaucratic red tape. Let's work together on behalf of our Nation's small businesses so they can continue to grow today and create the jobs of tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the chairman yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 90. This is a bipartisan bill condemning the Burmese military's systemic attacks on the Rohingya in Rakhine State.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank especially Congressman Crowley from New York for working together in a bipartisan manner on this legislation and also with Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel and so many others.

As someone who has chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee on Asia and the Pacific and who has been to Burma and met with Aung San Suu Kyi and followed Burma very closely, what has happened there is truly shocking and disheartening, and really a blot on the world in how this has been handled up to this point in many ways.

The Rohingya have long been at the fringes of Burmese society and it is no secret that the Burmese military regards them as outsiders who don't even belong in Burma at all. That is why the military used some attacks back in August by a rogue group of Rohingya as a pretext to terrorize the entire Rohingya population.

This campaign of terror and violence has demonically worked. Over 600,000 Rohingya have fled Burma for Bangladesh, and at least 250,000 of those people are children.

Further, credible human rights organizations and the media have documented numerous horrors and abuses, including rape, murder, and torture. The most unspeakable things have happened there.

Together, these atrocities amount to what has been called ``a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.''

Unfortunately, Burma's constitution ensures that the Burmese military controls much of the government in Burma, while Burma's civilian government has proved incapable of taking appropriate action to address this violence. Since the Burmese military began its ethnic cleansing campaign, it has gone on and on.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation and to do everything we can to stop these horrors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

As a result of this bill, Ohio families will keep more of what they earn. Additionally, it will create tens of thousands of jobs in Ohio and in other States all across the country.

As chairman of the House Small Business Committee, I want to make sure that the Tax Code works for our Nation's job creators so that we can create jobs, not against them.

Seventy percent of the new jobs created in the American economy nowadays are created by small businesses. Unfortunately, small businesses are getting killed by the existing Tax Code.

This Tax Code will bring rates down from approximately 40 percent for small-business owners to, in many cases, 25 percent and, in a lot of cases, 9 percent. From 40 percent down to 9 percent. That means small businesses can keep that money, invest and create more jobs for more Americans.

The naysayers around here obviously can't say enough bad about this bill, but it is going to be good for America. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, as former chairman of the Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on the Middle East and having traveled to Yemen myself a couple years ago, I rise in support of H. Res. 599, a resolution that calls for an end to the conflict in Yemen and denounces the targeting of innocent civilians and the use of civilians as human shields.

It has become painfully evident that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard continues to transfer increasingly sophisticated weapons systems to the Houthis in Yemen. These weapons are now being used to target civilians as well as one of our regional allies, Saudi Arabia.

There is an urgent need for a political solution in Yemen, with growing famine, 500,000 new cholera cases, and the death of 10,000 Yemeni civilians since 2015.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill and I urge my colleagues to join in condemning Iranian activities in Yemen. I call on our global partners to take appropriate measures against the Government of Iran, including the banning of Iran's weapons to the Houthis, and condemning targeting of civilians.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3441, and I want to commend our colleague, Mr. Byrne, for sponsoring this legislation. I also want to commend Chairwoman Foxx for her leadership on this very important issue. I am proud to be an original cosponsor myself.

As chairman of the House Small Business Committee, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand how the National Labor Relations Board's new joint employer standard threatens the ability of small-business owners to remain independent and responsible for their own employees.

At a Small Business Committee hearing last year, an Army combat veteran and small-business owner testified that: ``Local business owners may effectively be demoted from entrepreneur to middle manager, as they are gradually forced to forfeit operational control of the stores, clubs, inns, or restaurants that they built.''

At the same hearing, another small-business owner testified that: ``I would cease to be an independent small-business owner . . . ultimately, I would become a de facto employee of the corporate brand.''

These are merely two examples of the consequences real American small-business owners face because of the decisions of Washington bureaucrats and activist judges. The Obama-era joint employer scheme threatens small businesses, the engines of American economic growth.

Small businesses, after all, create the majority of the new jobs in this Nation; they spur innovation.

Enacting this legislation would help ensure continued freedom for America's best job creators.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3441. Passage of this legislation is necessary to restore certainty to America's small- business owners and their employees so that they can continue to operate their businesses locally and independently.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman Royce, and all the other folks that have worked on a number of bills here today.

I rise in strong support of H. Res. 359; H.R. 3329; H.R. 3342; and H.R. 1698, that one, in particular, aims to prevent Iran from acquiring ballistic missiles because they have the capability or soon will have the capability not just to target the Middle East and Europe, but also target us here on our soil right here in the United States if we don't do something about this, with ultimately a nuclear device.

Iran is determined to be the dominant power in the Middle East. The Iranian regime hopes to achieve this by exporting terrorism, destabilizing its neighbors, and promising death to America and to our allies.

Bearing this in mind, Iran's nuclear ambitions and ballistic missiles program are not only a direct threat to the United States and our allies, but they are a direct threat to the peace and stability of the entire world.

When the Iran deal was signed, I said back then and believed back then that this was a bad deal, it would ultimately lead to nuclear weapons, and that they weren't going to meet their commitments. And we are seeing here today the backsliding by Iran to these commitments.

Ten years ago, Russia agreed to sell a number of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to Iran. The Russians suspended the deal in 2010, but renewed it after the Iran deal, the JCPOA was agreed to. Now Moscow has delivered multiple S-300 systems.

While the S-300 missile platforms strengthens Iran's conventional capabilities, it also fundamentally complicates the United States' strategy for eliminating a potential nuclear threat against us or against our allies. Iran displayed this surface-to-air missile system to the public late last month, so we know it is there and it is dangerous.

That is exactly why H.R. 1698 is so important. It will help combat Iran's ongoing nuclear ambitions by requiring the President to report on the Iranian ballistic missiles program and to oppose targeted sanctions on Iranian Government entities and foreign actors that aid Iran in its nuclear development.

I also want to speak briefly relative to the threat that Hezbollah poses to the Middle East and the entire world. I, again, want to thank Congressman Royce and Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen and Ranking Member Engel and many others for their hard work on this.

Hezbollah's mission is to destroy Israel. It is backed by Iran. It poses a constant threat to the Middle East peace. We have designated it as a terrorist organization due to its routine attacks, especially rocket attacks on

Israel that have led to war, and its brutal tactics.

For years, Hezbollah has continued to accumulate larger rocket stockpiles, grow their presence, and develop even more unimaginable barbaric strategies.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for these, and I urge my colleagues to support these.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the bicentennial anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith.

Yesterday, October 22, marked the birth of Baha'u'llah. During his life, Baha'u'llah touched the lives of all those around him and was known for his charity and his message of the unity of mankind, justice, and peace. His message still lives on today in the religion he founded and in over five million Baha'is around the world. Wherever they live, Baha'is strive to be good citizens, serving their communities and the common good and working side-by-side with other faiths to advance education, interfaith harmony, and international cooperation.

The Baha'i Faith has spread to every state since arriving in the U.S. more than 120 years ago. I want to specifically highlight the Baha'i community in Cincinnati. Throughout my time in Congress, I have had the opportunity to meet with Baha'i representatives many times and to learn how they have enriched and blessed our city.

Unfortunately, the Baha'is are not free to practice their religion in Iran, Baha'u'llah's homeland. Since the Revolution of 1979, Iran has executed at least 200 Baha'is. 10,000 Baha'is have been dismissed from their jobs and 700 have been arrested since 2005. Baha'is have seen their homes raided, their property confiscated, and their children denied education.

During my service on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, I have vocally supported the Baha'is rights in Iran. That is why I joined my colleague, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, to introduce H. Res. 274 earlier this year which once again condemns Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority. As the Baha'i celebrate Baha'u'llah's birth, we must remember that his followers are not yet free to practice in his homeland.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize this momentous occasion, and wish those Baha'i in my district, throughout America, and around the world, a joyous celebration.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2763) to amend the Small Business Act to improve the Small Business Innovation Research program and Small Business Technology Transfer program, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation introduced by Chairman Knight and Ranking Member Murphy of the Committee on Small Business' Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce aims to modernize and improve the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer, or SBIR and STTR, programs.

The SBIR and STTR programs have helped thousands of small businesses create new technologies, commercialize their ideas, and generate new jobs. While creating these benefits in the private sector, the programs offer, in a cost-effective manner, ways for Federal agencies to solve operational problems. H.R. 2763 strengthens these two programs in quite a few ways.

First, the bill emphasizes agency accountability by creating several firm reporting deadlines for covered agencies and for the SBA to provide future Congresses with improved information that will lead to a better understanding of the programs' strengths and weaknesses.

Second, the legislation clarifies the congressional intent of the 2011 reauthorization to ensure that taxpayers reap the benefits of the SBIR and STTR programs by binding the technologies developed in the programs to long-term projects at the Department of Defense.

Third, the legislation extends a popular pilot program included in the 2011 reauthorization that would allow all participating Federal agencies to award a phase II contract immediately if the agency finds that the small business concern has already completed work typically done during phase I.

Fourth, it makes permanent the option for all participating agencies to

establish commercialization readiness programs, or CRPs. As a pilot program from the 2011 reauthorization, these CRPs have been shown to provide much-needed support to small companies nearing the completion of the process and have helped advance technology to the commercialization phase.

Fifth, it extends, through 2022, the provision that allows participating agencies to utilize 3 percent of their allocation for administrative functions, conduct outreach in an effort to bring more companies into the SBIR and STTR programs, and increase deterrents to waste, fraud, and abuse.

I want to thank Congressman Knight and Congresswoman Murphy for the bipartisan work on this important legislation. I would also like to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Johnson of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, as well as Chairwoman Comstock and Ranking Member Lipinski of the Subcommittee on Research and Technology, for working together with us to produce this bipartisan bill that we have before us this afternoon.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight), who is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce on the Small Business Committee.

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank all those who spoke on this legislation, a very bipartisan, good legislation, here this afternoon on the House floor.

In closing, whether it is new software system for tracking contract payments or a new medical device to help with cancer treatments, or a new piece of technology that literally saves lives on the battlefield, the SBIR and STTR programs have consistently delivered results to Federal agencies. They are worthy programs that do what they are supposed to do, but we can always do better. This legislation improves and modernizes these programs, and I ask that all of my colleagues support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, Chairman Royce has been a strong proponent of this, as has Eliot Engel. I want to especially thank Robin Kelly for her leadership on this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2408, a bipartisan bill that aims to provide a safe education for millions of children, especially girls, who live in the most dangerous and unstable places across the globe.

As a parent and now a grandparent, a former teacher, I know that education physically and mentally empowers our children.

Unfortunately, millions of children receive no education due to the circumstances which are beyond their control. This is particularly true for the growing number of displaced people across the world, as it is exceedingly difficult for children in conflict zones to receive a primary or secondary education. Armed conflicts across the world, particularly in places like Syria and now Burma, have led to the internal displacement of millions of women and children, and forced them to literally flee their own homes.

There are currently 65 million people displaced worldwide, and at least 21 million are refugees. They are out of their own countries. This is the highest number since World War II, and the number has been steadily rising since 2011.

Many of the displaced people are survivors of human rights abuses and violence. Half of these victims are under 18 years of age. They are children and in the most formative years of their lives. If they are not given the opportunity to succeed, they will be subjected to a lifetime of conflict and instability.

Education is a key component to helping lift these vulnerable children out of the depths of poverty. Access to education not only gives children the opportunity to grow and learn, but also offers safety and shelter from violence, extremist ideology, human trafficking networks, and a relentless cycle of abuse.

There is no question that access to education provides stability and consistency to children living in extremely unstable conditions, especially girls.

That is why I introduced H.R. 2408, the Protecting Girls' Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act, along with Robin Kelly from Illinois. I again want to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel for their leadership in this area.

This bipartisan legislation will move us in the right direction by making access to primary and secondary education a priority with our State Department and USAID. It aims to directly benefit displaced children, specifically girls, and will help to address one of the world's greatest challenges facing refugees across the globe.

This legislation also encourages greater international coordination and leverages existing resources by promoting education for refugees where they are through local schools.

The Protecting Girls' Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act will ensure that millions of child refugees will have an opportunity to reach their highest potential, even those in the most tumultuous conditions.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise, as I say, in opposition to this amendment. The proposed amendment offered by my colleague from Washington would increase funds appropriated for the Small Business Administration's entrepreneurial development programs by $3.8 million for the purpose of restoring funding to the SBA's ScaleUp initiative, which the SBA itself discontinued in fiscal year 2017.

The ScaleUp initiative was never congressionally authorized, and, as such, has never been subject to congressional oversight.

As the chairman of the Committee on Small Business, I am a staunch supporter of the SBA's efforts to increase access to training and counseling to our developing small businesses and to the next generation of entrepreneurs. It is also my responsibility to ensure that these programs are run efficiently and in the best interest of the American taxpayer. They are actually the ones footing the bill for every one of these programs. That is why, even though it can sometimes be tough, we have to balance these programs with limited budgets and always being aware that we have now a $20 trillion debt hanging over our heads.

As the ScaleUp initiative has never been subject to a congressional hearing nor congressional review, I believe it would be irresponsible to authorize taxpayer dollars to fund this program and must respectfully oppose this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Chair, I appreciate the gentleman from Washington's comments, and, as chair of the House Small Business Committee, I will certainly be willing to work with him and his staff to see if there is any ability down the road to reconsider this program.

That being said, we do have a new administration who has looked at this and many other programs very carefully. Being aware, again, that we have a considerable deficit every year and a $20 trillion debt hanging over our heads, something has to go, and there are a whole bunch of somethings in the budget that this administration is looking at because they are serious about this.

I definitely agree with the gentleman's comments about the importance of small businesses and promoting them in this country. About half of the people in America in the private sector work for, by definition, a small business. About 70 percent of the new jobs created in America are created by small businesses. There are 29 million small businesses all across America. They are contained in all 435 of our congressional districts. They are absolutely key.

We have a history, and I think most Members who deal with the Small Business Committee realize this, of working in a bipartisan manner--the ranking member, Nydia Velazquez who is from New York, myself now the chair, and I have been the ranking member under her in the past, so we really do work together on these, as do the other members of the committee.

We are willing to take a look at this down the road, but I would just have to reiterate my initial comment here is that I have to urge my colleagues, at this point, to oppose this amendment along with the administration and the Small Business Administration itself, which does oppose this amendment.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Gibbs for organizing this Special Order here this evening in which we are honoring Ralph Regula, our former colleague.

I had the pleasure of serving with Congressman Regula for 14 years here in this great institution.

Ralph Regula was truly a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. He served Ohio and our Nation with a dignity and grace that few will ever match. When I think of the phrase ``disagreeing without being disagreeable,'' I think of Ralph Regula.

Ralph was a lot of things. He was an attorney, a teacher, a school principal, a veteran, a farmer, and a loving husband, father, and grandfather. But perhaps most of all, he was dedicated to serving the people of the 16th Congressional District and his country.

He was born in Beach City, Ohio, in 1924--the same year my mom was born, by the way. Ralph first served his country, as my father did, in World War II. My dad was in the Army and served in Europe. Ralph was in the Navy from 1942 to 1946 during World War II.

Ralph then graduated from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, where he met his wife, Mary, and later obtained his law degree from William McKinley School of Law in Canton.

Ralph had a passion for education. Before getting into politics, he served his community as a schoolteacher, as I also did. He was then a principal and even ran for the Ohio Board of Education.

As a former teacher myself, as I mentioned, I know the time you spend with students helps shape the way you view the world. Ralph was no different. He brought those experiences with him here to Washington, D.C., and put his

passion to work on the Appropriations Committee.

Prior to being elected to Congress, Ralph got his start in politics as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and, later, the Ohio Senate. In 1972, he ran for Congress and won, beginning a long and impressive congressional tenure.

Ralph served 18 terms, 36 years, and he was a leader on the Appropriations Committee. In that role, he helped to shape the country, but he never forgot where he came from: Stark County, Ohio.

Back in 1998, Ralph and his wife, Mary, were instrumental in the establishment of the National First Ladies' Library in Canton, and they both remained very involved in the library's operations over the years.

Many Ohioans and Cantonians remember him for his staunch support of Stark County's park system, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and the Towpath Trail.

While many around the Nation will remember Ralph Regula as an important figure on the Appropriations Committee, a role he served in for many, many years, I will remember him as a respected colleague and someone I was proud to call a friend.

Ralph was a soft-spoken, old-school gentleman. By the time I was elected to Congress back in 1994, Ralph Regula was the dean of the Ohio delegation. A few years after Congressman Regula retired, I became the dean of the Ohio Republican delegation, and I tried to model my approach to the role that he set. He set a great example for all of us who serve here in the House because he truly was a gentleman.

Tonight, as we remember our former dean, I hope that we also remember his ability to work across the aisle. Ralph always treated everyone with respect and genuinely listened to the viewpoints of others. He believed that bipartisanship was a virtue and would work tirelessly to find common ground. I think we can all learn from his example.

I would note that Marcy Kaptur, who is one of our more respected Democratic colleagues in the House, is here this evening. I think it is a tribute to the bipartisanship that Ralph Regula showed over the years. I know that she worked not only with him, but with many of us in a bipartisan manner. That is just the way that Ralph Regula operated.

Mr. Speaker, Ralph Regula was a decent, hardworking family man who was dedicated to Ohio, and particularly the 16th Congressional District and the people of Stark County. He was a public servant and a role model. He will be deeply missed.

To Ralph's wife, Mary; his daughter, Martha; his sons, David and Richard; and the entire Regula family, please know that we are saddened by your loss. We share that loss. We appreciate the time that you allowed Ralph to serve our Nation. You are in our thoughts and our prayers. God bless you all.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2333) to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to increase the amount of leverage made available to small business investment companies, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the House Small Business Committee, a day does not go by without me hearing from our Nation's job creators. From inspiring accounts that are driven by their work ethic to stories of sacrifice all in the name of growing their company, the Nation's small businesses are the true lifeblood of the American economy.

With over 29 million small businesses operating in the United States, they are responsible for two out of every three new jobs created in this country. However, their full potential is being held back by heavy-handed regulations and uncertainty. Unfortunately, their inability to access capital continues to prevent job creation and expansion.

As a way to increase access to capital, the Small Business Administration jump-starts and enhances the flow of venture and private equity capital through the Small Business Investment Company program, also known as the SBIC program.

Created in the 1958 Small Business Investment Act, the program utilizes a privately owned and SBA licensed model to increase access to capital. With over 300 SBICs operating in the country and more than $24 billion of capital under management, the program in fiscal year 2015 invested more than $5.4 billion in approximately 1,000 small businesses.

In 2015, I introduced a SBIC bill that focused on increasing the family of funds limit.

Similar to my 2015 legislation that was signed into law, the bill we have before us today concentrates on the individual leverage limit. Currently set at $150 million, the individual limit determines how much capital can be deployed by a SBIC that has only one fund under management. To better utilize this program and allow an increase in capital to small businesses, H.R. 2333--the bill that we are considering here this afternoon--increases the individual leverage limit to $175 million.

I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight), the chairman of our Subcommittee on Contracting

and Workforce, for his leadership on this issue.

With access to capital being such a critical need for small business expansion and job creation, an increase in the individual leverage limit could deliver the needed capital that the next great American company is searching for.

This bill has broad bipartisan support and was favorably passed out of committee unanimously. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 2333.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Judy Chu, who is here this afternoon, I believe, on behalf of Ms. Velazquez, who is the ranking member. We have a very strong bipartisan working committee. It is one of those in Congress that I think can be a model for other committees in how the two parties can actually work together and push forward with policies that are good for the country overall. We are not a very partisan committee. We work together. And I want to thank both Ms. Velazquez and Ms. Judy Chu for their participation in that bipartisanship.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman), the newest member of the Small Business Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I want to, again, commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight) for his leadership on this particular legislation. He is the subcommittee chairman of the Contracting and Workforce Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me reiterate the importance of this bill, which aims to increase access to capital for small businesses. It simply increases the SBIC's individual leverage limit from $150 million to $175 million.

This legislation really is common sense. And, as I mentioned before, it is bipartisan. I, again, want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Judy Chu) for her bipartisan leadership on this as well.

It will enhance the ability of small businesses to gain the needed money to expand and create jobs in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 2333, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2056) to amend the Small Business Act to provide for expanded participation in the microloan program, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, the microloan program at the Small Business Administration is a program that acutely targets small dollar borrowers by utilizing nonprofit intermediaries known as microlenders.

Beyond lending the needed capital that is critical to a small business, microlenders are required to provide technical assistance and training to borrowers and perspective borrowers.

The program is unique to the SBA's capital access programs because it combines capital with counseling, two ingredients for growth. However, like many Federal programs, it is in need of modernizing to fully meet the demands of America's small businesses.

H.R. 2056, the Microloan Modernization Act of 2017, does just that.

To fully service small dollar borrowers, H.R. 2056 raises the lending volume a microloan intermediary has at its disposal from $5 million to $6 million.

Next, the legislation provides flexibility to the outdated and antiquated 25/75 rule that limits the amount of preloan technical assistance a microloan intermediary can offer to their small business clients.

By updating the rule to a 50/50 split, more complete assistance can be offered in the early stages of the process, oftentimes, when a small business needs it the most.

To determine if the program is running at its full potential with microlenders throughout the Nation, H.R. 2056 also directs the SBA to study the utilization of the program.

Lastly, to make sure the SBA is providing the correct amount of supervision, the Government Accountability Office, the GAO, is required to study the SBA's oversight tools.

As we continue to see signs of economic improvement, we must steadfastly defend the Nation's small businesses and startups. H.R. 2056 makes important changes to the program that will enhance a small dollar borrower's ability to grow and create jobs.

I want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Murphy) and all the members on this committee who have taken a leading role in this legislation. It has broad bipartisan support--again, the Small Business Committee working in a bipartisan fashion.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 2056, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would note again that we have bipartisan work on this committee. I thank Mrs. Murphy and Mr. Bacon for working together and pushing this bill, which I think will benefit small businesses all across the country. I we appreciate that. Mrs. Murphy, of course, is from Florida, and Mr. Bacon is from Nebraska.

I think the Microloan program really is an important tool in the SBA's capital access toolbox, but it is in need of modernizing, and H.R. 2056 does that. These are the reforms, I think, that the Nation's job creators need.

Small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs have the ideas to create the next great American company. We just need to provide the correct environment for that growth to take place, and I think this is something that will contribute towards that possibility and, therefore, be able to create more jobs for more Americans all across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2056, and I yield back the balance of my time.