Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 246, the Stimulating Innovation through Procurement Act of 2019.

I would like to thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis) and the gentlewoman from Iowa (Ms. Finkenauer) for their efforts on this important legislation.

This bill continues the committee's longstanding emphasis on the commercialization of technologies developed in the Small Business Innovation Research, or SBIR program.

The bill does this by incorporating acquisition personnel into the SBIR and the Small Business Technology Transfer, STTR, programs where appropriate. Under the bill, procurement center representatives, or PCRs, would be required to coordinate and collaborate with Federal agency small business advocates and are responsible for providing small businesses with technical assistance as they navigate the bidding process. Doing so would give small firms a better understanding of the government contracting process and increases their chances of success.

The SBIR and STTR programs are often the first place innovative, small firms look in order to contract with the Federal Government. Unfortunately, it is often difficult for a firm, particularly a new firm, to understand the ins and outs of working with the Federal Government. It can be quite complex.

Providing a new avenue for counseling by utilizing the national network of PCRs will help pioneering, small firms better prepare their proposals for the SBIR and STTR programs.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis), who is our chief sponsor of this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Utah again for his leadership on this, and thank the gentlewoman from Iowa as well, and, as always, thank the chairwoman, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez).

This straightforward legislation directs PCRs and senior procurement executives in agencies to assist small businesses in the SBIR and STTR programs.

Such assistance could be in the form of researching applicable solicitations, providing technical assistance when bidding for contracts, or coordinating with appropriate agency procurement officials.

The House passed identical legislation unanimously as part of a larger package last Congress, and we recommend passage of this bill again this year.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, 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. 206, the Encouraging Small Business Innovation Act.

I want to commend Mr. Rouda on his work to improve the Small Business Innovation Research program and the Small Business Technology Transfer program, or SBIR and STTR as they are more commonly known.

These critical programs provide exceptionally innovative small firms with the kick-start they need to develop the next big thing and turn their companies from small businesses into large ones. These innovations have saved lives on the battlefield, in the hospital room, and made immeasurable advancements in communication technology and countless other improvements to technologies we all use on a daily basis.

Among other things, this straightforward bill updates and harmonizes the definition of research and development in the Small Business Act, providing an avenue for more experienced SBIR companies to mentor newer companies, and improves oversight.

Furthermore, this bill encourages collaboration and sharing of best practices among Federal agencies to enhance the efficacy of the SBIR and STTR programs. Federal agencies housing these programs would be required to meet annually to discuss potential data collection and reporting process improvements, ideas to increase small business participation, and will be required to update Congress on the outcomes and recommendations arising from these meetings.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, the SBIR and STTR programs are often the first place small innovative companies come to do business with the Federal Government. They are widely popular here on Capitol Hill, in the administration, and in the industrial base as well. They provide that initial kick-start of funding for ideas that could change the world, literally, for the better.

Mr. Speaker, the reforms contained in H.R. 206 make it easier for those ideas to become a reality. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, 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. 190, the Expanding Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses Act of 2019.

I want to commend the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Marshall) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider) for working in a cooperative and bipartisan manner on this important legislation.

The bill we are considering today passed the House last September because it is both good for small businesses and good for the Federal Government. By raising the potential amount of sole source contract awards, this bill encourages Federal agency contracting officers to do more work with women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone, and socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses.

The bill will also strengthen the integrity of the sole source award process by requiring the SBA to actively determine that a women-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned small business is qualified and eligible to receive the award before it is made.

Finally, the bill tasks the Government Accountability Office with assessing Congress' ability to oversee proper spending through sole source awards.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Marshall), one of the chief sponsors of the legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank Dr. Marshall as well as Mr. Schneider for their work and their leadership on this important legislation.

This bill brings the dollar amount of sole source awards in line with the size of current contracts and strengthens oversight by instituting a new eligibility determination check by the SBA before sole source contracts are awarded.

Therefore, I would urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise this evening to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the University of Cincinnati.

In 1819, roughly 70 students were enrolled in what was then called the Cincinnati College. Today, nearly 46,000 students are enrolled at

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 226, the Clarity on Small Business Participation in Category Management Act of 2019.

I thank Chairwoman Velazquez for working with us in a bipartisan manner on this bill, as we have done over the years on a whole range of other bills, whether the Democrats are in the majority or the Republicans are in the majority. On this committee, Ms. Velazquez and I have been able to work in a bipartisan manner, and we appreciate that very much on this bill and many other things as well.

Category management is a procurement initiative that is being adopted across the Federal Government. If implemented properly, it can be a beneficial tool, allowing the government to better understand its purchasing habits and identify cost savings, where appropriate.

However, as we discovered in a full committee hearing that we held on this topic last Congress, setting mandatory targets to manage agency spending may result in unintended consequences that could impact the small business industrial base.

Specifically, this initiative may inadvertently reduce competition to only a few vendors and may discourage new and emerging small businesses from entering the Federal marketplace.

As a result, we may see a decrease in competition and an exodus of small businesses from the Federal contracting base. We should ensure that maximum opportunities are given to small businesses as we continue to pursue cost savings across the Federal Government.

While I applaud the administration's efforts to reduce waste and identify areas where savings could be achieved, when we do so, we should try to avoid harming small businesses whenever possible.

H.R. 226 takes a first step toward assessing the impacts of category management on small businesses by requiring the Small Business Administration to report exactly how much is awarded to small businesses through the best in class contracts. Establishing this baseline and regularly monitoring these numbers is critical.

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

Mr. Speaker, before I address just some final points about this bill, I have to respond a bit to the gentleman from Mississippi relative to the shutdown, which we all hope will be resolved as soon as possible.

I don't think anybody in this body wants portions of the government to shut down and people not to be paid during that period of time. Hopefully, they will be paid in the future, but we don't necessarily want to pay people for not working, because we don't want them not to be working in the first place. So we need to get the government back open.

That being said, at this point, there is a standoff because the President and many Members in this body and in the other body believe that it is time for us to enhance our border security, and that is one of the principal issues right now and why the government is not open completely. Most of the government is open. It is a relatively small portion. However, any portion of the government that is closed is too much.

But we do have folks who have been coming across illegally at our southern border, and many believe that we do need to enhance the security at that border. Part of that is a wall, or barrier, or substantial fencing, or one thing or another--whatever you want to call it--and we need do that. We owe it to the American people to do that. So with that being said, I will just leave it there.

Mr. Speaker, I do believe that we ought to be looking to save taxpayer dollars in the procurement process, and category management may be a tool to do just that. However, we must maintain a vibrant industrial base that has a healthy and growing population of small firms to increase competition, spur innovation, and drive down costs.

This commonsense bill increases oversight on the administration's efforts to streamline the procurement process and aims to ensure small firms are not harmed in that process.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, 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. 227, the Incentivizing Fairness in Subcontracting Act.

I, again, would like to thank Chairwoman Velazquez as well as the gentleman from Mississippi, Trent Kelly, for their leadership on this important bipartisan legislation.

As this committee has established time and again, small businesses play a vital role in the health and strength of the Federal marketplace. A vibrant small business community promotes innovation and competition, which results in better quality products and services provided at a lower cost to the taxpayer. Therefore, it is critically important that strong incentives exist to entice new small businesses to consider doing business in the Federal space.

One of the primary methods small businesses use to gain a foothold in Federal contracting is through subcontracting. As such, they rely on large prime contractors to make these opportunities available and to receive payment in a timely manner. This often creates an imbalance of power with the large prime contractor having the advantage.

This bill provides small businesses with more leverage by establishing a new measure of accountability on large prime contractors. Small subcontractors may seek redress with the Federal agency small business advocate to resolve any nonpayment issues stemming from the large prime contractor. Unresolved payment issues will reflect poorly on the prime contractor's record, which will impact the prime contractor's ability to win future contracts.

This bill establishes an important safeguard to discourage large prime contractors from taking advantage of their small subcontractors. The result will be a stronger and healthier industrial base, which is good for government. It is also, importantly, good for the taxpayer. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to thank the gentlewoman, again, for her leadership on this, as well as Mr. Kelly.

As we have discussed, this legislation provides an important safeguard to discourage large prime contractors from taking advantage of their small subcontractors. Given how important

small subcontractors are to the Federal procurement process, it is critical we ensure that they have an adequate system of redress should they have legitimate issues with the prime contractors. Once again, we are looking out for the little guy, which is what this committee does, and I think we all really appreciate that.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, 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. 128, the Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act of 2019.

I would like to once again thank Chairwoman Velazquez for working in a cooperative and bipartisan manner to bring this measure to the House floor. I would also like to thank our colleague from Kentucky (Mr. Comer) for his leadership in sponsoring this legislation. He will be speaking here shortly.

This bipartisan bill, which passed the House back in the 115th Congress, the last Congress, simply clarifies the role of the Office of Advocacy of the United States Small Business Administration, which is charged with representing small businesses before Federal agencies whose policies and activities may affect them. The office also examines the role of small businesses in the American economy and the contributions they make in improving competition.

Advocacy is vital to ensuring that small firms are heard when the Federal Government makes policy decisions that will impact them. The current law is silent regarding Advocacy's ability to study the role of small businesses in international economies, which is an important avenue for many small companies as they seek opportunities to expand overseas. This legislation would clarify that Advocacy should include international economies as part of its research functions, which will help us to better understand how international economies impact our Nation's small businesses.

The current law is also silent regarding Advocacy's authority to represent small businesses before foreign governments and international entities. This bill clarifies that Advocacy may represent small business views and interests before foreign governments and other international entities by contributing to regulatory and trade initiatives. Considering Advocacy's experience with regulatory and trade initiatives, it makes sense to ensure that the needs of America's small businesses are fairly represented in the international space as well.

Again, I want to thank the sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer), and Chairwoman Velazquez for working on this important legislation and producing a simple solution to clarify the role of this office, and I urge my colleagues to support this straightforward legislation.

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

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

This commonsense legislation provides the Chief Counsel for Advocacy the statutory authority to represent the Nation's small businesses in the international realm. This timely legislation will provide the office with greater latitude to represent America's small businesses internationally.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of H.R. 7279, the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act.

I want to thank Congressman Gibbs as well as Congressman Latta, who just spoke previously, Congresswoman Fudge, and a number of others with whom we have been working, literally for years now, to move forward integrated planning and provide more flexibility for local communities to meet clean water standards.

The legislation that we are working on and that we have been involved in here, I think, is critical for communities like mine--Cincinnati, Hamilton County--and communities all over the country.

I want to say a special thanks to Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, who is a Democrat, and County Commissioner Chris Monzel, who is a Republican, in my district. We have been working in a bipartisan manner on this for quite some time now. Commissioner Portune brought this to my attention a number of years ago as Hamilton County dealt with the EPA consent decree that they had entered into many years ago that has literally crippled the sewer system and has caused dramatic price increases for the ratepayers, hundreds of thousands of whom are my constituents.

Commissioner Portune helped to craft the early versions of this legislation, and he and Commissioner Monzel have continued to fight to push this legislation across the finish line.

Oftentimes, when I see Todd Portune back in my area, he will bring this up to me and encourage me. We have been in this together for a long time now, and Commissioner Monzel as well. I, again, especially want to thank Congressman Gibbs for pushing this for many years now. I am so glad that we are actually finally getting there.

The legislation that we are considering today will authorize the EPA to work with local communities on integrated clean water plans that incorporate flexibility and innovative approaches. It will also allow integrated plans to be used to modify administrative orders or consent decrees, and it will allow compliance schedules that are longer than the current permit periods, if the jurisdiction meets its State water quality standards.

That is the important thing. We want more flexibility to give local communities the ability to deal with their problems in a way that makes sense in that community. The problems that New York City has are very different from what a rural Mississippi district or my district, Cincinnati, would have. They are all a bit different.

What we are saying is that you still have to meet those high standards that the EPA sets for clean water. We want our people to drink clean water, but we should give those different communities more flexibility so that they can do what makes sense in their particular community and then save the ratepayers their hard-earned tax dollars.

That is what this is all about, maintaining the high standards that we have, but doing it in a way that allows for more flexibility; the local communities can act according to what is in their best interest.

Together, these commonsense proposals represent a critical first step in addressing this issue as we continue to work on further financial capability guidance so that communities can meet clean water standards in a fiscally responsible manner.

I, again, want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their leadership on this and for moving this bill

forward. I thank all of the Members who have played a part in this process. It has been a long time coming. A lot of people have worked very hard on this, and I just want to thank all of those who have done this in a bipartisan manner. I would love to see this House work this way even more. We will see.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their leadership on this issue, H. Res. 1091, which I introduced to commit the House to a determination that the Burmese military's atrocities against the Rohingya minority in Rakhine State were genocide and to call for the release of the two Reuters journalists who have been unjustly imprisoned by the Burmese government for their investigation into these atrocities.

On August 25 last year, the Burmese military began a barbaric campaign against the Rohingya people in Rakhine State. This premeditated operation resulted in 700,000 Rohingya fleeing from Burma into Bangladesh. In September, Congressman Crowley and I wrote to then- Secretary Tillerson to raise our serious concerns about the violence.

Since then, sufficient evidence has been brought to light to fill in many gruesome details of what exactly happened. Much of this evidence is contained in two reports released in September.

First, the U.N. Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar released its final report that argued that the Burmese military had genocidal intent against the Rohingya.

Second, the State Department released a report summarizing a survey of Rohingya survivors in Bangladesh that it had commissioned. The State Department's report is particularly disturbing. It calls the violence extreme, large-scale, widespread, and states that ``the scope and scale of the military's operations indicate they were well planned and coordinated.''

Of the 1,000 Rohingya interviewed, about 80 percent witnessed killings and the destruction of villages. In total, 400 villages were burned to the ground. About half of those surveyed witnessed a rape.

I could go on, but the gruesomeness of the eyewitness accounts I would rather not repeat in a civilized setting.

Senior administration officials and numerous Members of Congress have all condemned these atrocities in harsh, unmistakable terms. In light of this evidence, I am asking my colleagues today to join me in making a legal determination by labeling these crimes what they were: genocide and crimes against humanity.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I also urge the administration and the Senate to make determinations similar to the one in this resolution so that we send a clear, unequivocal message to the Burmese Government and to the world that these barbaric and vicious atrocities will not be tolerated.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the House Freedom of the Press Caucus, I also want to draw attention to the second half of the resolution, which condemns the Burmese Government's decision to jail two Reuters journalists for trying to uncover the facts about the massacre in Rakhine State.

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of their arrest, so it is especially timely that we are considering this resolution and calling for their release.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7164) to add Ireland to the E-3 nonimmigrant visa program, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 7164, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7164, a bill to add Ireland to the E-3 nonimmigrant program. The bill was introduced by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the former chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and is a simple bill that recognizes the unique friendship and working relationship between the United States and Ireland.

H.R. 7164 allows nationals of Ireland to be eligible to apply for unused E-3 nonimmigrant visas, subject to Ireland providing reciprocal access to U.S. nationals.

Holders of E-3 temporary work visas must be working in a specialty occupation while in the United States. A specialty occupation is one that is defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act as requiring: One, ``theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge;'' and, two, ``the attainment of a bachelor's or higher degree in the specific specialty, or its equivalent, as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States.''

The E-3 applicant must have a job offer from an employer in the U.S., and that employer must get foreign labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor prior to filing a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

H.R. 7164 also requires that employers using Irish E-3 visa holders in their workforce are and will remain participants in good standing in the E-Verify program. This means that such employers must use E-Verify to ensure that those they employ are eligible to work in the United States.

E-3 nonimmigrant visas are currently only available to nationals of Australia and are capped at 10,500 per year. Australian nationals have not ever used all of the 10,500 authorized visas in a given year, nor have they come close to doing so. In fact, the highest number used was during fiscal year 2017 when 5,657 were issued.

H.R. 7164 provides that nationals of Ireland can utilize those visas not used by Australians in a given year. For operational purposes, the visa can be issued the following year but will be counted against the previous year's cap. The bill does not increase the number of visas authorized, and allows Australia, for whose nationals the program was originally created, to have first access to the numbers.

H.R. 7164 is a simple bill that reflects the continued friendship between Ireland and the United States. I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) for his work and his leadership on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I recognize and thank the gentleman, Mr. Neal, for his leadership, as well.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Gallagher).

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

In closing, I just want to also thank all the folks who were previously mentioned by my colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

This is, I think, a very good bill. It is great to see something bipartisan around here get passed; and as we are wrapping up this year and this Congress, it is good to see this good legislation being passed. I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this legislation.

I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their leadership.

I would like to highlight a specific portion of the bill. This provision preserves an important piece of American history and it supports American jobs. It would reinstate the Delta Queen's grandfathered status from a law that prohibits wooden boats from carrying overnight passengers.

Congress granted the Delta Queen a reprieve from that grandfathered law, which adversely impacts it, for four decades. In doing so, Congress recognized that the Delta Queen was constructed before the law that adversely impacted it was in place and that the law was intended to regulate vessels at sea, oceangoing vessels. It was never intended for river-faring boats like the Delta Queen. That is why Congress granted this reprieve for 40 years. We failed to do that back in 2008.

We are looking at $100 million in development, in economic dollars in the river areas of this country, including the city of Cincinnati, my area. It used to be the home port. It will be one of the stops. It means a lot of jobs for a lot of people. It will be safely done.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 3554) to extend the effective date for the sunset for collateral requirements for Small Business Administration disaster loans, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 20, 2018.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize October 11 as the International Day of the Girl, which falls this upcoming Thursday. The International Day of the Girl is a day to draw attention to, and seek solutions for, the challenges that confront girls throughout the world.

This year's theme for the International Day of the Girl centers on educating girls for today's and tomorrow's economy. That is why I wish to highlight the Protecting Girls' Access to Education Act, legislation that I introduced last year with Congresswoman Robin Kelly, which seeks to better ensure that the educational needs of displaced girls are considered in the design, implementation, and evaluation of our foreign assistance. This legislation is vitally important since, according to the UN High Commission on Refugees, there are approximately 65 million forcibly displaced people worldwide and half are under the age of 18. Prolonged periods away from home result in low school enrollment rates for displaced children, which leaves girls vulnerable to early marriage, human trafficking, and child labor. With these urgent needs in mind, I urge the Senate to swiftly pass the Protecting Girls' Access to Education Act.

The International Day of the Girl is a day to work towards ensuring that girls around the globe have access to safe, quality education. As this year's theme reminds us, girls have better opportunities when they have access to quality education and a safe environment in which to learn.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the upcoming Double Ten Day, the national day of the Republic of China, or as many of us like to call it, Taiwan, which is celebrated every October l0th. I would like to extend to the people of Taiwan and its government my best wishes for continued prosperity and security.

Over many decades, Taiwan and the United States have stood together against numerous challenges, and time and again have displayed a steadfast commitment to one another's mutual security and prosperity. The Taiwanese people deeply appreciate the fundamental truth that people everywhere long to be free, and that representative government is essential to realizing this dream and the true prosperity, peace, and stability it brings. They've done the hard work of transitioning to democracy, with all the sacrifice and compromise that entails. This story shines as a beacon of hope to people all over Asia that democracy is not only possible but preferable.

In March, President Trump signed the Taiwan Travel Act. This legislation, which I introduced in 2017, will further strengthen and enhance our bilateral strategic partnership with Taiwan. It is generally accepted that high level official communication is an essential part of any alliance. I strongly urge the Trump Administration to follow through on the act soon. Our partnership with Taiwan will only be strengthened through such implementation.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I reiterate my support and admiration for the people of Taiwan and their vibrant democracy, and offer my best wishes to them for a very happy Double Ten Day celebration.