Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, ZTE has been a consistent offender of U.S. law and policy. It has repeatedly lied to the U.S. government, broken commitments, and stolen valuable intellectual property (IP) from the U.S. companies. That is precisely why I hoped for the inclusion of the Senate amendment to reinstate penalties against ZTE in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2019. Unfortunately, the amendment will not be included and I remain deeply concerned that America's businesses--both large and small--may pay the price.

ZTE routinely employs many U.S. patented innovations without paying anything for the privilege. U.S. businesses have successfully brought suits against ZTE at both the US International Trade Commission and in U.S. district courts. Moreover, ZTE refuses to enter into fair licensing agreements with U.S. businesses to pay for the IP it has appropriated and employs tactics to avoid entering into fair contractual agreements while the theft of IP from our U.S. companies continues.

In light of the fact that the FY2019 NDAA will not include language to reinstate penalties against ZTE and the likelihood that ZTE will be back to business in the U.S. as usual, I will be introducing legislation that helps to protect U.S. businesses from ZTE's nefarious activities and creates meaningful repercussions for ZTE if it continues to steal our most advanced and valuable intellectual property.

I believe that if ZTE is going to have the undeserved privilege of conducting business with U.S. companies, Congress must act to ensure that they operate as good stewards of our free market system or face the penalties that our own businesses are subject to. The protection of our U.S. intellectual property laws remains my top priority.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this issue and for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of a bill that I introduced, H.R. 4100, which, put simply, helps support those Federal attorneys who prosecute major drug traffickers, white collar criminals, and other Federal crimes, and the judges who preside over those cases in our Federal courts.

The Federal Bar Association was founded back in 1920 and charted by Congress in 1954. However, in the nearly 64 years of its existence, its charter has never been amended.

As a former educator, attorney, and current senior member of the Judiciary Committee, I would note the important work that the Federal Bar Association does to bring civics education to classrooms in my State of Ohio, and they bring that same expertise to other areas all across the country.

Without legislation like H.R. 4100, it takes an act of Congress to even allow the Federal Bar Association to make simple changes to their bylaws. More specifically, this legislation gives the association the authority to choose the location of its principal office, restricts its officers from engaging in political activity, and makes other technical changes to conform to commonly used language and other things.

This legislation provides the Federal Bar Association the continued ability to support legal research, pro bono, and community projects; continue to educate grade schoolchildren on the Federal judiciary system; and improve the practice of Federal law in our Federal courtrooms all across America.

Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank the chairman, Chairman Goodlatte, for his leadership in helping to bring this very important legislation to the floor for consideration, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and, Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the JOBS and Investor Confidence Act of 2018.

Despite an improving economy, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups still face numerous challenges. One of the chief challenges that they face is access to capital, getting money.

As chairman of the House Small Business Committee, I am pleased to say that we have worked together in a bipartisan manner to pass one piece of legislation that is contained in this, and we support the whole bill, but this one is the HALOS Act, or Helping Angels Lead Our Startups Act.

The HALOS Act would improve how investors and small businesses get together at events, called demo days, where the people who have the money and people who need the money can actually get together and streamline some of the problems that they now face.

From my State of Ohio, to California, to New York State, all over the country, small businesses are the job creators. Seventy percent of the new jobs in America are created by small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Hensarling for working with the Small Business Committee and including the HALOS Act in this very important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, the Small Business Administration's 7(a) Loan Program doesn't have a flashy name. But to millions of small businesses owners across the country it can make or break their company.

The program partners with financial institutions to provide loan guarantees that fund their startup costs, equipment expenses, or any other general business purpose.

Not surprisingly, it is the agency's most popular program.

That's why I, along with my colleague Ranking Member Velazquez, introduced the Small Business 7(a) Lending Oversight Reform Act which the President signed into law last month: to make sure the program is protected and running effectively.

We have countless examples of small businesses all across America being helped by the 7(a) Loan Program from small manufacturers, to coffee shops, to garden centers, to gourmet candy stores, to you name it, and they create jobs for more and more Americans. I look forward to seeing how an improved 7(a) Loan Program helps small businesses not only survive, but thrive across the nation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1700) to amend the Small Business Act to reauthorize the SCORE 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, I rise today, this evening, in support of H.R. 1700, the SCORE for Small Business Act of 2018, which was introduced by the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Adams), and I want to commend her for her leadership on this legislation. This legislation will allow the SCORE program to continue to offer business mentoring and training to thousands of entrepreneurs and small business owners each year.

The SCORE program currently includes over 11,000 volunteer mentors, with expertise across 62 industries, who collectively provide more than a million hours of business counseling each year.

When an entrepreneur seeks a SCORE mentor, they are purposely paired with a business professional with knowledge in a specific field or experience facing specific challenges. This process ensures that the concerns of the entrepreneur are met by the volunteer mentor.

In addition to SCORE's mentorship services, the program also offers in-person business training classes at its 350 chapter locations nationwide. Entrepreneurs can also utilize the extensive online training opportunities and free business tools available on SCORE's national website.

Last fiscal year, SCORE trained over a half million clients, empowering them to start, run, and scale their business. This legislation will allow SCORE to continue to provide these important services.

H.R. 1700 reauthorizes the SCORE program at $10.5 million for fiscal years 2019 and 2020, providing for enhanced services to SCORE clients. This legislation also formally changes the program's name from the Service Core of Retired Executives to the more commonly used name of

Mr. Speaker, I would ask the gentlewoman from North Carolina if she has any further speakers this evening, and, if not, I believe I have the right to close. So if she has any concluding remarks, I would be happy to yield if the gentlewoman has any other speakers to speak on this issue because I would be closing then.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, the commonsense improvements in this bill will allow the SCORE program to continue its mission: helping entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses.

With over 99 percent of all businesses in the United States being classified as small, it is vital that these business owners have access to effective entrepreneurial resources.

H.R. 1700 would ensure that, regardless of location, a small-business owner can access SCORE mentoring and training.

Mr. Speaker, I would, again, like to commend the gentlewoman from North Carolina for her leadership on this important matter. 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. 2655) to amend the Small Business Act to expand intellectual property education and training for small businesses, and for other purposes.

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, as chairman of the House Small Business Committee, I rise this evening in support of another bill, H.R. 2655, the Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017, and I want to commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans) for his leadership on this bill.

As small entrepreneurs continue to expand their businesses both here and abroad, they must have the tools they need to protect their intellectual property. Entrepreneurs and small-business owners have generated more than 63 percent of new jobs over the last two decades, and small businesses represent about 96 percent of employer firms in high-patenting manufacturing industries.

However, the process for obtaining copyright, trademark, and patent protections both in the United States and abroad can be daunting, even for the most experienced small-business owners. We need to ensure that small-business owners have the tools they need to protect their innovative ideas and products, as intellectual property protections are essential to promoting entrepreneurship and innovation.

Small-business owners often do not have the knowledge or resources to protect their ideas and products, especially when they are competing in the international marketplace. Most simply cannot afford to retain attorneys to guide them through the difficult process of obtaining intellectual property protections, which leaves them vulnerable to their innovative ideas and products being stolen both here in the United States and internationally.

This bipartisan legislation, introduced by my friend and colleague from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans) addresses this issue by forming a partnership between the SBA, the Small Business Administration, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, giving entrepreneurs the full breadth of knowledge of the Small Business Development Center system and the USPTO. The partnership will provide training for small-business owners, which can be provided by the USPTO, the SBA, or a Small Business Development Center either electronically or at a physical location.

This legislation utilizes existing resources at both agencies to better assist small-business owners and expand their outreach efforts to provide small businesses with the resources they need to address intellectual property issues.

Considering the important role that small entrepreneurs play in our global marketplace, it is our responsibility to ensure that they have the resources they need to better protect their intellectual property. H.R. 2655 addresses this important small business issue and, therefore, I would urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank Mr. Evans for his leadership on this, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, this legislation strengthens the partnership between two important Federal agencies that help small businesses protect what they have created: the SBA and the USPTO.

It is important that small firms across the Nation have access to all the tools that they need to protect their creations from intellectual property theft.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Cincinnati Children's Hospital on their remarkable achievement of being ranked the second-best children's hospital in the nation and the best hospital to treat pediatric cancer and diseases affecting the digestive tract according to U.S. News and World Report.

Over the past seven years, this hospital, located in my district, has consistently been rated third best overall in the nation. Their commitment to excellence is continually recognized across the country, and they have been a stalwart in the Cincinnati community for a long time. Not only do they provide world class care for their patients, but they also engage with the local community and throughout the region. Without a doubt, the hospital prioritizes the kids they treat and their families.

To continue that mission, the hospital has recently started construction on a new clinical care building. I will continue to work with them to ensure that I am doing whatever I can to help them further succeed as they move forward.

Again, I want to congratulate Cincinnati Children's Hospital on this tremendous accomplishment, and look forward to them becoming number one in the future. They make Cincinnati proud.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Republic of Azerbaijan which celebrates the 100th anniversary of its independence on May 28--next Monday.

On May 28, 1918 the Republic of Azerbaijan declared independence. Tragically, independence was short lived as the Bolsheviks invaded Azerbaijan and the country was eventually absorbed into the Soviet Union. The Azeri people never lost their desire to be free from their Soviet occupiers, however. With the fall

of the U.S.S.R., Azerbaijan once again declared its independence in 1991. The United States recognized Azerbaijan's independence on both occasions.

Azerbaijan has proven to be a key security partner of the United States, providing unwavering support for the NATO mission in Afghanistan dating back to 2002. Azerbaijan also established diplomatic relations with our close ally Israel over 25 years ago and has a small but thriving Jewish community.

Azerbaijan is also a leader in the energy sector. Azerbaijan is spearheading the Southern Gas Corridor which will bring natural gas from the Caspian Sea to our allies in Europe. This diversification of energy supplies will lessen Europe's reliance on Russia. Azerbaijan also provides Israel with 40 percent of its imported energy.

Azerbaijan is a true friend of the United States and I once again commend the Republic of Azerbaijan on the 100th anniversary of its independence.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz for their leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5044, the Service- Disabled Veterans Small Business Continuation Act.

This bill ensures that the surviving spouses of Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses are able to retain the Service Disabled Veteran Owned status of their small business for 3 years, as was mentioned, after the passing of the veteran spouse.

This policy is already codified in title 38 of the United States Code. However, there is a lack of parity between title 38 and the Small Business Act.

I have heard from several small businesses about this issue, including one in my district, that this discrepancy creates legal uncertainty and confusion in the application of this important policy. What we are trying to do is clear it up.

To guarantee clarity and certainty for the administration of these Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, the Small Business Act must conform with the policy prescribed in title 38.

H.R. 5044 dispels any legal uncertainty, ensuring that these important policy changes to the law are sustained. Most importantly, this bill provides peace of mind for surviving spouses of veteran business owners. And one of the main things a veteran is always looking out for is making sure that his or her spouse is taken care of after they are gone. So this will not only give the surviving spouse peace of mind, but the veteran himself or herself peace of mind ahead of time.

Again, I thank the chairman and the ranking member and members of the House Veterans Affairs' Committee for their leadership in clearing this up and, again, giving peace of mind to veterans and their spouses all over America. I would urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5044.

Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a privileged resolution, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3170) to amend the Small Business Act to require cyber certification for small business development center counselors, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which 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, before we get into the business at hand, I would like to thank our ranking member, Ms. Velazquez, all of our minority and majority members on the committee, and their staffs for working in a bipartisan manner to produce this strong package of small business bills.

Our committee strives to be bipartisan and an example, really, for our fellow Members. That can't be done without equal effort on both sides.

Again, I want to thank Ms. Velazquez for always working with us-- usually working with us--in a bipartisan manner, and I want to thank all the members in the committee for doing that as well.

Mr. Speaker, last week was National Small Business Week all across America. I like to call small businesses our biggest asset as a Nation. And because of the actions of this Congress and our President, small businesses are the most optimistic they have been in more than three decades.

It is vital to our Nation's economy that these small businesses succeed. As technology evolves, so must our small businesses. Just as important as the ice cream shop on Main Street is the online startup company.

We have an obligation to do everything we can to create an economy where all small businesses flourish, because a community that has successful small businesses thrives, and this is good for all of us all across the country.

This leads us to the first piece of legislation before us today.

Advances in information technology, or IT, have helped small businesses to rapidly increase their productivity, enter new markets, and offer consumers new and innovative services and products.

However, IT has advanced so quickly that it has been difficult to keep pace with the ever-growing cyber threats. Unfortunately, small businesses are becoming increasingly targeted by cyber criminals.

While larger companies have more resources to detect and combat cyber attacks, small businesses often do not learn they have been hacked until it is too late. As chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, I have heard too many firsthand accounts of this occurring.

One story that stands out to me is the story of a small-business owner who owned an indoor go-karting facility in Maine and had a number of employees and their families who depended on it. He told our committee that he was struck by a phishing scam. He logged on to his business account, and, to his utter disbelief, his bank account was zero. This happened on a payday, no less. So all these people, who are depending on him to pay them, his bank account is zero because some hacker got into it.

Stories like these are why Congressman Evans and I have introduced H.R. 3170, the Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act of 2017. This bipartisan and bicameral legislation would establish a cyber counseling certification program in lead small business development centers, or SBDCs, to assist small businesses with planning and implementing cybersecurity measures to defend against cyber attacks. The cyber assistance offered by trained staff at SBDCs would be provided at no cost, or low cost, to small businesses.

Cyber planning assistance will encourage small businesses to take a more proactive approach to defending themselves from cyber attacks by leveraging the expertise from SBDCs and their partner agencies and institutions, rather than being forced to react after an attack.

When provided with the right resources, small businesses can be assured that they have an effective cyber plan in place. I would like to thank Mr. Evans for his collaboration on this bill, and I would urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman).

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

Mr. Speaker, I do not have any further speakers on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close, and I will be brief.

Mr. Speaker, America's small business development centers must have the best possible cybersecurity training so that they can better assist small businesses to detect and combat cyber attacks.

In our committee's efforts to spotlight these serious and growing threats, it has become clear that we need to think outside the box as we work to thwart cyber attacks, and the bipartisan bill before us today is a step in that direction.

I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I want to again thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the ranking member, for her leadership on this.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4754) to amend the Small Business Act to provide prospective construction contractors with information about an agency's policies on the administration of change orders to allow such contractors to make informed business decisions regarding the pricing of bids or proposals, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 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.

I thank Mr. Bacon for introducing this good government legislation. It is a protransparency bill, and it addresses an often overlooked problem facing small Federal construction contractors. He has been a leader on this issue, and we appreciate that very much because it is an important bill.

Our Federal Government spends billions of dollars on construction annually, an industry that is critical to rebuilding our Nation's aging infrastructure. Small businesses are the lifeblood of construction, performing in various roles across the entire supply chain.

Unfortunately, no construction project is immune to change. Contract modifications or change orders are prevalent in construction contracts--in fact, in virtually all construction contracts. The issue arises when the Federal agency delays executing a change order or issuing payment for the work completed. This leaves the small contractor responsible for financing the work out-of-pocket while also paying for overhead costs.

Extended delays in payment can result in severe financial consequences, sometimes including bankruptcy for small contractors. Agencies currently do not publish information regarding their contract modification processes or payment records, leaving contractors basically in the dark.

Without this information, small prime contractors and subcontractors take an enormous risk every time they submit an offer with an agency that may be acting in less than good faith. Furthermore, small contractors are often unable to develop accurate bid prices if they choose to risk working with the agency.

To offset the risk of delayed or nonpayment, contractors may inflate the cost of their bids, passing on these costs to the taxpayer. Due to the lack of transparency promoting a high-risk, high-stakes environment, working with the Federal Government becomes less appealing. Small contractors are leaving the marketplace in favor of private sector projects, which reduces competition.

This bill, Mr. Bacon's bill, takes a critical step forward by requiring the contracting agency to disclose, in their solicitations, the details of their change order procedures, as well as a historical record showing whether change orders are resolved in a timely manner.

Contractors can use this information to decide, first and foremost, if they want to bid; and if so, they can formulate more realistic cost estimates and better prepare for delays in payment.

This bill, Mr. Bacon's bill, should also encourage agencies to improve their own internal change order processes, making the Federal construction marketplace attractive again. Ultimately, this legislation will result in expanding the industrial base, improving transparency and government accountability, and ensuring that high-quality structures are built at a reasonable cost.

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

Mr. Speaker, before I yield to the principal sponsor of this legislation, Mr. Bacon, I would like to thank my colleague Steve Knight from California for working on this as well; and also Al Lawson from Florida, and also Stephanie Murphy from Florida. So we have two Republicans and two Democrats again working together on this on behalf of small businesses all across the country, and I want to thank all four of those Members for their leadership on this on both sides of the aisle.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on the bill at this time, so I reserve the balance of my time.

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

In closing, this legislation provides a level of certainty for small businesses who contract with the Federal Government. It is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that benefits small firms and ought to improve efficiency within the Federal contracting arena.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank Ms. Velazquez for her work in a bipartisan manner on this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1680) to amend the Small Business Act to improve the women's business center 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, I rise today in support of H.R. 1680, the Women's Business Centers Improvements Act of 2018, which was introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight), who is also the chairman of the Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce and who has been a very active member of that committee for quite some time now.

This legislation makes key updates to the Small Business Administration's Office of Women's Business Ownership and the Women's Business Center, or WBC, program.

The WBC program provides grants to over 100 nonprofit organizations across the country to provide socially and economically disadvantaged women with technical and managerial training designed to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs. Many women's business centers offer training at night, or in multiple languages, to ensure that all women have the small business knowledge, tools, and support they need when creating or sustaining a business.

Last year, WBCs trained over 114,000 clients and advised over 26,000 individuals. This training and counseling contributed to the creation of more than 17,000 new small businesses in the United States. Clearly, the Women's Business Center program has a profound impact not only in our local communities, but also on our Nation's economy overall.

H.R. 1680 authorizes the WBC program, requiring specific conditions for participation and application criteria for organizations seeking a WBC grant. While many of these requirements have been met in practice, the inclusion of these standards in statute allows for increased congressional oversight and program confidence.

H.R. 1680 also increases the WBC grant award to reflect inflation. This minor increase provides new and existing women's business centers with the support they need to provide an effective course curriculum to small business clients.

Additionally, H.R. 1680 requires the SBA to establish a WBC accreditation program. This program, similar to the successful small business development center accreditation program, will ensure pragmatic consistency among WBC locations and guarantee that each center is providing women entrepreneurs with effective training opportunities. These updates will ensure that the funds supporting the WBC program are used efficiently and to foster economic growth.

H.R. 1680 is an important step to ensuring that the more than 11.6 million women-owned small businesses continue to grow and that the next generation of women entrepreneurs have the opportunity to pursue business creation. For that reason, I urge my colleagues to support

Mr. Speaker, before I turn it over to the gentleman, the principal sponsor of the bill, I want to thank our colleague Mr. Lawson for his work on this bill as well. Again, we have been bipartisan, Republican and Democrat, working together to advance, in this case, women entrepreneurs all across the country.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, almost 40 percent of all firms in the United States are women-owned, and over the last 10 years that number has more than doubled.

It is important to recognize women entrepreneurs as a driving force in the American economy. This legislation, I think, goes a long way in recognizing that and actually improving it over the upcoming years.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1702) to amend the Small Business Act to improve the small business development centers 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, H.R. 1702, the Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 2018, will expand the resources available to America's entrepreneurs through the nearly 1,000 small business development centers, or SBDCs, located throughout the country.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans) for introducing this bill.

Over 99 percent of all businesses in our Nation are small, and those businesses employ nearly 60 million Americans. The U.S. economy depends on the success of small businesses. Providing support to entrepreneurs and small-business owners must be a priority for this Congress, and SBDCs offer that support.

Small business development centers offer low- or no-cost business counseling and training to aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small- business owners alike. The support offered at these centers ranges from creating the first business plan, commercial advertising and branding, and navigating the international trade market.

The importance of the assistance offered at SBDCs really cannot be overstated. In fiscal year 2017 alone, last year, SBDCs trained over 245,000 clients and advised over 188,000 individuals, resulting in the creation of over 14,000 new small businesses and the infusion of roughly $5.6 billion into the American economy.

For every Federal dollar appropriated to the SBDC program, $43.50 in new capital was generated. The legislation we are discussing today will only serve to increase the impact of SBDCs.

H.R. 1702 includes a number of commonsense updates to the SBDC program. This legislation will increase awareness of the technical and managerial training opportunities offered at centers by allowing SBDCs to market and advertise their products and services. This simple change can have a significant impact on our economy by ensuring that those entrepreneurs seeking to start or scale a business know where to turn for help.

Additionally, H.R. 1702 will strengthen the SBDC accreditation process and ensure client information remains confidential. These changes facilitate the efficient and effective use of taxpayer dollars at every SBDC.

Through H.R. 1702, this legislation, we will provide greater support to the men and women throughout our country who are working tirelessly to create jobs, enhance our communities, and support our economies.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer), a very valuable member of the Small Business Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans) for his leadership on this and many other issues on the committee.

The small business development centers, SBDCs, serve, really, a very important purpose in furthering entrepreneurship and business creation throughout the United States. Many of the Nation's nearly 30 million small businesses have utilized the services offered by the SBDCs, and this bill improves and modernizes that network.

I again want to commend Mr. Evans for formulating this bill, pushing it through, and now taking this important step in actually entering it into the law.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4111) to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to improve the number of small business investment companies in underlicensed States, and for other purposes.

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, despite an improving lending environment, small businesses still face challenges financing their projects and their growth plans. Equity markets, which are regularly used by large businesses, often prove out of reach for the Nation's true job creators, small businesses.

To bridge the equity gap that exists for small businesses, the SBA offers the Small Business Investment Company program, also known as the SBIC program. The program utilizes a privately owned, SBA-regulated and licensed model to deliver equity to the Nation's smallest businesses.

While running at zero cost to the American taxpayer, the SBIC program creates a unique public-private partnership that translates into job expansion and job creation.

In fiscal year 2017, SBIC financing supported more than 100,000 jobs all across the Nation--100,000 jobs, so this is an important program. However, the program can do more.

With only about 300 SBICs currently operating in the United States, the program often does not geographically extend to those who truly need it the most. To address this problem, the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers) introduced H.R. 4111, the Spurring Business in Communities Act of 2017, which expands the reach of the SBIC program by requiring the SBA to focus on areas that are underrepresented in the program as they review and license SBIC applications.

I want to thank the gentlewoman for her leadership on this particular issue. She has definitely taken a very important and active role on it in looking for ways to expand the reach of the SBIC program.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this commonsense reform within H.R. 4111, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers), the principal sponsor of this legislation, who also has the number four ranking leadership role on the Republican side of the House.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to recognize and thank Mrs. McMorris Rodgers for her leadership on this really very important issue which will make a big difference in various parts of our country in the area of small business development and job creation. The SBIC program continues to produce results for job creators and job seekers.

To ensure the program reaches underserved areas, H.R. 4111, Mrs.

McMorris Rodgers' bill, institutes reforms to show how the SBA reviews and processes SBIC applications and to improve those. This legislation will grow the reach of a program that currently runs at zero cost to the American taxpayer, which is certainly a mark that we should all recognize and appreciate.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mrs. McMorris Rodgers for this important legislation.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4111, and I yield back the balance of my time.