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Source: Congress.gov
Summary
The House Committee on Small Business conducted a bipartisan markup on seven legislative bills aimed at strengthening the Small Business Administration's (SBA) programs and supporting Main Street America. The hearing focused on key issues including improving access to workforce skills through career and technical education (CTE), enhancing transparency in federal contracting, ensuring accountability in women-owned business (WOSB) procurements, expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs with disabilities, and increasing oversight of SBA loan agents. Witnesses emphasized the need to eliminate bureaucratic barriers, prevent fraud, and ensure that small businesses—particularly those from underserved communities—have fair and accessible access to government contracts and capital. The bills collectively aim to restore trust in SBA programs, reduce regulatory burdens, and promote inclusive economic growth through merit-based, transparent, and effective contracting policies.
Participants
Transcript
Now come to order. A quorum is present, and without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess of the committee at any time. As required by House rules, a copy of the legislative measures have been made available to members and the public at least 24 hours in advance, and pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and House Rule 11, all votes will be rolled to the end of the meeting. I'm excited to announce that for the first time in this committee, we'll be using electronic voting. Okay, we've moved up, all right? And remember, it's electric, so be careful. But this is just another way we're raising the bar in the 119th Congress on this committee. Without objection, the committee will vote electronically in accordance with the committee rules and regulations developed by the House Committees on Rules and Administration. I now recognize myself for opening remarks. In today's markup, we will discuss seven bills highlighting the work needed to usher Main Street America into the golden age. I will speak on each of the bills we bring up today in much greater detail, so I'll keep these remarks brief. The Biden administration failed Main Street America. His presidency resulted in nearly $1.8 trillion of regulatory costs, 335 million hours of unnecessary paperwork for hardworking Americans. It's no surprise that since President Trump's election, small business optimism is at an all-time high. My colleagues and I on this committee will work with President Trump and Administrator Loeffler to ensure that small businesses have a voice in Washington that provides them with the resources they need to grow and to thrive. Today's bipartisan markup is a result of the numerous hearings conducted by this committee last Congress on the harmful effects of the Biden administration had on Main Street America. Main Street America deserves commonsense legislation that simplifies contracting requirements, cuts bureaucratic red tape and ensures that the SBA focuses on the needs of small businesses. Instead of helping small business owners, the Biden administration expanded regulations, remove landing guard rails and use the SBA for electioneering. And instead of utilizing the SBA network to counsel small businesses in their workforce hiring needs, the previous administration simply ignored them.
Small businesses deserves to have their voice heard in Washington, which is what we are doing here today. Here on this committee, we know it's our job to put forward meaningful policy solutions that will help not harm our nation's job creators. We aim to make the jobs of small business owners simpler, allowing them to focus on the growth of their business. I want to thank our members for bringing these bills up for consideration and work in today's markup. Every piece of legislation we will look at today is a product work we did last Congress and will help the 26 million small business owners the SBA serves. As the economy grows under this new administration, small businesses desperately need skilled workers to help their businesses succeed. They need an SBA that works for them. In support of President Trump's agenda, we will work with the Administrator Loeffler to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. And we must continue to fight for the success of this nation's small businesses, and these bills are a significant step in the effort to usher Main Street to the golden age of America. I'm excited to see our committee work with Administrator Loeffler and President Trump to pass common-sense legislation allowing small businesses to focus on their growth. Now, with that, I yield to my friend and distinguished ranking member from New York, Mr. Velazquez, for her opening statement.
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Unknown (SPEAKER_01)
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for holding this mark up today. I would be remiss if I do not react to your statement about Joe Biden failing Main Street America. The facts speak for themselves. Twenty million startups and most economies concluded that the economy of the United States was the envy of most industrialized countries. We are considering seven bills to make improvements to SBA programs and services, from focusing on career and technical education to disabled communities and improving the 7 program and contracting rules. We have a strong latest bill before us. Main Street small businesses are the lifeblood of our nation's economy, driving innovation and job creation and helping millions of people achieve their American dream. I stand committed to creating more opportunities for entrepreneurs so they can continue to thrive and in turn create good paying jobs in our local communities. communities i plan to lend my support to the seven bipartisan bills we are considering today and i appreciate the chairman's efforts to mark up a fair ratio of republican and democratic bills while we are starting off on a positive note on this committee i am afraid we are in the midst of troubling times with the trump's administration's policy elon musk and his doge team infiltrated the sba gaining access to all SBA systems, including HR, contract, and payment system, putting small business data at risk. Hundreds of dedicated SBA employees have been terminated. Small business contracts are being canceled government-wide, and program funding and grants that assist small employers has been paused.
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