[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
H.R. 5424, THE MAIN STREET COMPETES ACT;
H.R. 5265, THE SBA RURAL PERFORMANCE
ACT; H.R. 5425, TO AMEND THE SMALL BUS-
INESS ACT; H.R. 5426,TO REQUIRE THE ADMIN-
ISTRATOR OF THE SBA TO PROVIDE A LINK
TO RESOURCES FOR SUBMITTING REPORTS
ON SUSPECTED FRAUD RELATING TO CERTAIN
COVID-19 LOANS; H.R. 5427, TO PROHIBIT
INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF DEFRAUDING THE
GOVERNMENT FROM RECEIVING ANY ASSIST-
ANCE FROM THE SBA
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
UNITED STATES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
HEARING HELD
SEPTEMBER 14, 2023
__________
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT].#13
Small Business Committee Document Number 118-025
Available via the GPO Website: www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
54-534 WASHINGTON : 2024
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
ROGER WILLIAMS, Texas, Chairman
BLAINE LUETKEMEYER, Missouri
PETE STAUBER, Minnesota
DAN MEUSER, Pennsylvania
BETH VAN DUYNE, Texas
MARIA SALAZAR, Florida
TRACEY MANN, Kansas
JAKE ELLZEY, Texas
MARC MOLINARO, New York
MARK ALFORD, Missouri
ELI CRANE, Arizona
AARON BEAN, Florida
WESLEY HUNT, Texas
NICK LALOTA, New York
NYDIA VELAZQUEZ, New York, Ranking Member
JARED GOLDEN, Maine
KWEISI MFUME, Maryland
DEAN PHILLIPS, Minnesota
GREG LANDSMAN, Ohio
MORGAN MCGARVEY, Kentucky
MARIE GLUESENKAMP PEREZ, Washington
HILLARY SCHOLTEN, Michigan
SHRI THANEDAR, Michigan
JUDY CHU, California
SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas
CHRIS PAPPAS, New Hampshire
Ben Johnson, Majority Staff Director
Melissa Jung, Minority Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
OPENING STATEMENTS
Page
Hon. Roger Williams.............................................. 1
Nydia Velazquez.................................................. 2
APPENDIX
Additional Material for the Record:
H.R. 5424, The Main Street Competes Act (To Amend the Small
Business Economic Policy Act of 1980 to Examine how the
Competitiveness of Small Businesses is Affected by the
Enforcement of Federal Antitrust Laws, and for other
purposes).................................................. 22
H.R. 5265, The Small Business Administration Rural
Performance Act............................................ 28
H.R. 5425, To Amend the Small Business Act to Enhance the
Office of Rural Affairs, and for other purposes............ 33
H.R. 5426, To Require the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration to Provide a Link to Resources for
Submitting Reports on Suspected Fraud Relating to Certain
COVID-19 Loans............................................. 39
H.R. 5427, To Prohibit Individuals Convicted of Defrauding
the Government from Receiving any Assistance from the Small
Business Administration, and for other purposes............ 41
Minority Views - H.R. 5424, The Main Street Competes Act..... 45
Minority Views - H.R. 5265, Small Business Administration
Rural Performance Report Act............................... 46
Minority Views - H.R. 5425, To amend the Small Business Act
to enhance the Office of Rural Affairs..................... 47
Minority Views - H.R. 5426, Require SBA to Provide an Online
Method for Submitting Report on Suspected Fraud Relating to
Certain COVID-19 Loans..................................... 48
Minority Views - H.R. 5427, A bill to prohibit individuals
convicted of defrauding the Government from receiving non-
disaster financial assistance from the Small Business
Administration............................................. 50
The Main Street Competition Coalition........................ 52
MARKUP OF: H.R. 5424, THE MAIN STREET COMPETES ACT (TO AMEND THE SMALL
BUSINESS ECONOMIC POLICY ACT OF 1980 TO EXAMINE HOW THE COMPETITIVENESS
OF SMALL BUSINESSES IS AFFECTED BY THE ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL ANTITRUST
LAWS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES); H.R. 5265, THE SMALL BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION RURAL PERFORMANCE ACT; H.R. 5425, TO AMEND THE SMALL
BUSINESS ACT TO ENHANCE THE OFFICE OF RURAL AFFAIRS, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES; H.R. 5426, TO REQUIRE THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE SMALL BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE A LINK TO RESOURCES FOR SUBMITTING REPORTS ON
SUSPECTED FRAUD RELATING TO CERTAIN COVID-19 LOANS; H.R. 5427, TO
PROHIBIT INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF DEFRAUDING THE GOVERNMENT FROM
RECEIVING ANY ASSISTANCE FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES
----------
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2023
House of Representatives,
Committee on Small Business,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:45 a.m., in Room
2360, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Roger Williams
[chairman of the Committee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Williams, Luetkemeyer, Stauber,
Meuser, Van Duyne, Salazar, Mann, Ellzey, Molinaro, Alford,
Crane, Bean, LaLota, Velazquez, Golden, Phillips, Landsman,
McGarvey, Gluesenkamp Perez, Scholten, Thanedar, Chu, Davids,
and Pappas.
Chairman WILLIAMS. The Committee will now come to order,
and a quorum is present.
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 now recognize myself for opening remarks.
To put it lightly, small business across the country have
faced underserved hardship for quite some time now thanks to
the Biden administration's misguided economic policies. It is
the responsibility of this Committee to be main street's voice
in Congress, and that is exactly what we are here to do today.
Small businesses are the engines of our economy, and we
need to produce policies that will help them, not regulate them
into oblivion like this administration is doing.
All the bills before us today have been a result of our
past hearings and oversight efforts from this Committee. I am
proud that we are finding solutions to hold the criminals
accountable who took advantage of small business lending
programs during the pandemic and making it easier for any
American to report COVID fraud. While our work is far from
over, it is good to see us bringing new ideas to the table that
can help Main Street America.
Additionally, I am grateful for my colleagues who have
brought forward bills that address the unique challenges faced
by rural entrepreneurs. Many of us here on the Committee
continually hear from the constituents that they did not even
know resources were available to them in rural areas.
While I am glad to see these bills being marked up today, I
was hoping we would be marking up a bill to put guardrails back
on the SBA's flagship 7(a) lending program. Staff from both
sides have been working diligently through this complicated
issue, and I am hopeful that we will be able to come to an
agreement soon that guarantees the longevity of the 7(a)
program, safeguards the taxpayer from being exposed to
unnecessary risk, and ensures the SBA remains the lender of
last resort so it will not compete with the private sector.
In closing, I want to thank our Members for bringing these
bills up. They represent the work we do as a Committee on
behalf of our nation's entrepreneurs and innovators. I would
also like to thank the Ranking Member and her staff for working
with us to produce bipartisan solutions for main street.
With that, I look forward to today's markup. I yield to the
distinguished Ranking Member from New York, Ms. Velazquez, for
her opening statement.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for
holding this markup today. As always, I am committed to working
in a bipartisan manner to enact legislation that assists small
businesses, as well as conduct rigorous oversight of SBA
programs. I appreciate Chairman Williams and his staff for
their willingness to work with us to bridge our differences on
these bills.
Two of the bills we are considering today will review and
enhance the Office of Rural Affairs. Two other bills will put
protocols in place to combat pandemic fraud, and one will
reaffirm Congress's commitment to fostering competition in the
marketplace to help small businesses grow and prosper.
I am very pleased that we are considering legislation to
enhance the Office of Rural Affairs, and I commend Mr. Golden
for identifying the shortcomings of the office which had laid
dormant for years. Mr. Golden worked tirelessly with both
administrations to make sure the office is actively helping
rural small businesses deal with the challenges facing them
today. And I thank Mr. Alford for his effort to strengthen
services for rural businesses as well.
Over the past 3 years, this Committee has played an
integral role in examining the pandemic relief programs which
helped millions of small businesses stay afloat in
unprecedented times. However, we have learned through our
oversight hearings that organized criminal syndicates and
transnational gangs targeted these programs and stole billions
of dollars. Two of the bills under consideration today will
take steps to combat this fraud. We must acknowledge though
that they are not silver bullets and more will need to be done.
The single most important action we can take to aid the SBA
inspector general in their investigative work is to support
their requests for additional funding. Anything less would
cripple the office and hinder the IG's effort to go after these
bad actors.
I look forward to working with the Chairman in our
oversight role and hope we can work together to provide them
with the resources they need in the next fiscal year.
Thank you, and I yield back.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Does any other Member seek recognition
for the purpose of making an opening statement?
Okay. Seeing none, we will now move to the consideration of
the first bill.
H.R. 5424
The first bill we will mark up is H.R. 5424, the Main
Street Competes Act introduced by Representative Scholten and
Vice Chairman Luetkemeyer.
Before recognizing other Members for statements, I ask
unanimous consent for a statement from the bill's cosponsor
Vice Chairman Luetkemeyer to be entered into the record.
Without objection, so ordered.
I now recognize the bill's sponsor, Ms. Scholten, for an
opening statement.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you so much. I am really excited to
introduce this bill today. When I wanted to serve on the House
Small Business Committee it was in large part to champion the
thriving main streets that once existed across towns like Grand
Rapids, Michigan; Muskegon; and that are still up and coming
like in Muskegon Heights in West Michigan in my state.
This bill will provide much needed oversight to ensure that
small businesses that make our main streets thriving centers of
community cohesion have what they need to succeed and compete.
I am looking forward to the markup today and ask all of my
colleagues to join me in supporting this important bill.
With that, I yield back the remainder of my time.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who wish to
be recognized for a statement on this bill?
Okay. I now recognize Ranking Member Velazquez for remarks.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
A competitive business environment is the lifeblood of a
thriving free enterprise economy, spurring innovation, driving
productivity, and fostering consumer choice at fair prices.
Unfortunately, competition has been eroded for decades due to
increasing concentration across many industries. Our nation's
antitrust laws were crafted over the past century to safeguard
the competitive landscape for small businesses. But the limited
usage since the late 1970s has allowed many companies to
acquire an ever-increasing market share and exploit small
businesses along the way. Whether it is small farms and
ranchers contending with seed fertilizer, or meat processing
monopolies, or local retailers facing price discrimination
because of big box stores, we have seen the way increasing
concentration of power impacts the American dream for many
small business owners.
I applaud Representative Scholten and Representative
Luetkemeyer for working together on the Main Street Competes
Act which will work to realign the interests of small
businesses and antitrust informing agencies. It requires the
Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to
report data to the SBA's Office of Advocacy, which can be used
to generate the report to Congress on the state of competition
in our economy. This will help us have a better understanding
of the anticompetitive issues that small firms face and help us
reaffirm our commitment to a competitive economy.
Again, I thank both colleagues for their leadership on this
issue and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
I yield back.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you.
And I now recognize myself to speak in support of this
legislation.
The Main Street Competes Act will ensure small businesses
are able to compete in the marketplace against larger
businesses. Competition is a key tenet of capitalism. It allows
consumers to choose with their dollars between businesses that
will offer the best product, the best price or service. Without
appropriate competition, innovation and the U.S. economy will
suffer. This bill will ensure the economic mission of the SBA
aligns with the reality by explicitly stating that the benefits
to the country when small businesses are able to compete and
not forced out of business by large monopolies.
Additionally, this bill requires the Department of Justice
and the Federal Trade Commission to issue annual reports to the
SBA on how antitrust enforcement promoted competition and aided
small business in the previous fiscal year. This is a simple
bill that requires a report to Congress so we can conduct
proper oversight on the impact that the FTC and the DOJ actions
have on small businesses.
I urge all my colleagues to support this bill. If there is
no further discussion the Committee now moves to consideration
of H.R. 5424.
The clerk will report.
The CLERK. H.R. 5424----
Chairman WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of
the bill is dispensed with. And without objection, the bill is
considered as read and open for amendment.
Do any Members seek recognition for the purpose of offering
an amendment?
Okay. Seeing none the question is now on adoption of H.R.
5424 and favorably reporting it to the House.
All those in favor say aye.
All those opposed say no.
In the opinion of the Chair the ayes have it, and H.R. 5424
is agreed to and ordered favorably to the house.
Okay. For what purpose do you seek recognition? Do you want
to record a vote? Okay.
A recorded vote has been requested, and a roll call vote is
ordered.
Pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and House Rule 11, further
proceedings on the bill are postponed.
H.R. 5425
Next, consideration of H.R. 5425, a bill to amend the Small
Business Act to enhance the Office of Rural Affairs, and for
other purposes. The next bill we will mark up is a bill to
amend the Small Business and Rural Affairs and for other
purposes introduced by Representatives Golden and Mann.
I now recognize the bill's sponsor, Mr. Golden, for an
opening statement.
Mr. GOLDEN. Thank you, Chairman Williams.
Maine' 2nd District is the second most rural House District
in America. Statewide, Maine is home to more than 151,000 small
businesses accounting for 99.2 percent of all businesses in the
state. It is clear that there is a need in Maine and in every
state for tailored support for rural small businesses.
There is an existing office in the SBA that is well suited
to address those needs, the Office of Rural Affairs.
The Office of Rural Affairs was created as a subsection of
the SBA in 1990 to act as a go-between for rural small
businesses in the federal government. Throughout its existence,
however, the office has had inconsistent leadership and
remained effectively dormant. In 2019, the Trump
administration, at the recommendation of this Committee,
appointed a deputy administrator for this office. This bill
would revitalize the office so it can fulfill its obligation to
rural small business owners in three main ways.
First, it would elevate the position of director of Rural
Affairs to an assistant administrator to run the office.
Second, it would require the hosting of webinars and
outreach events to increase awareness of the office's existence
and of resources available to rural small businesses owners.
And third, it would create transparency by mandating an
annual report on the activities of the agency to ensure that
the office works effectively to achieve its goals.
It has been over 30 years since Congress established the
Office of Rural Affairs, which was intended to give small
businesses in rural America a seat at the table. This bill is a
step in the right direction to put SBA in alignment with
congressional intent.
I would like to thank Congresswoman Tenney, Congressman
Mann, Congressman Pappas, the Chairman, the Ranking Member, and
their staff for working with me to support the Office of Rural
Affairs. And I yield back.
Chairman WILLIAMS. I now recognize Mr. Pappas for an
opening statement.
Mr. PAPPAS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
I want to thank Congressman Golden for his leadership on
this bipartisan legislation which will ensure that our rural
small businesses know about the tools that are available to
them. The legislation will help rural entrepreneurs by
expanding the reach and stature of the Office of Rural Affairs
at SBA so they can receive the support that they need from
Washington.
I am also glad to support another bill on the agenda today
by Congressman Alford of Missouri, a bill that he introduced to
encourage effective cooperation among agencies that support our
rural small businesses.
So these bills, along with other efforts that this
Committee should continue to focus on, like expanding access to
capital for rural job creators will better ensure that the
concerns of this sector are heard and more closely considered
by SBA.
One in five Americans, including almost half of the
residents of my state of New Hampshire live in rural areas, and
we know that the small businesses here have unique challenges
that they face and are just so crucial to our local economy. So
I am glad that the Committee is focused on these efforts about
how to help SBA help our rural small businesses and put a focus
on their needs and hope that all my colleagues will join us in
supporting these bipartisan bills today.
I yield back.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who wish to
be recognized for a statement on this bill?
All right. Seeing none, I would like to recognize the
Ranking Member to speak on the bill.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I am really
pleased to support this legislation to enhance the Office of
Rural Affairs. And I commend Mr. Goldman for his commitment and
dedication to making this office operate more effectively for
rural small businesses.
I remember one of our earliest meetings when Mr. Golden
joined this Committee where he raised this as one of his top
priorities for the Committee because the office has been
largely vacant for 15 years. He worked with a group of Members
to raise the importance of outreach to rural small all
businesses with the previous administration, and they devoted
resources to the office. But he did not stop there. Knowing
that the office can play an important role in connecting rural
Americans to programs and services that can aid their
businesses and communities, Mr. Golden has made it his mission
to ensure that the office remains active. And today, we are
seeing the fruit of his labor.
So Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Mr. Golden and the
cosponsor for this bill, and I support the bill. And I yield
back my time.
Chairman WILLIAMS. I now recognize Congressman Stauber from
Minnesota.
Mr. STAUBER. Thank you, Chairman Williams. I will be real
brief.
I support Representative Golden's legislation. I think it
is needed. It has been needed for a while. I want to commend my
colleague for bringing this forward.
Chairman WILLIAMS. All right. Thank you.
And I now recognize myself to speak in support of this
legislation.
This bill seeks to enhance the SBA's Office of Rural
Affairs. While this office was created under President Bush, it
remained largely vacant until the Trump administration. This
bill turns the existing appointed position into an assistant
administrator subjected to a competitive hiring process. It
also expands the office duties to include performing outreach
and webinars to rural entrepreneurs. Finally, it requires the
office to report on its activities in the SBA's annual budget
justification.
One thing that is abundantly clear; more needs to be done
to utilize existing SBA resources to better serve rural
entrepreneurs. The Trump administration's partnership between
the SBA and the Department of Agriculture was a necessary step.
This bill also requires the assistant administrator be to hired
through the competitive process to depoliticize this office and
have the consistency needed to assist rural America.
I urge my colleagues to vote yes.
If there is no further discussion, the Committee now moves
to consideration of H.R. 5425, and the clerk will report.
The CLERK. H.R.5425----
Chairman WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of
the bill is dispensed with. And without objection, the bill is
considered as read and open for amendment.
Do any Members seek recognition for the purpose of offering
an amendment?
Seeing none, the question is now on adoption of H.R. 5425
and favorably reporting it to the house.
All those in favor say aye.
Mr. GOLDEN. Mr. Chair?
Chairman WILLIAMS. Yes?
Mr. GOLDEN. I would like to request a recorded vote.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. Thank you.
The CLERK. Let's do the voice vote first, sir, and then we
can do the recorded vote. Thank you.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. All right.
So all those in favor say aye.
All those opposed say no.
Okay. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it.
Mr. GOLDEN. Mr. Chair, request a recorded vote. Thank you.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. A recorded vote has been
requested, and a roll call vote is ordered.
Pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and House Rule 11, further
proceedings on the bill are postponed.
H.R. 5265
The next bill we will mark up is H.R. 5265, the Small
Business Administration's Rural Performance Report Act
introduced by Representatives Alford, Pappas, Luetkemeyer,
Ellzey, and Bean.
I now recognize the bill's sponsor, Mr. Alford, for an
opening statement.
Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Chairman, thank you so much. Happy belated
birthday to you. Ranking Member, thank you so much.
I am proud to rise today in support of my Bill H.R. 5265,
the SBA Rural Performance Report Act. I again want to thank our
cosponsors on this, Mr. Luetkemeyer, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Ellzey,
Mr. Bean, and Mr. Pappas.
Look, small business owners face many, many challenges as
we all know, and that is especially true in rural areas. I was
proud to have Jennifer Cassaday from our district come testify
right there at that very desk right there back in July at our
Small Business Committee hearing on rural entrepreneurship. And
she really shared with us some of the challenges that other
small business owners face in these tough times. When we asked
the witnesses if they knew about the SBA's Office of Rural of
Rural Affairs they all told us, `` We have never heard of it.''
What the office is doing to elevate our rural small businesses
is unclear to most Americans. I think maybe it is unclear to
most of us on this Committee. However, the Trump administration
took action to improve resources for rural businesses, rural
entrepreneurs, rural Americans.
Through a memorandum of understanding, the SBA and U.S.
Department of AG collaborated to tailor existing resources to
these very communities. But not much is still known about the
outcomes of this partnership. Ag often goes hand-in-hand with
rural small businesses, so it is very important to see what has
come of the collaboration between the SBA and USDA. This bill
will shed light on SBA's Office of Rural Affairs and MOU so we
can better serve our rural small businesses.
I look forward to seeing how impactful this memorandum of
understanding was and how we could better utilize these
resources to reach our rural entrepreneurs.
We cannot forget about our rural small businesses, Mr.
Chairman, and I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this
important bill. Thank you, and I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you very much.
I now recognize Congressman Stauber from the great state of
Minnesota.
Mr. STAUBER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I rise today to speak in favor of H.R. 5265, the Small
Business Administration Rural Performance Report.
This administration has a blatant disregard for rural
America. For an example, in the Infrastructure bill, this
president so proudly touts rural America is defined as a
population of 200,000 or less. This is so out of touch.
Of 855 cities in Minnesota, only 59 cities even have a
population of over 20,000. Under the Infrastructure bill's
definition, there are only two cities in the great state of
Minnesota that could not apply for these rural grants and that
is Minneapolis and St. Paul. And this does not highlight the
townships that make up the rural fabric of our state.
My friend and colleague on this Committee, Jared Golden, as
well as off-Committee Members Brad Finstad and Derrick Van
Orden and myself are looking to right this wrong.
As for the legislation at hand, the Office of Rural Affairs
is supposed to play a vital role supporting small businesses I
rural America; however, as we heard in this very Committee back
in July, the SBA and the ORA have been falling short of their
responsibilities as many of our rural small business owners
that participated in the hearing were unaware of the services
SBA provides.
But truth be told, rural American once again not taking
priority does not come as a shock. It is very unfortunate. This
legislation would help ensure that the ORA is effectively
carrying out its mission and would provide Congress with an
ability to evaluate ORA's performance and direct necessary
improvements.
I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation
as it will help ensure that the SBA is doing everything it can
to support small businesses in rural America.
Mr. Chair, I yield back.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who wish to
be recognized for a statement on the bill?
All right. Seeing none I would like to recognize the
Ranking Member to speak on the bill.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I am pleased to support this legislation offered by Mr.
Alford and the other Members who are cosponsors for the bill.
But I would also like to say that we cannot rewrite history
here. I was the Chair of this Committee when I spoke with the
previous Administrator Carranza with Mr. Golden and asked her
to put more resources into the office, which she did. Actually,
today, Administrator Guzman has appointed a director for the
office. Let me remind you; when it comes to small businesses,
there is not a republican or a democratic approach to it. We
work in a bipartisan way in this Committee.
So I support the bill and I yield back my time.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you. And I now recognize myself to
speak in support of this legislation.
The SBA Rural Performance Report Act will create more
transparency between rural small business owners and the SBA's
Office of Rural Affairs. Rural entrepreneurs are incredibly
important to the communities they serve. Their unique
challenges require the entrepreneurial spirit that makes
America great. That is why this Committee held a hearing in
July to hear directly from rural small business owners.
One thing became particularly clear in the hearing that the
SBA's resources are not reaching rural entrepreneurs. The Trump
administration recognized this and in 2018, the SBA and the
Department of Agriculture entered a partnership to better
promote existing resources to rural communities. Unfortunately,
this agreement was left to expire earlier this year. While
there is anecdotal evidence that this partnership was
successful, more detailed information is needed to assess how
Congress can improve these agencies' connection with the rural
entrepreneurs. This bill will reveal the actual outcomes of the
partnership to determine steps moving forward.
Additionally, H.R. 5265 will address the activities of the
SBA's Office of Rural Affairs. This office was created under
the Bush administration but was largely left vacant until the
Trump administration appointed a head. The SBA has dedicated
outreach efforts through its districts' offices and resource
partners and other stakeholders and the Office of Rural Affairs
should help guide those resources to rural entrepreneurs. This
bill will finally get to the bottom of this office's
effectiveness through annual reporting and the SBA's budget
justification.
I urge my colleagues to vote yes on H.R. 5265.
If there is no further discussion, the Committee now moves
to consider H.R. 5265.
The clerk will report.
The CLERK. H.R. 5265----
Chairman WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of
the bill is dispensed with. And without objection, the bill is
considered as read and open for amendment.
Do any Members seek recognition for the purpose of offering
an amendment?
Seeing none, the question is now on the adoption of H.R.
5265 and favorably reporting it to the House.
All those in favor say aye.
All those opposed say no.
In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and H.R.
5265 is agreed to and ordered favorably to the House.
Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Chair?
Chairman WILLIAMS. For what purpose are you to be
recognized?
Mr. ALFORD. I call for a roll call vote.
Chairman WILLIAMS. A recorded vote has been requested, and
a roll call vote is ordered.
Pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and House Rule 11, further
proceedings on the bill are postponed.
H.R. 5426
The next bill we will mark up is H.R. 5426, a bill to
require the administrator of the SBA to provide a link to
resources for submitting reports on suspected fraud relating to
certain COVID-19 loans introduced by Representatives Van Duyne
and Landsman.
I now recognize the bill's sponsor, Ms. Van Duyne, for an
opening statement.
Ms. VAN DUYNE. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Just 2 months ago, this Committee heard testimony from the
SBA Inspector General where he shared that based on their
estimates, nearly $200 billion in potential fraudulent COVID-19
and EIDL loans were disbursed by the SBA during the COVID-19
pandemic. That is money that was stolen from small businesses
that were actually in need of help. So I am glad that we are
continuing to take steps forward in combatting fraud and
legislation such as the bill in front of us that will continue
that fight.
This bill would require SBA to provide a direct route to
report COVID-19 fraud straight to the OIG rather than having to
go through multiple links and websites.
I would also like to thank my friend, Mr. Landsman from
Ohio, for joining me on this important issue in helping the SBA
IG Office locate these stolen funds and recoup as much of these
funds as possible.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation,
and I yield back.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who wish to
be recognized for a statement on the bill?
All right. Seeing none, I would like to recognize the
Ranking Member to speak on the bill.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to thank the sponsors for their bipartisanship and
efforts on this legislation. I support the bill and I yield
back my time.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you.
I now recognize myself to speak in support of this
legislation.
I am proud to support H.R. 5426, which will require the SBA
to place a visible link on their website to the Office of the
Inspector General page where individuals can easily report
potentially fraudulent EIDL and PPP loans.
In July, Inspector General Ware testified to this Committee
that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the SBA distributed more
than $200 billion in potentially fraudulent loans. The
inspector general also estimates that it is more than 100
years' worth of work for the SBA to investigate all flags of
potential fraud. Some have argued that this bill is redundant
but it is necessary to ensure that individuals outside of
Washington can easily find where to report suspected fraudulent
activity.
In fact, yesterday, our Committee staff tried to go through
the SBA's website to see how to report fraud and ran into
complications. The `` report fraud'' link currently on the
SBA's website, which is found all the way on the bottom of the
webpage takes you to a site that is in Spanish. Further, the
link is actually `` report fraud'' in SBA programs is a
paragraph long with multiple links to other sites to report
fraud. This bill will ensure that reporting fraud is simply one
click away. We have a direct link now upon our Committee
website and the SBA should do the same. Reporting fraud to the
SBA should be easy for everyday Americans to do. It is a
priority of this Committee to recoup as many of these taxpayer
dollars as possible in the most timely and efficient manner.
H.R. 5426 is a common sense bill that will help individuals
easily report suspected fraudulent activity and help the SBA
and the OIG to prioritize potentially fraudulent loans to
investigate.
To close, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
If there is no further discussion, the Committee now moves
to consideration of H.R. 5426.
The clerk will report.
The CLERK. H.R. 5426----
Chairman WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of
the bill is dispensed with. And without objection, the bill is
considered as read and open for amendment.
Do any Members seek recognition for the purpose of offering
an amendment?
Okay. Seeing none the question is now on adoption of H.R.
5426 and favorably reporting it to the House.
All those in favor say aye.
All those opposed say no.
Ms. VAN DUYNE. Mr. Chairman, I request a recorded vote.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. A recorded vote has been
requested, and a roll call vote is ordered.
So pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and House Rule 11, further
proceedings on the bill are postponed.
H.R. 5427
Now, consideration of H.R. 5427, a bill to prohibit
individuals convicted of defrauding the government from
receiving any assistance from the Small Business Administration
and for other purposes.
This bill was introduced by myself and Mr. Mfume. And I now
recognize myself as the bill's sponsor for an opening
statement.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit America, the SBA took on an
outside role in helping save our small businesses. Providing
our job creators with loans was incredibly important in saving
many businesses, but there were a few guardrails which led to
some amounts of fraud. One of the main goals of this Committee
during this Congress has been to hold fraudsters accountable.
This bill provides common sense accountability by ensuring that
people who abused SBA's loan programs are no longer eligible
for financial assistance from the SBA. This Committee has held
several hearings in investigating the $200 billion in fraud
through the pandemic relief programs, and this important
legislation will hold those responsible and accountable for
their actions. There is no doubt there is more work to be done
but this bill is a great step in the right direction to get
where we need to be.
Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a
statement on this bill?
All right. Seeing none, I would like to recognize the
Ranking Member to speak on the bill.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you. And I want to thank you, Mr.
Chairman, and Mr. Mfume for this bipartisan effort, very
important legislation. I support the bill, and I yield back.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you.
I now recognize Mr. Stauber from Minnesota.
Mr. STAUBER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise today to speak
in favor of H.R. 5427, legislation that would ensure that
criminals are prevented from taking advantage of the taxpayers.
In Minnesota, 60 people have been charged in a massive $250
million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded
nutrition program during the COVID-19 shutdowns. These
criminals sought to enrich themselves buying luxury cars and
homes while families struggled to feed their children.
H.R. 5427 is common sense. It is simply wrong that
criminals who are convicted of defrauding the government can
then turn around and receive once again taxpayer funded
assistance from the SBA. Our government should not be in the
business of rewarding criminals.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. It is the
right thing to do to protect the integrity of the Small
Business Administration and to ensure that taxpayer dollars are
used wisely. And I yield back.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you, Mr. Stauber.
I once again urge my colleagues to support this bill.
If there is no further discussion, the Committee now moves
to consideration of H.R. 5427.
The Clerk will report.
The CLERK. H.R. 5427, to----
Chairman WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of
the bill is dispensed with. And without objection, the bill is
considered as read and open for amendment.
Do any Members seek recognition for the purpose of offering
an amendment?
Seeing none, the question is now on adoption of H.R. 5427
and favorably reporting it to the House.
All those in favor say aye.
All those opposed say no.
In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it.
And H.R. 5427 is agreed to and ordered favorably to the
House.
Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair?
Chairman WILLIAMS. What do you seek recognition for?
Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I request a recorded vote.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. A recorded vote has been requested
and a roll call vote is ordered.
So pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and House Rule 11, further
proceedings on the bill are postponed.
The Committee now stands in recess subsequent to the call
of the Chair. We will resume later today at 11:30.
[Recess]
Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. The Committee will come to order.
The Committee will now resume consideration of the bills on
which roll call votes were requested and postponed.
We will start with H.R. 5424. The question now is on
adopting H.R. 5424 and ordering it favorably to the House.
The clerk will call the roll.
The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Yes.
The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer votes aye.
Mr. Stauber?
Mr. STAUBER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Stauber votes aye.
Mr. Meuser?
Mr. MEUSER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Meuser votes aye.
Ms. Van Duyne?
Ms. VAN DUYNE. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Van Duyne votes aye.
Ms. Salazar?
Ms. SALAZAR. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Salazar votes aye.
Mr. Mann?
Mr. MANN. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Mann votes aye.
Mr. Ellzey?
Mr. Molinaro?
Mr. MOLINARO. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Molinaro votes aye.
Mr. Alford?
Mr. ALFORD. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Alford votes aye.
Mr. Crane?
Mr. CRANE. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Crane votes aye.
Mr. Bean?
Mr. BEAN. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Bean votes aye.
Mr. Hunt?
Mr. LaLota?
Mr. Golden?
Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
Mr. Mfume?
Mr. Phillips?
Mr. PHILLIPS. Phillips votes aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Phillips votes aye.
Mr. Landsman?
Mr. LANDSMAN. Yes.
The CLERK. Mr. Landsman votes aye.
Mr. McGarvey?
Mr. MCGARVEY. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. McGarvey votes aye.
Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez?
Ms. GLUESENKAMP PEREZ. Yes.
The CLERK. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
Ms. Scholten?
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
Mr. Thanadar?
Mr. THANADAR. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Thanadar votes aye.
Ms. Chu?
Ms. CHU. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Chu votes aye.
Ms. Davids?
Ms. DAVIDS. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Davids votes aye.
Mr. Pappas?
Mr. PAPPAS. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Pappas votes aye.
Ranking Member Velazquez?
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Aye.
The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
Chairman Williams?
Chairman WILLIAMS. Aye.
The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who have not
voted or wish to change their vote?
All right. Seeing none, the clerk will report.
The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote 22 ayes, 0 nays, and
0 present.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R.
5424 is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
The question now is on adopting H.R. 5425 and ordering it
favorably to be reported to the House.
The clerk will call the roll.
The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer votes aye.
Mr. Stauber?
Mr. STAUBER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Stauber votes aye.
Mr. Meuser?
Mr. MEUSER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Meuser votes aye.
Ms. Van Duyne?
Ms. VAN DUYNE. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Van Duyne votes aye.
Ms. Salazar?
Ms. SALAZAR. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Salazar votes aye.
Mr. Mann?
Mr. MANN. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Mann votes aye.
Mr. Ellzey?
Mr. Molinaro?
Mr. MOLINARO. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Molinaro votes aye.
Mr. Alford?
Mr. ALFORD. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Alford votes aye.
Mr. Crane?
Mr. CRANE. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Crane votes aye.
Mr. Bean?
Mr. BEAN. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Bean votes aye.
Mr. Hunt?
Mr. LaLota?
Mr. Golden?
Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
Mr. Mfume?
Mr. Phillips?
Mr. PHILLIPS. Phillips votes aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Phillips votes aye.
Mr. Landsman?
Mr. LANDSMAN. Yes.
The CLERK. Mr. Landsman votes aye.
Mr. McGarvey?
Mr. MCGARVEY. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. McGarvey votes aye.
Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez?
Ms. GLUESENKAMP PEREZ. Yes.
The CLERK. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
Ms. Scholten?
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
Mr. Thanadar?
Mr. THANADAR. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Thanadar votes aye.
Ms. Chu?
Ms. CHU. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Chu votes aye.
Ms. Davids?
Ms. DAVIDS. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Davids votes aye.
Mr. Pappas?
Mr. PAPPAS. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Pappas votes aye.
Ranking Member Velazquez?
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Aye.
The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
Chairman Williams?
Chairman WILLIAMS. Aye.
The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who have not
voted or wish to change their vote?
All right. Seeing none, the clerk will report.
The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote 22 ayes, 0 nays, and
0 present.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R.
5425 is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
The question now is on adopting H.R. 5265 and ordering it
favorably to be reported to the House.
The clerk will call the roll.
The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer votes aye.
Mr. Stauber?
Mr. STAUBER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Stauber votes aye.
Mr. Meuser?
Ms. Van Duyne?
Ms. VAN DUYNE. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Van Duyne votes aye.
Ms. Salazar?
Ms. SALAZAR. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Salazar votes aye.
Mr. Mann?
Mr. MANN. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Mann votes aye.
Mr. Ellzey?
Mr. Molinaro?
Mr. Alford?
Mr. ALFORD. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Alford votes aye.
Mr. Crane?
Mr. CRANE. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Crane votes aye.
Mr. Bean?
Mr. BEAN. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Bean votes aye.
Mr. Hunt?
Mr. LaLota?
Mr. Golden?
Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
Mr. Mfume?
Mr. Phillips?
Mr. PHILLIPS. Phillips votes aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Phillips votes aye.
Mr. Landsman?
Mr. LANDSMAN. Yes.
The CLERK. Mr. Landsman votes aye.
Mr. McGarvey?
Mr. MCGARVEY. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. McGarvey votes aye.
Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez?
Ms. GLUESENKAMP PEREZ. Yes.
The CLERK. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
Ms. Scholten?
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
Mr. Thanadar?
Mr. THANADAR. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Thanadar votes aye.
Ms. Chu?
Ms. CHU. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Chu votes aye.
Ms. Davids?
Ms. DAVIDS. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Davids votes aye.
Mr. Pappas?
Mr. PAPPAS. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Pappas votes aye.
Ranking Member Velazquez?
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Aye.
The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
Chairman Williams?
Chairman WILLIAMS. Aye.
The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who have not
voted or wish to change their vote?
Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Chairman?
Chairman WILLIAMS. Recognition?
Mr. MEUSER. How was my vote recorded?
The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote Mr. Meuser is not
recorded as a vote.
Mr. MEUSER. I vote aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Meuser votes aye.
Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Chairman?
Chairman WILLIAMS. Mr. Molinaro?
Mr. MOLINARO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
How was my vote recorded?
The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Molinaro is not recorded for a
vote.
Mr. MOLINARO. I vote aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Molinaro votes aye.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. Are there any others that want to
change?
All right. Seeing none, hearing none, the motion is agreed
to and--the clerk will report. I am sorry.
The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote 22 ayes, 0 nays, and
0 present.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R.
5265 is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
The question now is on adopting H.R. 5426 and ordering it
favorably to be reported to the House.
The clerk will call the roll.
The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer votes aye.
Mr. Stauber?
Mr. STAUBER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Stauber votes aye.
Mr. Meuser?
Mr. MEUSER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Meuser votes aye.
Ms. Van Duyne?
Ms. VAN DUYNE. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Van Duyne votes aye.
Ms. Salazar?
Ms. SALAZAR. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Salazar votes aye.
Mr. Mann?
Mr. MANN. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Mann votes aye.
Mr. Ellzey?
Mr. Molinaro?
Mr. MOLINARO. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Molinaro votes aye.
Mr. Alford?
Mr. ALFORD. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Alford votes aye.
Mr. Crane?
Mr. CRANE. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Crane votes aye.
Mr. Bean?
Mr. BEAN. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Bean votes aye.
Mr. Hunt?
Mr. LaLota?
Mr. Golden?
Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
Mr. Mfume?
Mr. Phillips?
Mr. PHILLIPS. Phillips votes aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Phillips votes aye.
Mr. Landsman?
Mr. LANDSMAN. Yes.
The CLERK. Mr. Landsman votes aye.
Mr. McGarvey?
Mr. MCGARVEY. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. McGarvey votes aye.
Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez?
Ms. GLUESENKAMP PEREZ. Aye.
The CLERK. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
Ms. Scholten?
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
Mr. Thanadar?
Mr. THANADAR. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Thanadar votes aye.
Ms. Chu?
Ms. CHU. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Chu votes aye.
Ms. Davids?
Ms. DAVIDS. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Davids votes aye.
Mr. Pappas?
Mr. PAPPAS. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Pappas votes aye.
Ranking Member Velazquez?
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Aye.
The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
Mr. Chairman?
Chairman WILLIAMS. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Chairman votes aye.
Chairman WILLIAMS. If there any other Members who have not
voted or wish to change their vote?
Okay. Seeing none, the clerk will report.
The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote 22 ayes, 0 nays, and
0 present.
Chairman WILLIAMS. And H.R. 5426 is adopted and will be
reported favorably to the House.
So on our last one today, the question now is on adopting
H.R. 5427 and ordering it favorably to the House.
The clerk will call the roll.
The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer votes aye.
Mr. Stauber?
Mr. STAUBER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Stauber votes aye.
Mr. Meuser?
Mr. MEUSER. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Meuser votes aye.
Ms. Van Duyne?
Ms. VAN DUYNE. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Van Duyne votes aye.
Ms. Salazar?
Ms. SALAZAR. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Salazar votes aye.
Mr. Mann?
Mr. MANN. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Mann votes aye.
Mr. Ellzey?
Mr. Molinaro?
Mr. MOLINARO. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Molinaro votes aye.
Mr. Alford?
Mr. ALFORD. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Alford votes aye.
Mr. Crane?
Mr. CRANE. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Crane votes aye.
Mr. Bean?
Mr. BEAN. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Bean votes aye.
Mr. Hunt?
Mr. LaLota?
Mr. Golden?
Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
Mr. Mfume?
Mr. Phillips?
Mr. PHILLIPS. Phillips votes aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Phillips votes aye.
Mr. Landsman?
Mr. LANDSMAN. Yes.
The CLERK. Mr. Landsman votes aye.
Mr. McGarvey?
Mr. MCGARVEY. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. McGarvey votes aye.
Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez?
Ms. GLUESENKAMP PEREZ. Yes.
The CLERK. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
Ms. Scholten?
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
Mr. Thanadar?
Mr. THANADAR. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Thanadar votes aye.
Ms. Chu?
Ms. CHU. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Chu votes aye.
Ms. Davids?
Ms. DAVIDS. Aye.
The CLERK. Ms. Davids votes aye.
Mr. Pappas?
Mr. PAPPAS. Aye.
The CLERK. Mr. Pappas votes aye.
Ranking Member Velazquez?
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Velazquez votes aye.
The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
Chairman Williams?
Chairman WILLIAMS. Aye.
The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who wish to
change their vote or who have not voted?
All right. Seeing none, the clerk will report.
The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote 22 ayes, 0 nays, and
0 present.
Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R.
5427 is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
Without objection, the Committee staff is authorized to
make technical and conforming changes and Members have 2
business days to file additional supplemental dissenting and
minority views.
I want to thank all of you for being here today. I just
want to say again this Committee continues to show that we can
get things done in a bipartisan fashion when others are not
able to do that. And I think that is a good thing. So I want to
thank all of you for being here today.
If there is no further business, this concludes today's
markup.
Without objection, the Committee stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:52 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]
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