[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 168 (Thursday, November 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2306]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTING PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 30, 2007

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3867) to 
     update and expand the procurement of the Small Business 
     Administration, and for other purposes:

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of 
H.R. 3867, the ``Small Business Contracting Program Improvements Act.'' 
I support this legislation because it provides for much needed 
contracting opportunities for small businesses that would otherwise 
escape them. H.R. 3867 encourages participation by qualified small 
businesses, particularly veteran owned businesses, in the appropriate 
contracting programs offered under the supervision of the Small 
Business Administration. The Act aims to assist small business 
participation, prevent fraud and bring consistency to the operation of 
the main contract assistance programs. While I applaud the efforts to 
increase opportunities to veteran-owned small businesses, I believe 
that it is particularly important that doing so does not adversely 
affect contracting opportunities for women and HUBZones.
  H.R. 3867 ensures government contract opportunities for small 
businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans. The least 
that we can do is provide our veterans with opportunities to fulfill 
their dreams of owning successful businesses so that they can support 
themselves in an ever-growing, competitive business arena. By expanding 
procurement opportunities for service-disabled veteran-owned 
businesses, a group that currently receives only a small fraction of 
their contracting goal, we say thank you to those brave heroes who 
sacrificed much so that all Americans can enjoy the fruits of their 
labor, freedom and security. The bill also protects those veterans for 
whom the opportunities are created by establishing penalties for 
misrepresentation of a service-disabled veteran owned business 
classification and adopts a roadmap for providing information, advice 
and training to service-disabled veterans as prescribed by the 
President.
  Finally, it provides discretion to contracting officers in cases that 
must now be set aside for HUBZones but that could, with these 
amendments be used for service-disable veteran-owned businesses. But as 
I stated at the outset, the exercise of such discretion must be 
judicious so as not to frustrate the purpose set out in the Small 
Business Act to provide for opportunities for HUBZones.
  Mr. Chairman, this bill has safeguards to ensure that the benefits 
provided reach the intended recipients. Under H.R. 3867 provides that 
the Administrator perform the necessary checks on applicants for 
participation in the various contracting assistance programs to ensure 
their business integrity and qualifications. Most programs already 
require this but this makes it uniform.
  The Small Business Contracting Program Improvements Act also expands 
opportunities for women entrepreneurs. The bill establishes 
requirements for the SBA to implement the Women's Procurement Program 
immediately. Because it has taken too much time for the SBA to 
implement the Women's Procurement Program, this bill is intended to 
provide agencies with sufficient information to immediately begin 
competing contracts among women business owners. Seven years is far too 
long for the women who have been waiting for these business 
opportunities. As a result of this unwarranted delay, women have lost 
tens of billions of dollars in contracting opportunities but thanks to 
H.R. 3867 they will not have to wait any longer. I am particularly 
pleased to know that women small business owners will finally receive 
the long anticipated contracting opportunities that were intended for 
them under the Small Business Act.

  Mr. Chairman, this bill will also strengthen Community Development. 
Title IV strengthens the HUBZone program by verifying that small 
businesses receiving contracts under its authority are qualified. It 
further requires construction contracts to be performed within a 
reasonable distance of the particular HUBZone the contractor is to 
benefit.
  This legislation has bipartisan support within the Small Business 
Contracting Program Improvements Act Committee and includes the input 
from a number of Members. There is remarkably broad support on this 
legislation, ranging from the National Black Chamber of Commerce to the 
National Federation of Independent Business and the Associated General 
Contractors of America. Also supporting the legislation are the 
American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and AMVETS. The United 
States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Women's Chamber of 
Commerce and the National Defense Industrial Association also.
  While this bill goes a long way to provide much needed contracting 
opportunities for small businesses, my amendment would have greatly 
enhanced such opportunities. My amendment to H.R. 3867, which updates 
and expands the procurement programs of the Small Business 
Administration. My amendment provides that it is the sense of Congress 
that the Administrator should encourage the components of the 
administration, as well as appropriate State and local government 
agencies, to competitively bid and negotiate contracts and prices for 
services, including debris clearance, distribution of supplies, 
reconstruction and other assistance, in advance of an act of terrorism, 
natural disaster, or other emergency; and work toward a goal of 
awarding to qualified firms located in a county, parish, or other unit 
of local government within the affected area, but only to the extent 
that the goal does not interfere with the ability of the Administrator 
to provide timely and effective assistance.
  Mr. Chairman, we have learned from the devastation of Hurricanes 
Katrina, Rita and Wilma that severe consequences can result from not 
having the proper disaster recovery plans in place prior to such a 
disaster. We also know that having in place a comprehensive written 
response plan to give support to small businesses so that they may 
rebuild their businesses and in turn help to rebuild the affected areas 
is an essential component of a good recovery plan.
  In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma small 
businesses and in particular minority and disadvantaged businesses, in 
the affected areas were severely and negatively impacted because they 
did not receive financial support necessary to rebuild their businesses 
and participate in the rebuilding of the affected community.
  I understand that a major purpose of H.R. 3867 is to encourage 
participation by qualified small businesses, particularly veteran owned 
businesses, in the appropriate contracting programs offered under the 
supervision of the Small Business Administration. The Act also aims 
intend to assist small business participation, prevent fraud and bring 
consistency to the operation of the main contract assistance programs. 
My amendment would further support the goal to support small businesses 
by encouraging SBA to establish a program that provides for pre-
negotiated contracts with small businesses, in advance of an act of 
terrorism, natural disaster, or other emergency. Thus, the small 
business owners from the affected areas will not only be included in 
the recovery and rebuilding process but also maintain viability in a 
competitive economic environment.
  I hope that in the future we will consider the devastating impact 
that disasters can have on small businesses as well as the affected 
communities. I urge my colleagues to support small businesses by 
supporting H.R. 3867.

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