[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 169 (Tuesday, November 17, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     FAIRNESS TO VETERANS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT ACT OF 2015

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 16, 2015

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in opposition to 
H.R. 1694, the Fairness to Veterans for Infrastructure Investment Act 
of 2015.
  As the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for 
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies and the 
co-chair of the Military Family Caucus, I strongly support efforts to 
ensure veterans have access to opportunities needed to become 
successful in the workforce.
  Simply, H.R. 1694 makes veterans compete against women- and minority-
owned small businesses for an already small goal of ten percent of 
federal highway and transit construction contracts.
  While I agree with the sponsor's stated goal of helping veterans and 
veteran-owned businesses, I do not believe that the best way to do so 
is by legally undermining the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise 
program.
  Instead, we should help both veterans and disadvantaged businesses 
succeed.
  That is why I joined Representatives Cummings, Norton, Brown, and 
Bustos in sponsoring H.R. 3997, which would create a Veteran-owned 
Business Enterprise (VBE) program within the Department of 
Transportation with a stated national goal of ensuring at least 10 
percent of federal highway contracts go to veteran-owned small 
businesses.
  Instead, creating a specific and separate contracting goal for 
veteran-owned businesses is a better way to maximize assistance to 
veterans, as opposed to forcing competition between these two 
constituencies, both of whom continue to suffer through 
disproportionately high unemployment rates.
  I urge my colleagues to help veteran-owned businesses compete for 
Department of Transportation contracts without harming the 
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program by supporting H.R. 3997 and 
not H.R. 1694.