[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 170 (Wednesday, November 18, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     FAIRNESS TO VETERANS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT ACT OF 2015

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                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 16, 2015

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Fairness to 
Veterans for Infrastructure Investment Act of 2015 (H.R. 1694).
  H.R. 1694 as drafted would undermine the Department of 
Transportation's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program to 
promote women- and minority-owned small businesses and provide them 
with the opportunity to compete for federal highway construction 
contracts in an equitable manner. H.R. 1694 would force women- and 
minority-owned small businesses into the same pool of competition with 
veteran-owned small businesses to the detriment of everyone the DBE 
program was intended to help.
  The best way to help our veteran-owned small businesses is to 
establish a separate and specific program to achieve the aim of 
ensuring veteran-owned businesses receive fair consideration for 
federal highway contracts. That is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 3997, 
which would create a Veteran-owned Business Enterprise program within 
the Department of Transportation. This program would guarantee that at 
least 10 percent of federal highway contracts go to veteran-owned small 
businesses. It would maximize assistance to both veteran-owned and 
women- and minority-owned small businesses, and would not force 
competition between them.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the Fairness 
to Veterans for Infrastructure Investment Act of 2015 (H.R. 1694).

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