[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 161 (Friday, September 28, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CLARITY ON SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN CATEGORY MANAGEMENT ACT OF 
                                  2018

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 25, 2018

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 
6382, the ``Clarity on Small Business Participation in Category 
Management Act,'' a bill which seeks to improve participation in 
federal contracting by small businesses.
  The ``Clarity on Small Business Participation in Category Management 
Act,'' requires that the Small Business Administration report to 
Congress on the total amount of government-wide spending under the 
Category Management approach, and more importantly, the number of small 
businesses awarded contracts under Category Management and the dollar 
amount of such contracts.
  This information will allow Congress to determine whether Category 
Management is negatively impacting the participation of small 
businesses--including, minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned 
companies--in the federal marketplace.
  While I appreciate that the rationale behind Category Management is 
to save taxpayer dollars by reducing contract redundancies and costs 
and shrink administrative burdens, I share the concerns of many that 
the expanded use of Category Management, as proposed by the Trump 
Administration, will result in less opportunities for small businesses 
to secure federal contracts.
  Research published in a Federal News Radio article has shown that 
past contract consolidation efforts by the federal government have 
decreased the amount of small prime contractors obtaining federal work. 
As such, we must exercise vigilance to guard against the diminution of 
small business participation in the federal marketplace under Category 
Management.
  As a longtime advocate for small businesses, I am pleased to be an 
original cosponsor on this legislation, and I thank the gentlelady from 
North Carolina, Ms. Adams, for bringing the bill forward.
  With that, I urge my House colleagues to support small businesses by 
voting in favor of this legislation.

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