[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 190 (Wednesday, December 7, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H8805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES EXPAND EXPORTS

  (Mrs. KIM of California asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 8844, the STEP Improvement Act of 2022.
  I was proud to join Representatives Flood, Evans, and Newman to 
introduce this bill to help our small businesses expand exports and 
reach new markets.
  The STEP Improvement Act would reauthorize the State trade and export 
program from fiscal year 2023 to 2026, for 3 more years, and improve 
the program by streamlining the application process for small 
businesses and implementing strong metrics so the program works as 
intended.
  Since STEP's creation in 2011, my home State of California has 
received $8.5 million in STEP funding, helping more than 1,200 small 
businesses create jobs and generate more than $85 million in export 
sales. That is 10 times the return on our investment.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank all of my colleagues who helped to pass this 
legislation yesterday in the House.

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