In today’s mark-up, we will be considering four bipartisan bills. Two of the bills will require SBA’s resource partners to provide counseling and training to individuals in prison and post-release. The other two bills will make meaningful improvements to contracting programs that support small businesses. I would like to take a moment to thank the Ranking Member and all the members of the Committe... Read more »
American infrastructure needs an upgrade. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, American infrastructure received a D+. This is the very reason why there must be a strong infrastructure agenda---one that focuses on investing in our outdated roads, bridges, rails, airports, transit, and water systems. Doing so will increase opportunities for small businesses in construction, manufact... Read more »
I would like to start by thanking all our witnesses for coming to the table today to participate in this hearing, including those that traveled. And in particular, I want to thank Amazon and Google for deciding to appear today. I know this was not an easy decision for your company, but I believe it was the right one. As everyone can see, we also have two empty chairs to demonstrate the failure of ... Read more »
With more than 146 million Americans across the nation—nearly half of the U.S. population—participating each year in activities such as hiking, fishing, skiing, rafting, and biking, outdoor recreation is among the largest and fastest growing sectors of the U.S. economy. Recent data by the Bureau of Economic Analysis gives us a snapshot of the growing force that is the outdoor recreation economy. I... Read more »
As the Congressman from Colorado’s 6th district, I understand the importance of clean and renewable energy for our environment and our economy. We know that climate change is impacting towns and communities across the country---from more intense and frequent wildfires and tropical storms from the west to east coast and rising sea levels in coastal cities like Miami to nonstop rain damaging crops i... Read more »
Let me begin by talking about our criminal justice system. The United States has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. Despite having only 5 percent of the world’s population, we have 25 percent of the world’s inmates. People are locked up in nearly 7,000 facilities across the country – 109 federal prisons, 1,719 state prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, and 3,163 local... Read more »
In the 116th Congress, this Committee has been committed to taking a closer look at the various SBA contracting programs. Earlier this year, we held an oversight hearing on the Women-Owned Small Business Program, followed by a hearing where we discussed the contracting programs that help veterans bridge the gap between military service and entrepreneurship. Most recently, we examined the 8(a) Busi... Read more »
America’s small businesses are a catalyst for creating employment opportunities and driving growth in the U.S. economy. The estimated 30 million small firms in the U.S. represent over 99 percent of all employers, and support nearly 56 million jobs. Small businesses are vital to the well-being of many large and small communities, in rural, suburban, and urban areas. That is why we need to be enacti... Read more »
Today the Committee is holding an important oversight hearing, during which we will examine the most serious management and performance challenges facing the SBA. We will also discuss the Office of Inspector General’s recommendations for addressing these challenges, as we seek to better understand their underlying causes. The IG is a nonpartisan, independent watchdog tasked with auditing, investig... Read more »
Since 1958, the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program has been an integral part of SBA’s mission to provide small businesses with affordable capital and helping them create good-paying jobs. The specific goal of the SBIC program is to fill the gap between the availability of venture capital and the needs of “high-growth potential” small businesses in startup and early-stage situations. ... Read more »
