| Weekly Update from Sam |
| Dear Friends,
Research and development takes time and investment before yielding profits, but the resulting innovations create jobs and spur economic growth. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs invest in promising hi-tech research efforts with the goal of commercializing new ideas. In 2011 we reauthorized these programs and sought to increase participation, ensure that the best research is funded, and make sure more ideas turn into products that can be sold, thereby creating more jobs.
This week, the Committee held an oversight hearing to evaluate how agencies are incorporating new changes to the SBIR/STTR programs. We heard directly from small businesses that work with these programs on what is working and what isn’t. In today’s slow-growth economy, investing in American ingenuity is part of the solution for new jobs and growth.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves
Chairman
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Latest Committee Action
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On Wednesday, the Committee conducted the first of two oversight hearings examining the changes made to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs in 2011. During the 112th Congress, Graves led bipartisan negotiations on the program’s reauthorization, which was its first full reauthorization in 11 years. This week’s hearing focused on private sector impressions of the programs and the real world effects of numerous changes contained in that reauthorization. Government officials will be invited to testify at the upcoming hearing.
On Thursday, the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade, under the chairmanship of Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO), examined the challenges of combating unfair international trade practices, such as dumping, intellectual property (IP) theft, currency manipulation, and other non-tariff barriers to trade and their impact on small business exporting. Trade has become an integral part of the modern economy. American businesses exported nearly $2.3 trillion in goods and services in 2013, and as other nations continue to grow and develop their economies, this will create new opportunities for small businesses. However, unfair trade practices inhibit their ability to compete.
On Friday, Chairman Graves wrote to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy to urge withdrawal of its recently proposed “Waters of the United States” rule. The rule, as drafted, would result in an unprecedented jurisdictional expansion of the Clean Water Act (CWA), subjecting thousands of streams, ditches and other small waters to federal permitting and other requirements. This regulatory expansion could be costly for small businesses and subject them to the CWA’s requirements and enforcement provisions. The Committee will hold a hearing on the rule next week.
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News from Washington
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On Tuesday, the House passed five bills to combat human trafficking in the United States. These bills address various aspects of fighting this terrible crime, including increasing resources for enforcement, providing more help for victims and strengthening efforts to protect children.
On Wednesday, the House passed the bipartisan Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014, (HR 4031), to enable the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to remove an employee for cause and hold VA managers accountable. In a growing scandal, the VA is facing a host of questions for delaying lifesaving care to veterans and other serious systemic failures.
On Thursday, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2015 (NDAA) along with four key small business contracting amendments from the Committee. These amendments continue the Committee’s work reforming contracting and increasing small business opportunities in the federal marketplace. Click here for a summary of the four amendments.
Also on Thursday, the House passed the USA Freedom Act (H.R. 3361), which reforms intelligence-gathering to limit the bulk collection of data on Americans and strengthen privacy protections, while providing for law enforcement ability to intercept information that could save lives and prevent attacks.
The House passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014, and the Senate also passed the bill, sending it to the President to become law. This is major legislation to update the nation’s water infrastructure, and authorize key flood prevention and navigation projects. Congressman Graves served on the bicameral conference committee that completed the final stage of this comprehensive legislation.
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| Stay Plugged In |
Be sure to check out the House Small Business Committee on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for all the latest in Small Biz news and resources and to join the conversation. We value your input, so tell us about your small business on our interactive website Small Biz Open Mic.
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| May 23, 2014 |
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| What We're Reading |
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Small Biz Resources
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| Tweet of the Week |
@SmallBizGOP Harry Reid needs this for those 40 job bills. MT @HistoryInPics a helmet invented to encourage focus & concentration pic.twitter.com/KFSHWvZyIh
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