Markup of Various Measures

Small Business Administration OversightHouse Small Business · 2025-03-05 · 119th Congress
The House Small Business Committee met to mark up seven bills addressing SBA programs, including career and technical education partnerships, federal contracting transparency, disability entrepreneurship, and oversight of loan agents and women-owned small business certification. Begins at 0:25:37
Transcript
Highlights

Title

House Small Business Committee markup of seven SBA bills

Purpose

The House Small Business Committee met to mark up seven bills addressing SBA programs, including career and technical education partnerships, federal contracting transparency, disability entrepreneurship, and oversight of loan agents and women-owned small business certification. Chairman Roger Williams and Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez both offered opening statements before the committee considered each bill in turn, took statements from sponsors and members, and ordered roll call votes on all seven measures. Begins at0:25:37

Who spoke

Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX)0:25:37: Opened the markup, announced electronic voting for the first time0:25:37, criticized the Biden administration's regulatory record citing $1.8 trillion in regulatory costs and 335 million hours of paperwork0:26:37, and spoke in support of each of the seven bills before their votes, including HR 16420:33:10, HR 7890:50:49, HR 7870:57:52, HR 16211:07:58, HR 16341:15:32, HR 18161:22:36, and HR 18041:31:42.

Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez (D-NY)0:28:37: Disputed the chairman's characterization of the Biden economy, citing 20 million startups0:29:08; raised concerns that Elon Musk's DOGE team gained access to SBA systems including HR, contract, and payment data and that SBA employees were terminated and contracts cancelled0:30:09; spoke on each bill including HR 16420:41:14, HR 7890:47:47, HR 7870:56:21, HR 16211:06:27, HR 16341:13:31, HR 1816 (as sponsor)1:17:33, and HR 18041:29:40; also noted DEI policy terminations undermine disability employment goals1:15:02.

Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-MD)0:34:11: Honored the late Rep. Sylvester Turner0:34:11, spoke on HR 1642 citing Maryland's 46 state-approved CTE programs and his prior $3.3 billion school improvement plan as Baltimore County Executive0:35:11.

Rep. Derek Van Orden / "Mr. Weed"0:36:41: Spoke on HR 1642, noting Wisconsin has over 250,000 CTE students and that students taking two CTE courses graduate at a 5% higher rate than the state average0:36:41.

Rep. "Mr. Tran"0:38:12: Spoke on HR 1642 citing skilled-trade shortages in construction and manufacturing and Coastline College in his district0:38:12; also spoke on HR 787 citing a roughly 40% decrease in small businesses contracting with government over the past decade0:54:51.

Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH)0:39:12: Honored Rep. Turner, spoke in support of HR 1642 based on meetings with CTE students in New Hampshire0:39:12.

Rep. Rob Bresnahan0:40:13: Spoke as an original co-sponsor of HR 1642, emphasizing its value for districts poised for growth0:40:13.

Rep. "Mr. Latimer"0:43:45: Sponsor of HR 789, explained the bill would require agencies to disclose reasons for cancelling contract solicitations and help small businesses find similar opportunities0:43:45.

Rep. "Mr. Alford"0:45:16: Co-sponsor of HR 789, honored Sylvester Turner0:45:16, said federal agencies cancel solicitations "often with no warning and no reason," leaving small businesses that spent thousands preparing bids stranded0:46:16.

Rep. "Mr. Loda"0:52:49: Sponsor of HR 787, cited a Naval Postgraduate School study finding less than 3% of a million DoD solicitations were in plain English0:53:50, and that only 7,400 of 33 million small businesses (0.22%) secure federal prime contracts0:54:20; also sponsor of HR 1816, arguing self-certification of women-owned business status invites fraud0:20:35.

Rep. "Mr. Stauber"1:00:54: Sponsor of HR 1621 (entrepreneurs with disabilities reporting), said the bill directs SBA to assess obstacles facing disabled entrepreneurs1:00:54; also sponsor of HR 1634, speaking as the father of a son with Down syndrome about barriers to disability employment1:10:00.

A committee member (self-identified as having a disability)1:02:56: Spoke in support of HR 1621, stating people with disabilities pursue entrepreneurship at twice the rate of others, unemployment for those with intellectual/developmental disabilities is near 80%, and closing the disability employment gap could grow US GDP by $25 billion1:03:261:04:26.

A committee member from Missouri1:05:27: Spoke on HR 1621, referring to "different abilities" and the SBA/National Council on Disability memorandum of understanding1:05:27.

Rep. "Miss Simon"1:11:30: Co-sponsor of HR 1634, praised Stauber's leadership on disability issues1:11:30.

Rep. "Mr. Musser"1:25:37: Sponsor of HR 1804, cited SBA Inspector General findings that nearly 15% of all 7(a) loans involve a loan agent and over $335 million in documented loan agent fraud over the last decade1:26:08.

Rep. "Ms. Mabel/Mver"1:27:08: Co-lead of HR 1804, described the 7(a) program as SBA's flagship loan program with SBA guaranteeing 50–90% of loan amounts1:28:09.

Key moments

Chairman Williams announced the committee would use electronic voting for the first time0:25:37.

Velázquez said DOGE gained access to SBA's HR, contract, and payment systems, hundreds of SBA employees were terminated, and small business contracts and grant funding were frozen government-wide0:30:090:30:39.

Loda cited a Naval Postgraduate School study finding fewer than 3% of one million DoD solicitations were written in plain English, and that only 0.22% of America's 33 million small businesses secure federal prime contracts0:53:500:54:20.

On HR 1816, Loda argued self-certification of women-owned business status enabled "billions of dollars in taxpayer losses" during SBA's COVID-19 lending programs and should be phased out in favor of verified certification1:21:061:21:36.

Velázquez countered on HR 1816 that of nearly $31 billion awarded to women-owned small businesses in FY2023, less than $2 billion (about 3%) was awarded through contracts restricted to certified WOSBs1:19:341:20:04.

Musser cited SBA Inspector General data showing about 15% of 7(a) loans involve a loan agent and more than $335 million in documented loan agent fraud1:26:08.

Velázquez noted an October 2023 IG report found SBA had "made great progress" resolving loan agent oversight, closing out that management recommendation1:31:12.

On HR 1621, a member stated closing the disability employment gap could raise US GDP by $25 billion, with unemployment near 80% among those with intellectual/developmental disabilities1:04:26.

All seven bills were approved by roll call vote 25-0 during the reconvened session: HR 16422:28:04, HR 7892:28:58, HR 787 as amended2:29:28, HR 16212:30:31, HR 16342:31:08, HR 18162:31:47, and HR 18042:32:26.

The committee paused mid-markup and recessed from roughly 11:33 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. so members could attend a scheduled event1:33:43.

Metadata

CommitteeHouse Small Business
Chamber / CongressHouse · 119th Congress
Date2025-03-05
TypeMeeting
Witnesses
(none listed in event metadata)
Videoyoutube
Transcript152 caption blocks · 11,240 words · 2:33:51 runtime
EventCongress.gov 117988