[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                    H.R. 5424, THE MAIN STREET COMPETES ACT; 
                    H.R. 5265, THE SBA RURAL PERFORMANCE 
                    ACT; H.R. 5425, TO AMEND THE SMALL BUS-
                    INESS ACT; H.R. 5426,TO REQUIRE THE ADMIN-
                    ISTRATOR OF THE SBA TO PROVIDE A LINK
                    TO RESOURCES FOR SUBMITTING REPORTS 
                    ON SUSPECTED FRAUD RELATING TO CERTAIN 
                    COVID-19 LOANS; H.R. 5427, TO PROHIBIT
                    INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF DEFRAUDING THE 
                     GOVERNMENT FROM RECEIVING ANY ASSIST-
                     ANCE FROM THE SBA

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                      COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
                             UNITED STATES
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                               __________

                              HEARING HELD
                           SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

                               __________

  [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT].#13
                               

            Small Business Committee Document Number 118-025
             Available via the GPO Website: www.govinfo.gov
             
                              __________

                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
54-534                   WASHINGTON : 2024                    
          
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------     
             
                   HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS

                    ROGER WILLIAMS, Texas, Chairman
                      BLAINE LUETKEMEYER, Missouri
                        PETE STAUBER, Minnesota
                        DAN MEUSER, Pennsylvania
                         BETH VAN DUYNE, Texas
                         MARIA SALAZAR, Florida
                          TRACEY MANN, Kansas
                           JAKE ELLZEY, Texas
                        MARC MOLINARO, New York
                         MARK ALFORD, Missouri
                           ELI CRANE, Arizona
                          AARON BEAN, Florida
                           WESLEY HUNT, Texas
                         NICK LALOTA, New York
               NYDIA VELAZQUEZ, New York, Ranking Member
                          JARED GOLDEN, Maine
                         KWEISI MFUME, Maryland
                        DEAN PHILLIPS, Minnesota
                          GREG LANDSMAN, Ohio
                       MORGAN MCGARVEY, Kentucky
                  MARIE GLUESENKAMP PEREZ, Washington
                       HILLARY SCHOLTEN, Michigan
                        SHRI THANEDAR, Michigan
                          JUDY CHU, California
                         SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas
                      CHRIS PAPPAS, New Hampshire

                  Ben Johnson, Majority Staff Director
                 Melissa Jung, Minority Staff Director
                            
                            
                            C O N T E N T S

                           OPENING STATEMENTS

                                                                   Page
Hon. Roger Williams..............................................     1
Nydia Velazquez..................................................     2

                                APPENDIX

Additional Material for the Record:
    H.R. 5424, The Main Street Competes Act (To Amend the Small 
      Business Economic Policy Act of 1980 to Examine how the 
      Competitiveness of Small Businesses is Affected by the 
      Enforcement of Federal Antitrust Laws, and for other 
      purposes)..................................................    22
    H.R. 5265, The Small Business Administration Rural 
      Performance Act............................................    28
    H.R. 5425, To Amend the Small Business Act to Enhance the 
      Office of Rural Affairs, and for other purposes............    33
    H.R. 5426, To Require the Administrator of the Small Business 
      Administration to Provide a Link to Resources for 
      Submitting Reports on Suspected Fraud Relating to Certain 
      COVID-19 Loans.............................................    39
    H.R. 5427, To Prohibit Individuals Convicted of Defrauding 
      the Government from Receiving any Assistance from the Small 
      Business Administration, and for other purposes............    41
    Minority Views - H.R. 5424, The Main Street Competes Act.....    45
    Minority Views - H.R. 5265, Small Business Administration 
      Rural Performance Report Act...............................    46
    Minority Views - H.R. 5425, To amend the Small Business Act 
      to enhance the Office of Rural Affairs.....................    47
    Minority Views - H.R. 5426, Require SBA to Provide an Online 
      Method for Submitting Report on Suspected Fraud Relating to 
      Certain COVID-19 Loans.....................................    48
    Minority Views - H.R. 5427, A bill to prohibit individuals 
      convicted of defrauding the Government from receiving non-
      disaster financial assistance from the Small Business 
      Administration.............................................    50
    The Main Street Competition Coalition........................    52

 
MARKUP OF: H.R. 5424, THE MAIN STREET COMPETES ACT (TO AMEND THE SMALL 
BUSINESS ECONOMIC POLICY ACT OF 1980 TO EXAMINE HOW THE COMPETITIVENESS 
OF SMALL BUSINESSES IS AFFECTED BY THE ENFORCEMENT OF FEDERAL ANTITRUST 
     LAWS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES); H.R. 5265, THE SMALL BUSINESS 
  ADMINISTRATION RURAL PERFORMANCE ACT; H.R. 5425, TO AMEND THE SMALL 
  BUSINESS ACT TO ENHANCE THE OFFICE OF RURAL AFFAIRS, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES; H.R. 5426, TO REQUIRE THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE SMALL BUSINESS 
ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE A LINK TO RESOURCES FOR SUBMITTING REPORTS ON 
   SUSPECTED FRAUD RELATING TO CERTAIN COVID-19 LOANS; H.R. 5427, TO 
   PROHIBIT INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED OF DEFRAUDING THE GOVERNMENT FROM 
 RECEIVING ANY ASSISTANCE FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, AND 
                           FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                              ----------                              


                      THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

                  House of Representatives,
               Committee on Small Business,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:45 a.m., in Room 
2360, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Roger Williams 
[chairman of the Committee] presiding.
    Present: Representatives Williams, Luetkemeyer, Stauber, 
Meuser, Van Duyne, Salazar, Mann, Ellzey, Molinaro, Alford, 
Crane, Bean, LaLota, Velazquez, Golden, Phillips, Landsman, 
McGarvey, Gluesenkamp Perez, Scholten, Thanedar, Chu, Davids, 
and Pappas.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. The Committee will now come to order, 
and a quorum is present.
    Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a 
recess of the Committee at any time.
    As required by House rules, a copy of the legislative 
measures have been made available to Members and the public at 
least 24 hours in advance. And pursuant to Committee Rule 13 
and House Rule 11, all votes will be rolled to the end of the 
meeting.
    I now recognize myself for opening remarks.
    To put it lightly, small business across the country have 
faced underserved hardship for quite some time now thanks to 
the Biden administration's misguided economic policies. It is 
the responsibility of this Committee to be main street's voice 
in Congress, and that is exactly what we are here to do today.
    Small businesses are the engines of our economy, and we 
need to produce policies that will help them, not regulate them 
into oblivion like this administration is doing.
    All the bills before us today have been a result of our 
past hearings and oversight efforts from this Committee. I am 
proud that we are finding solutions to hold the criminals 
accountable who took advantage of small business lending 
programs during the pandemic and making it easier for any 
American to report COVID fraud. While our work is far from 
over, it is good to see us bringing new ideas to the table that 
can help Main Street America.
    Additionally, I am grateful for my colleagues who have 
brought forward bills that address the unique challenges faced 
by rural entrepreneurs. Many of us here on the Committee 
continually hear from the constituents that they did not even 
know resources were available to them in rural areas.
    While I am glad to see these bills being marked up today, I 
was hoping we would be marking up a bill to put guardrails back 
on the SBA's flagship 7(a) lending program. Staff from both 
sides have been working diligently through this complicated 
issue, and I am hopeful that we will be able to come to an 
agreement soon that guarantees the longevity of the 7(a) 
program, safeguards the taxpayer from being exposed to 
unnecessary risk, and ensures the SBA remains the lender of 
last resort so it will not compete with the private sector.
    In closing, I want to thank our Members for bringing these 
bills up. They represent the work we do as a Committee on 
behalf of our nation's entrepreneurs and innovators. I would 
also like to thank the Ranking Member and her staff for working 
with us to produce bipartisan solutions for main street.
    With that, I look forward to today's markup. I yield to the 
distinguished Ranking Member from New York, Ms. Velazquez, for 
her opening statement.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for 
holding this markup today. As always, I am committed to working 
in a bipartisan manner to enact legislation that assists small 
businesses, as well as conduct rigorous oversight of SBA 
programs. I appreciate Chairman Williams and his staff for 
their willingness to work with us to bridge our differences on 
these bills.
    Two of the bills we are considering today will review and 
enhance the Office of Rural Affairs. Two other bills will put 
protocols in place to combat pandemic fraud, and one will 
reaffirm Congress's commitment to fostering competition in the 
marketplace to help small businesses grow and prosper.
    I am very pleased that we are considering legislation to 
enhance the Office of Rural Affairs, and I commend Mr. Golden 
for identifying the shortcomings of the office which had laid 
dormant for years. Mr. Golden worked tirelessly with both 
administrations to make sure the office is actively helping 
rural small businesses deal with the challenges facing them 
today. And I thank Mr. Alford for his effort to strengthen 
services for rural businesses as well.
    Over the past 3 years, this Committee has played an 
integral role in examining the pandemic relief programs which 
helped millions of small businesses stay afloat in 
unprecedented times. However, we have learned through our 
oversight hearings that organized criminal syndicates and 
transnational gangs targeted these programs and stole billions 
of dollars. Two of the bills under consideration today will 
take steps to combat this fraud. We must acknowledge though 
that they are not silver bullets and more will need to be done. 
The single most important action we can take to aid the SBA 
inspector general in their investigative work is to support 
their requests for additional funding. Anything less would 
cripple the office and hinder the IG's effort to go after these 
bad actors.
    I look forward to working with the Chairman in our 
oversight role and hope we can work together to provide them 
with the resources they need in the next fiscal year.
    Thank you, and I yield back.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Does any other Member seek recognition 
for the purpose of making an opening statement?
    Okay. Seeing none, we will now move to the consideration of 
the first bill.
    H.R. 5424
    The first bill we will mark up is H.R. 5424, the Main 
Street Competes Act introduced by Representative Scholten and 
Vice Chairman Luetkemeyer.
    Before recognizing other Members for statements, I ask 
unanimous consent for a statement from the bill's cosponsor 
Vice Chairman Luetkemeyer to be entered into the record.
    Without objection, so ordered.
    I now recognize the bill's sponsor, Ms. Scholten, for an 
opening statement.
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you so much. I am really excited to 
introduce this bill today. When I wanted to serve on the House 
Small Business Committee it was in large part to champion the 
thriving main streets that once existed across towns like Grand 
Rapids, Michigan; Muskegon; and that are still up and coming 
like in Muskegon Heights in West Michigan in my state.
    This bill will provide much needed oversight to ensure that 
small businesses that make our main streets thriving centers of 
community cohesion have what they need to succeed and compete. 
I am looking forward to the markup today and ask all of my 
colleagues to join me in supporting this important bill.
    With that, I yield back the remainder of my time.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who wish to 
be recognized for a statement on this bill?
    Okay. I now recognize Ranking Member Velazquez for remarks.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    A competitive business environment is the lifeblood of a 
thriving free enterprise economy, spurring innovation, driving 
productivity, and fostering consumer choice at fair prices. 
Unfortunately, competition has been eroded for decades due to 
increasing concentration across many industries. Our nation's 
antitrust laws were crafted over the past century to safeguard 
the competitive landscape for small businesses. But the limited 
usage since the late 1970s has allowed many companies to 
acquire an ever-increasing market share and exploit small 
businesses along the way. Whether it is small farms and 
ranchers contending with seed fertilizer, or meat processing 
monopolies, or local retailers facing price discrimination 
because of big box stores, we have seen the way increasing 
concentration of power impacts the American dream for many 
small business owners.
    I applaud Representative Scholten and Representative 
Luetkemeyer for working together on the Main Street Competes 
Act which will work to realign the interests of small 
businesses and antitrust informing agencies. It requires the 
Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to 
report data to the SBA's Office of Advocacy, which can be used 
to generate the report to Congress on the state of competition 
in our economy. This will help us have a better understanding 
of the anticompetitive issues that small firms face and help us 
reaffirm our commitment to a competitive economy.
    Again, I thank both colleagues for their leadership on this 
issue and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
    I yield back.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you.
    And I now recognize myself to speak in support of this 
legislation.
    The Main Street Competes Act will ensure small businesses 
are able to compete in the marketplace against larger 
businesses. Competition is a key tenet of capitalism. It allows 
consumers to choose with their dollars between businesses that 
will offer the best product, the best price or service. Without 
appropriate competition, innovation and the U.S. economy will 
suffer. This bill will ensure the economic mission of the SBA 
aligns with the reality by explicitly stating that the benefits 
to the country when small businesses are able to compete and 
not forced out of business by large monopolies.
    Additionally, this bill requires the Department of Justice 
and the Federal Trade Commission to issue annual reports to the 
SBA on how antitrust enforcement promoted competition and aided 
small business in the previous fiscal year. This is a simple 
bill that requires a report to Congress so we can conduct 
proper oversight on the impact that the FTC and the DOJ actions 
have on small businesses.
    I urge all my colleagues to support this bill. If there is 
no further discussion the Committee now moves to consideration 
of H.R. 5424.
    The clerk will report.
    The CLERK. H.R. 5424----
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of 
the bill is dispensed with. And without objection, the bill is 
considered as read and open for amendment.
    Do any Members seek recognition for the purpose of offering 
an amendment?
    Okay. Seeing none the question is now on adoption of H.R. 
5424 and favorably reporting it to the House.
    All those in favor say aye.
    All those opposed say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair the ayes have it, and H.R. 5424 
is agreed to and ordered favorably to the house.
    Okay. For what purpose do you seek recognition? Do you want 
to record a vote? Okay.
    A recorded vote has been requested, and a roll call vote is 
ordered.
    Pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and House Rule 11, further 
proceedings on the bill are postponed.
    H.R. 5425
    Next, consideration of H.R. 5425, a bill to amend the Small 
Business Act to enhance the Office of Rural Affairs, and for 
other purposes. The next bill we will mark up is a bill to 
amend the Small Business and Rural Affairs and for other 
purposes introduced by Representatives Golden and Mann.
    I now recognize the bill's sponsor, Mr. Golden, for an 
opening statement.
    Mr. GOLDEN. Thank you, Chairman Williams.
    Maine' 2nd District is the second most rural House District 
in America. Statewide, Maine is home to more than 151,000 small 
businesses accounting for 99.2 percent of all businesses in the 
state. It is clear that there is a need in Maine and in every 
state for tailored support for rural small businesses.
    There is an existing office in the SBA that is well suited 
to address those needs, the Office of Rural Affairs.
    The Office of Rural Affairs was created as a subsection of 
the SBA in 1990 to act as a go-between for rural small 
businesses in the federal government. Throughout its existence, 
however, the office has had inconsistent leadership and 
remained effectively dormant. In 2019, the Trump 
administration, at the recommendation of this Committee, 
appointed a deputy administrator for this office. This bill 
would revitalize the office so it can fulfill its obligation to 
rural small business owners in three main ways.
    First, it would elevate the position of director of Rural 
Affairs to an assistant administrator to run the office.
    Second, it would require the hosting of webinars and 
outreach events to increase awareness of the office's existence 
and of resources available to rural small businesses owners.
    And third, it would create transparency by mandating an 
annual report on the activities of the agency to ensure that 
the office works effectively to achieve its goals.
    It has been over 30 years since Congress established the 
Office of Rural Affairs, which was intended to give small 
businesses in rural America a seat at the table. This bill is a 
step in the right direction to put SBA in alignment with 
congressional intent.
    I would like to thank Congresswoman Tenney, Congressman 
Mann, Congressman Pappas, the Chairman, the Ranking Member, and 
their staff for working with me to support the Office of Rural 
Affairs. And I yield back.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. I now recognize Mr. Pappas for an 
opening statement.
    Mr. PAPPAS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
    I want to thank Congressman Golden for his leadership on 
this bipartisan legislation which will ensure that our rural 
small businesses know about the tools that are available to 
them. The legislation will help rural entrepreneurs by 
expanding the reach and stature of the Office of Rural Affairs 
at SBA so they can receive the support that they need from 
Washington.
    I am also glad to support another bill on the agenda today 
by Congressman Alford of Missouri, a bill that he introduced to 
encourage effective cooperation among agencies that support our 
rural small businesses.
    So these bills, along with other efforts that this 
Committee should continue to focus on, like expanding access to 
capital for rural job creators will better ensure that the 
concerns of this sector are heard and more closely considered 
by SBA.
    One in five Americans, including almost half of the 
residents of my state of New Hampshire live in rural areas, and 
we know that the small businesses here have unique challenges 
that they face and are just so crucial to our local economy. So 
I am glad that the Committee is focused on these efforts about 
how to help SBA help our rural small businesses and put a focus 
on their needs and hope that all my colleagues will join us in 
supporting these bipartisan bills today.
    I yield back.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who wish to 
be recognized for a statement on this bill?
    All right. Seeing none, I would like to recognize the 
Ranking Member to speak on the bill.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I am really 
pleased to support this legislation to enhance the Office of 
Rural Affairs. And I commend Mr. Goldman for his commitment and 
dedication to making this office operate more effectively for 
rural small businesses.
    I remember one of our earliest meetings when Mr. Golden 
joined this Committee where he raised this as one of his top 
priorities for the Committee because the office has been 
largely vacant for 15 years. He worked with a group of Members 
to raise the importance of outreach to rural small all 
businesses with the previous administration, and they devoted 
resources to the office. But he did not stop there. Knowing 
that the office can play an important role in connecting rural 
Americans to programs and services that can aid their 
businesses and communities, Mr. Golden has made it his mission 
to ensure that the office remains active. And today, we are 
seeing the fruit of his labor.
    So Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Mr. Golden and the 
cosponsor for this bill, and I support the bill. And I yield 
back my time.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. I now recognize Congressman Stauber from 
Minnesota.
    Mr. STAUBER. Thank you, Chairman Williams. I will be real 
brief.
    I support Representative Golden's legislation. I think it 
is needed. It has been needed for a while. I want to commend my 
colleague for bringing this forward.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. All right. Thank you.
    And I now recognize myself to speak in support of this 
legislation.
    This bill seeks to enhance the SBA's Office of Rural 
Affairs. While this office was created under President Bush, it 
remained largely vacant until the Trump administration. This 
bill turns the existing appointed position into an assistant 
administrator subjected to a competitive hiring process. It 
also expands the office duties to include performing outreach 
and webinars to rural entrepreneurs. Finally, it requires the 
office to report on its activities in the SBA's annual budget 
justification.
    One thing that is abundantly clear; more needs to be done 
to utilize existing SBA resources to better serve rural 
entrepreneurs. The Trump administration's partnership between 
the SBA and the Department of Agriculture was a necessary step. 
This bill also requires the assistant administrator be to hired 
through the competitive process to depoliticize this office and 
have the consistency needed to assist rural America.
    I urge my colleagues to vote yes.
    If there is no further discussion, the Committee now moves 
to consideration of H.R. 5425, and the clerk will report.
    The CLERK. H.R.5425----
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of 
the bill is dispensed with. And without objection, the bill is 
considered as read and open for amendment.
    Do any Members seek recognition for the purpose of offering 
an amendment?
    Seeing none, the question is now on adoption of H.R. 5425 
and favorably reporting it to the house.
    All those in favor say aye.
    Mr. GOLDEN. Mr. Chair?
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Yes?
    Mr. GOLDEN. I would like to request a recorded vote.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. Thank you.
    The CLERK. Let's do the voice vote first, sir, and then we 
can do the recorded vote. Thank you.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. All right.
    So all those in favor say aye.
    All those opposed say no.
    Okay. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it.
    Mr. GOLDEN. Mr. Chair, request a recorded vote. Thank you.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. A recorded vote has been 
requested, and a roll call vote is ordered.
    Pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and House Rule 11, further 
proceedings on the bill are postponed.
    H.R. 5265
    The next bill we will mark up is H.R. 5265, the Small 
Business Administration's Rural Performance Report Act 
introduced by Representatives Alford, Pappas, Luetkemeyer, 
Ellzey, and Bean.
    I now recognize the bill's sponsor, Mr. Alford, for an 
opening statement.
    Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Chairman, thank you so much. Happy belated 
birthday to you. Ranking Member, thank you so much.
    I am proud to rise today in support of my Bill H.R. 5265, 
the SBA Rural Performance Report Act. I again want to thank our 
cosponsors on this, Mr. Luetkemeyer, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Ellzey, 
Mr. Bean, and Mr. Pappas.
    Look, small business owners face many, many challenges as 
we all know, and that is especially true in rural areas. I was 
proud to have Jennifer Cassaday from our district come testify 
right there at that very desk right there back in July at our 
Small Business Committee hearing on rural entrepreneurship. And 
she really shared with us some of the challenges that other 
small business owners face in these tough times. When we asked 
the witnesses if they knew about the SBA's Office of Rural of 
Rural Affairs they all told us, `` We have never heard of it.'' 
What the office is doing to elevate our rural small businesses 
is unclear to most Americans. I think maybe it is unclear to 
most of us on this Committee. However, the Trump administration 
took action to improve resources for rural businesses, rural 
entrepreneurs, rural Americans.
    Through a memorandum of understanding, the SBA and U.S. 
Department of AG collaborated to tailor existing resources to 
these very communities. But not much is still known about the 
outcomes of this partnership. Ag often goes hand-in-hand with 
rural small businesses, so it is very important to see what has 
come of the collaboration between the SBA and USDA. This bill 
will shed light on SBA's Office of Rural Affairs and MOU so we 
can better serve our rural small businesses.
    I look forward to seeing how impactful this memorandum of 
understanding was and how we could better utilize these 
resources to reach our rural entrepreneurs.
    We cannot forget about our rural small businesses, Mr. 
Chairman, and I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this 
important bill. Thank you, and I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you very much.
    I now recognize Congressman Stauber from the great state of 
Minnesota.
    Mr. STAUBER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I rise today to speak in favor of H.R. 5265, the Small 
Business Administration Rural Performance Report.
    This administration has a blatant disregard for rural 
America. For an example, in the Infrastructure bill, this 
president so proudly touts rural America is defined as a 
population of 200,000 or less. This is so out of touch.
    Of 855 cities in Minnesota, only 59 cities even have a 
population of over 20,000. Under the Infrastructure bill's 
definition, there are only two cities in the great state of 
Minnesota that could not apply for these rural grants and that 
is Minneapolis and St. Paul. And this does not highlight the 
townships that make up the rural fabric of our state.
    My friend and colleague on this Committee, Jared Golden, as 
well as off-Committee Members Brad Finstad and Derrick Van 
Orden and myself are looking to right this wrong.
    As for the legislation at hand, the Office of Rural Affairs 
is supposed to play a vital role supporting small businesses I 
rural America; however, as we heard in this very Committee back 
in July, the SBA and the ORA have been falling short of their 
responsibilities as many of our rural small business owners 
that participated in the hearing were unaware of the services 
SBA provides.
    But truth be told, rural American once again not taking 
priority does not come as a shock. It is very unfortunate. This 
legislation would help ensure that the ORA is effectively 
carrying out its mission and would provide Congress with an 
ability to evaluate ORA's performance and direct necessary 
improvements.
    I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation 
as it will help ensure that the SBA is doing everything it can 
to support small businesses in rural America.
    Mr. Chair, I yield back.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who wish to 
be recognized for a statement on the bill?
    All right. Seeing none I would like to recognize the 
Ranking Member to speak on the bill.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I am pleased to support this legislation offered by Mr. 
Alford and the other Members who are cosponsors for the bill.
    But I would also like to say that we cannot rewrite history 
here. I was the Chair of this Committee when I spoke with the 
previous Administrator Carranza with Mr. Golden and asked her 
to put more resources into the office, which she did. Actually, 
today, Administrator Guzman has appointed a director for the 
office. Let me remind you; when it comes to small businesses, 
there is not a republican or a democratic approach to it. We 
work in a bipartisan way in this Committee.
    So I support the bill and I yield back my time.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you. And I now recognize myself to 
speak in support of this legislation.
    The SBA Rural Performance Report Act will create more 
transparency between rural small business owners and the SBA's 
Office of Rural Affairs. Rural entrepreneurs are incredibly 
important to the communities they serve. Their unique 
challenges require the entrepreneurial spirit that makes 
America great. That is why this Committee held a hearing in 
July to hear directly from rural small business owners.
    One thing became particularly clear in the hearing that the 
SBA's resources are not reaching rural entrepreneurs. The Trump 
administration recognized this and in 2018, the SBA and the 
Department of Agriculture entered a partnership to better 
promote existing resources to rural communities. Unfortunately, 
this agreement was left to expire earlier this year. While 
there is anecdotal evidence that this partnership was 
successful, more detailed information is needed to assess how 
Congress can improve these agencies' connection with the rural 
entrepreneurs. This bill will reveal the actual outcomes of the 
partnership to determine steps moving forward.
    Additionally, H.R. 5265 will address the activities of the 
SBA's Office of Rural Affairs. This office was created under 
the Bush administration but was largely left vacant until the 
Trump administration appointed a head. The SBA has dedicated 
outreach efforts through its districts' offices and resource 
partners and other stakeholders and the Office of Rural Affairs 
should help guide those resources to rural entrepreneurs. This 
bill will finally get to the bottom of this office's 
effectiveness through annual reporting and the SBA's budget 
justification.
    I urge my colleagues to vote yes on H.R. 5265.
    If there is no further discussion, the Committee now moves 
to consider H.R. 5265.
    The clerk will report.
    The CLERK. H.R. 5265----
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of 
the bill is dispensed with. And without objection, the bill is 
considered as read and open for amendment.
    Do any Members seek recognition for the purpose of offering 
an amendment?
    Seeing none, the question is now on the adoption of H.R. 
5265 and favorably reporting it to the House.
    All those in favor say aye.
    All those opposed say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and H.R. 
5265 is agreed to and ordered favorably to the House.
    Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Chair?
    Chairman WILLIAMS. For what purpose are you to be 
recognized?
    Mr. ALFORD. I call for a roll call vote.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. A recorded vote has been requested, and 
a roll call vote is ordered.
    Pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and House Rule 11, further 
proceedings on the bill are postponed.
    H.R. 5426
    The next bill we will mark up is H.R. 5426, a bill to 
require the administrator of the SBA to provide a link to 
resources for submitting reports on suspected fraud relating to 
certain COVID-19 loans introduced by Representatives Van Duyne 
and Landsman.
    I now recognize the bill's sponsor, Ms. Van Duyne, for an 
opening statement.
    Ms. VAN DUYNE. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
    Just 2 months ago, this Committee heard testimony from the 
SBA Inspector General where he shared that based on their 
estimates, nearly $200 billion in potential fraudulent COVID-19 
and EIDL loans were disbursed by the SBA during the COVID-19 
pandemic. That is money that was stolen from small businesses 
that were actually in need of help. So I am glad that we are 
continuing to take steps forward in combatting fraud and 
legislation such as the bill in front of us that will continue 
that fight.
    This bill would require SBA to provide a direct route to 
report COVID-19 fraud straight to the OIG rather than having to 
go through multiple links and websites.
    I would also like to thank my friend, Mr. Landsman from 
Ohio, for joining me on this important issue in helping the SBA 
IG Office locate these stolen funds and recoup as much of these 
funds as possible.
    I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, 
and I yield back.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who wish to 
be recognized for a statement on the bill?
    All right. Seeing none, I would like to recognize the 
Ranking Member to speak on the bill.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I want to thank the sponsors for their bipartisanship and 
efforts on this legislation. I support the bill and I yield 
back my time.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you.
    I now recognize myself to speak in support of this 
legislation.
    I am proud to support H.R. 5426, which will require the SBA 
to place a visible link on their website to the Office of the 
Inspector General page where individuals can easily report 
potentially fraudulent EIDL and PPP loans.
    In July, Inspector General Ware testified to this Committee 
that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the SBA distributed more 
than $200 billion in potentially fraudulent loans. The 
inspector general also estimates that it is more than 100 
years' worth of work for the SBA to investigate all flags of 
potential fraud. Some have argued that this bill is redundant 
but it is necessary to ensure that individuals outside of 
Washington can easily find where to report suspected fraudulent 
activity.
    In fact, yesterday, our Committee staff tried to go through 
the SBA's website to see how to report fraud and ran into 
complications. The `` report fraud'' link currently on the 
SBA's website, which is found all the way on the bottom of the 
webpage takes you to a site that is in Spanish. Further, the 
link is actually `` report fraud'' in SBA programs is a 
paragraph long with multiple links to other sites to report 
fraud. This bill will ensure that reporting fraud is simply one 
click away. We have a direct link now upon our Committee 
website and the SBA should do the same. Reporting fraud to the 
SBA should be easy for everyday Americans to do. It is a 
priority of this Committee to recoup as many of these taxpayer 
dollars as possible in the most timely and efficient manner. 
H.R. 5426 is a common sense bill that will help individuals 
easily report suspected fraudulent activity and help the SBA 
and the OIG to prioritize potentially fraudulent loans to 
investigate.
    To close, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
    If there is no further discussion, the Committee now moves
    to consideration of H.R. 5426.
    The clerk will report.
    The CLERK. H.R. 5426----
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of 
the bill is dispensed with. And without objection, the bill is 
considered as read and open for amendment.
    Do any Members seek recognition for the purpose of offering 
an amendment?
    Okay. Seeing none the question is now on adoption of H.R. 
5426 and favorably reporting it to the House.
    All those in favor say aye.
    All those opposed say no.
    Ms. VAN DUYNE. Mr. Chairman, I request a recorded vote.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. A recorded vote has been 
requested, and a roll call vote is ordered.
    So pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and House Rule 11, further 
proceedings on the bill are postponed.
    H.R. 5427
    Now, consideration of H.R. 5427, a bill to prohibit 
individuals convicted of defrauding the government from 
receiving any assistance from the Small Business Administration 
and for other purposes.
    This bill was introduced by myself and Mr. Mfume. And I now 
recognize myself as the bill's sponsor for an opening 
statement.
    When the COVID-19 pandemic hit America, the SBA took on an 
outside role in helping save our small businesses. Providing 
our job creators with loans was incredibly important in saving 
many businesses, but there were a few guardrails which led to 
some amounts of fraud. One of the main goals of this Committee 
during this Congress has been to hold fraudsters accountable. 
This bill provides common sense accountability by ensuring that 
people who abused SBA's loan programs are no longer eligible 
for financial assistance from the SBA. This Committee has held 
several hearings in investigating the $200 billion in fraud 
through the pandemic relief programs, and this important 
legislation will hold those responsible and accountable for 
their actions. There is no doubt there is more work to be done 
but this bill is a great step in the right direction to get 
where we need to be.
    Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a 
statement on this bill?
    All right. Seeing none, I would like to recognize the 
Ranking Member to speak on the bill.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you. And I want to thank you, Mr. 
Chairman, and Mr. Mfume for this bipartisan effort, very 
important legislation. I support the bill, and I yield back.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you.
    I now recognize Mr. Stauber from Minnesota.
    Mr. STAUBER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise today to speak 
in favor of H.R. 5427, legislation that would ensure that 
criminals are prevented from taking advantage of the taxpayers.
    In Minnesota, 60 people have been charged in a massive $250 
million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded 
nutrition program during the COVID-19 shutdowns. These 
criminals sought to enrich themselves buying luxury cars and 
homes while families struggled to feed their children.
    H.R. 5427 is common sense. It is simply wrong that 
criminals who are convicted of defrauding the government can 
then turn around and receive once again taxpayer funded 
assistance from the SBA. Our government should not be in the 
business of rewarding criminals.
    I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. It is the 
right thing to do to protect the integrity of the Small 
Business Administration and to ensure that taxpayer dollars are 
used wisely. And I yield back.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Thank you, Mr. Stauber.
    I once again urge my colleagues to support this bill.
    If there is no further discussion, the Committee now moves 
to consideration of H.R. 5427.
    The Clerk will report.
    The CLERK. H.R. 5427, to----
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of 
the bill is dispensed with. And without objection, the bill is 
considered as read and open for amendment.
    Do any Members seek recognition for the purpose of offering 
an amendment?
    Seeing none, the question is now on adoption of H.R. 5427 
and favorably reporting it to the House.
    All those in favor say aye.
    All those opposed say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it.
    And H.R. 5427 is agreed to and ordered favorably to the 
House.
    Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair?
    Chairman WILLIAMS. What do you seek recognition for?
    Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I request a recorded vote.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. A recorded vote has been requested 
and a roll call vote is ordered.
    So pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and House Rule 11, further 
proceedings on the bill are postponed.
    The Committee now stands in recess subsequent to the call 
of the Chair. We will resume later today at 11:30.
    [Recess]
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. The Committee will come to order.
    The Committee will now resume consideration of the bills on 
which roll call votes were requested and postponed.
    We will start with H.R. 5424. The question now is on 
adopting H.R. 5424 and ordering it favorably to the House.
    The clerk will call the roll.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
    Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer votes aye.
    Mr. Stauber?
    Mr. STAUBER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Stauber votes aye.
    Mr. Meuser?
    Mr. MEUSER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Meuser votes aye.
    Ms. Van Duyne?
    Ms. VAN DUYNE. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Van Duyne votes aye.
    Ms. Salazar?
    Ms. SALAZAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Salazar votes aye.
    Mr. Mann?
    Mr. MANN. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Mann votes aye.
    Mr. Ellzey?
    Mr. Molinaro?
    Mr. MOLINARO. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Molinaro votes aye.
    Mr. Alford?
    Mr. ALFORD. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Alford votes aye.
    Mr. Crane?
    Mr. CRANE. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Crane votes aye.
    Mr. Bean?
    Mr. BEAN. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Bean votes aye.
    Mr. Hunt?
    Mr. LaLota?
    Mr. Golden?
    Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
    Mr. Mfume?
    Mr. Phillips?
    Mr. PHILLIPS. Phillips votes aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Phillips votes aye.
    Mr. Landsman?
    Mr. LANDSMAN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Landsman votes aye.
    Mr. McGarvey?
    Mr. MCGARVEY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. McGarvey votes aye.
    Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez?
    Ms. GLUESENKAMP PEREZ. Yes.
    The CLERK. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
    Ms. Scholten?
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
    Mr. Thanadar?
    Mr. THANADAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Thanadar votes aye.
    Ms. Chu?
    Ms. CHU. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Chu votes aye.
    Ms. Davids?
    Ms. DAVIDS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Davids votes aye.
    Mr. Pappas?
    Mr. PAPPAS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Pappas votes aye.
    Ranking Member Velazquez?
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
    Chairman Williams?
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who have not 
voted or wish to change their vote?
    All right. Seeing none, the clerk will report.
    The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote 22 ayes, 0 nays, and 
0 present.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R. 
5424 is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
    The question now is on adopting H.R. 5425 and ordering it 
favorably to be reported to the House.
    The clerk will call the roll.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
    Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer votes aye.
    Mr. Stauber?
    Mr. STAUBER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Stauber votes aye.
    Mr. Meuser?
    Mr. MEUSER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Meuser votes aye.
    Ms. Van Duyne?
    Ms. VAN DUYNE. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Van Duyne votes aye.
    Ms. Salazar?
    Ms. SALAZAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Salazar votes aye.
    Mr. Mann?
    Mr. MANN. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Mann votes aye.
    Mr. Ellzey?
    Mr. Molinaro?
    Mr. MOLINARO. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Molinaro votes aye.
    Mr. Alford?
    Mr. ALFORD. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Alford votes aye.
    Mr. Crane?
    Mr. CRANE. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Crane votes aye.
    Mr. Bean?
    Mr. BEAN. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Bean votes aye.
    Mr. Hunt?
    Mr. LaLota?
    Mr. Golden?
    Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
    Mr. Mfume?
    Mr. Phillips?
    Mr. PHILLIPS. Phillips votes aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Phillips votes aye.
    Mr. Landsman?
    Mr. LANDSMAN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Landsman votes aye.
    Mr. McGarvey?
    Mr. MCGARVEY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. McGarvey votes aye.
    Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez?
    Ms. GLUESENKAMP PEREZ. Yes.
    The CLERK. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
    Ms. Scholten?
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
    Mr. Thanadar?
    Mr. THANADAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Thanadar votes aye.
    Ms. Chu?
    Ms. CHU. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Chu votes aye.
    Ms. Davids?
    Ms. DAVIDS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Davids votes aye.
    Mr. Pappas?
    Mr. PAPPAS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Pappas votes aye.
    Ranking Member Velazquez?
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
    Chairman Williams?
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who have not 
voted or wish to change their vote?
    All right. Seeing none, the clerk will report.
    The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote 22 ayes, 0 nays, and 
0 present.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R. 
5425 is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
    The question now is on adopting H.R. 5265 and ordering it 
favorably to be reported to the House.
    The clerk will call the roll.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
    Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer votes aye.
    Mr. Stauber?
    Mr. STAUBER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Stauber votes aye.
    Mr. Meuser?
    Ms. Van Duyne?
    Ms. VAN DUYNE. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Van Duyne votes aye.
    Ms. Salazar?
    Ms. SALAZAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Salazar votes aye.
    Mr. Mann?
    Mr. MANN. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Mann votes aye.
    Mr. Ellzey?
    Mr. Molinaro?
    Mr. Alford?
    Mr. ALFORD. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Alford votes aye.
    Mr. Crane?
    Mr. CRANE. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Crane votes aye.
    Mr. Bean?
    Mr. BEAN. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Bean votes aye.
    Mr. Hunt?
    Mr. LaLota?
    Mr. Golden?
    Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
    Mr. Mfume?
    Mr. Phillips?
    Mr. PHILLIPS. Phillips votes aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Phillips votes aye.
    Mr. Landsman?
    Mr. LANDSMAN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Landsman votes aye.
    Mr. McGarvey?
    Mr. MCGARVEY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. McGarvey votes aye.
    Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez?
    Ms. GLUESENKAMP PEREZ. Yes.
    The CLERK. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
    Ms. Scholten?
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
    Mr. Thanadar?
    Mr. THANADAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Thanadar votes aye.
    Ms. Chu?
    Ms. CHU. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Chu votes aye.
    Ms. Davids?
    Ms. DAVIDS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Davids votes aye.
    Mr. Pappas?
    Mr. PAPPAS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Pappas votes aye.
    Ranking Member Velazquez?
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
    Chairman Williams?
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who have not 
voted or wish to change their vote?
    Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Chairman?
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Recognition?
    Mr. MEUSER. How was my vote recorded?
    The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote Mr. Meuser is not 
recorded as a vote.
    Mr. MEUSER. I vote aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Meuser votes aye.
    Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Chairman?
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Mr. Molinaro?
    Mr. MOLINARO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    How was my vote recorded?
    The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Molinaro is not recorded for a 
vote.
    Mr. MOLINARO. I vote aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Molinaro votes aye.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. Are there any others that want to 
change?
    All right. Seeing none, hearing none, the motion is agreed 
to and--the clerk will report. I am sorry.
    The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote 22 ayes, 0 nays, and 
0 present.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R. 
5265 is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
    The question now is on adopting H.R. 5426 and ordering it 
favorably to be reported to the House.
    The clerk will call the roll.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
    Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer votes aye.
    Mr. Stauber?
    Mr. STAUBER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Stauber votes aye.
    Mr. Meuser?
    Mr. MEUSER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Meuser votes aye.
    Ms. Van Duyne?
    Ms. VAN DUYNE. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Van Duyne votes aye.
    Ms. Salazar?
    Ms. SALAZAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Salazar votes aye.
    Mr. Mann?
    Mr. MANN. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Mann votes aye.
    Mr. Ellzey?
    Mr. Molinaro?
    Mr. MOLINARO. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Molinaro votes aye.
    Mr. Alford?
    Mr. ALFORD. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Alford votes aye.
    Mr. Crane?
    Mr. CRANE. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Crane votes aye.
    Mr. Bean?
    Mr. BEAN. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Bean votes aye.
    Mr. Hunt?
    Mr. LaLota?
    Mr. Golden?
    Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
    Mr. Mfume?
    Mr. Phillips?
    Mr. PHILLIPS. Phillips votes aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Phillips votes aye.
    Mr. Landsman?
    Mr. LANDSMAN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Landsman votes aye.
    Mr. McGarvey?
    Mr. MCGARVEY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. McGarvey votes aye.
    Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez?
    Ms. GLUESENKAMP PEREZ. Aye.
    The CLERK. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
    Ms. Scholten?
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
    Mr. Thanadar?
    Mr. THANADAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Thanadar votes aye.
    Ms. Chu?
    Ms. CHU. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Chu votes aye.
    Ms. Davids?
    Ms. DAVIDS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Davids votes aye.
    Mr. Pappas?
    Mr. PAPPAS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Pappas votes aye.
    Ranking Member Velazquez?
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
    Mr. Chairman?
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Chairman votes aye.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. If there any other Members who have not 
voted or wish to change their vote?
    Okay. Seeing none, the clerk will report.
    The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote 22 ayes, 0 nays, and 
0 present.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. And H.R. 5426 is adopted and will be 
reported favorably to the House.
    So on our last one today, the question now is on adopting 
H.R. 5427 and ordering it favorably to the House.
    The clerk will call the roll.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
    Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer votes aye.
    Mr. Stauber?
    Mr. STAUBER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Stauber votes aye.
    Mr. Meuser?
    Mr. MEUSER. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Meuser votes aye.
    Ms. Van Duyne?
    Ms. VAN DUYNE. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Van Duyne votes aye.
    Ms. Salazar?
    Ms. SALAZAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Salazar votes aye.
    Mr. Mann?
    Mr. MANN. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Mann votes aye.
    Mr. Ellzey?
    Mr. Molinaro?
    Mr. MOLINARO. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Molinaro votes aye.
    Mr. Alford?
    Mr. ALFORD. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Alford votes aye.
    Mr. Crane?
    Mr. CRANE. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Crane votes aye.
    Mr. Bean?
    Mr. BEAN. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Bean votes aye.
    Mr. Hunt?
    Mr. LaLota?
    Mr. Golden?
    Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
    Mr. Mfume?
    Mr. Phillips?
    Mr. PHILLIPS. Phillips votes aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Phillips votes aye.
    Mr. Landsman?
    Mr. LANDSMAN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Landsman votes aye.
    Mr. McGarvey?
    Mr. MCGARVEY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. McGarvey votes aye.
    Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez?
    Ms. GLUESENKAMP PEREZ. Yes.
    The CLERK. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
    Ms. Scholten?
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
    Mr. Thanadar?
    Mr. THANADAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Thanadar votes aye.
    Ms. Chu?
    Ms. CHU. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Chu votes aye.
    Ms. Davids?
    Ms. DAVIDS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Davids votes aye.
    Mr. Pappas?
    Mr. PAPPAS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Pappas votes aye.
    Ranking Member Velazquez?
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Velazquez votes aye.
    The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
    Chairman Williams?
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who wish to 
change their vote or who have not voted?
    All right. Seeing none, the clerk will report.
    The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote 22 ayes, 0 nays, and 
0 present.
    Chairman WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R. 
5427 is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
    Without objection, the Committee staff is authorized to 
make technical and conforming changes and Members have 2 
business days to file additional supplemental dissenting and 
minority views.
    I want to thank all of you for being here today. I just 
want to say again this Committee continues to show that we can 
get things done in a bipartisan fashion when others are not 
able to do that. And I think that is a good thing. So I want to 
thank all of you for being here today.
    If there is no further business, this concludes today's 
markup.
    Without objection, the Committee stands adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 11:52 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]
                            
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