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



              MARKUP  OF:   H.R.  7984,  THE   RURAL  SMALL
                BUSINESS  RESILIENCE  ACT;  H.R. 5333,  THE
                INVESTING  IN  ALL  OF  AMERICA  ACT;  H.R.
                8014,   THE   TRANSPARENCY   AND   PREDICT-
                ABILITY  IN  SMALL  BUSINESS  OPPORTUNITIES 
                ACT;  H.R.  7987,  THE  PLAIN  LANGUAGE  IN 
                CONTRACTING   ACT;  H.R.  7988,  THE   SPUR
                ACT OF 2024;  H.R. 7985, THE  ENTREPRENEURS  
                WITH DISABILITIES REPORTING ACT; H.R. 7989,
                THE   THINKDIFFERENTLY   ABOUT   DISABILITY
                EMPLOYMENT ACT

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

                                HEARING

                               before the

                      COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
                             UNITED STATES
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION
                               __________

                              HEARING HELD
                             APRIL 17, 2024
                               __________

                
                
                
                [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
                               



            Small Business Committee Document Number 118-049
             Available via the GPO Website: www.govinfo.gov
                                 ______

                  U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

56-375                    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
                          CELESTE MALOY, Utah
               NYDIA VELAZQUEZ, New York, Ranking Member
                          JARED GOLDEN, Maine
                         KWEISI MFUME, Maryland
                        DEAN PHILLIPS, Minnesota
                          GREG LANDSMAN, Ohio
                  MARIE GLUESENKAMP PEREZ, Washington
                        SHRI THANEDAR, Michigan
                       MORGAN MCGARVEY, Kentucky
                       HILLARY SCHOLTEN, 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
Hon. Nydia Velazquez.............................................     2

                                APPENDIX

Additional Material for the Record:
    H.R. 7984....................................................    34
    H.R. 5333....................................................    36
    H.R. 8014....................................................    41
    H.R. 7987....................................................    45
    H.R. 7988....................................................    48
    H.R. 7985....................................................    51
    H.R. 7989....................................................    54
    Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H.R. 5333, offered 
      by Mr. Meuser of Pennsylvania..............................    57
    Minority Views, H.R. 7984, the ``Rural Small Business 
      Resilience Act''...........................................    63
    Minority Views, H.R. 5333, ``Investing in All of America Act 
      of 2023''..................................................    65
    Minority Views, H.R. 8014, the ``Transparency and 
      Predictability in Small Business Opportunities Act''.......    67
    Minority Views, H.R. 7987, the ``Plain Language in 
      Contracting Act''..........................................    69
    Minority Views, H.R. 7988, Small Business Procurement and 
      Utilization Reform (SPUR) Act..............................    70
    Minority Views, H.R. 7985, the ``Entrepreneurs with 
      Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024''.......................    72
    Minority Views, H.R. 7989, the ``ThinkDIFFERENTLY About 
      Disability Employment Act''................................    74
    Small Business Investor Alliance (SBIA)......................    76

 
              MARKUP OF:  H.R. 7984,  THE RURAL  SMALL
               BUSINESS RESILIENCE ACT; H.R. 5333, THE
               INVESTING IN  ALL OF AMERICA ACT;  H.R.
               8014,  THE  TRANSPARENCY  AND  PREDICT-
               ABILITY  IN  SMALL BUSINESS  OPPORTUNI-
               TIES ACT; H.R. 7987, THE PLAIN LANGUAGE
               IN CONTRACTING ACT; H.R. 7988, THE SPUR
               ACT  OF  2024;  H.R. 7985,  THE  ENTRE-
               PRENEURS  WITH  DISABILITIES  REPORTING
               ACT;  H.R. 7989,  THE  THINKDIFFERENTLY 
               ABOUT DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT ACT

                              ----------                              

                       WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2024

                              House of Representatives,
                           Committee on Small Business,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:01 a.m., in Room 
2360, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Roger Williams 
[chairman of the Committee] presiding.
    Present: Representatives Williams, Stauber, Meuser, Van 
Duyne, Salazar, Mann, Ellzey, Molinaro, Alford, Crane, Bean, 
LaLota, Maloy, Velazquez, Golden, Phillips, Landsman, McGarvey, 
Gluesenkamp Perez, Scholten, Thanedar, Chu, Davids, and Pappas.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The committee will now come to order. A 
quorum is present. Without objection, the Chair is authorized 
to declare recess of the committee at any time. As required by 
House rules, a copy of the legislative measures have been made 
available to the Members and the public at least 24 hours in 
advance.
    Pursuant to committee rule 13 and House rule XI, all votes 
will be rolled to the end of the meeting. I now recognize 
myself for opening remarks.
    Good morning again and welcome to today's markup where we 
will be discussing seven bills that will address the needs of 
our nation's small business. I am going to be speaking on each 
of the bills we bring up today in much greater detail so I will 
keep these remarks very brief.
    To put it bluntly, Main Street America has been forced to 
play defense every day thanks to this administration's 
regulatory agenda. My colleagues and I on this committee have 
the privilege of being main street's voice in Washington and 
that is why our work is so important.
    Moreover, it is our job we put forward meaningful policy 
solutions that will help our nation's job creators. When small 
businesses can hire more employees and reinvest in their 
businesses and communities the country operates at its very 
best.
    The seven bills before us today have been discussed widely 
by all Members and staff, and for that I am very grateful. Now 
before us today are bills that improve access to disaster 
assistance for those in rural areas, increase employment 
opportunities for people with disabilities, and require federal 
contracts to be written in plain language, I repeat plain 
language, so small businesses won't need a team of compliance 
officers to simply be competitive, just to name a few.
    In closing, I would like to thank our Members for bringing 
these bills forward for consideration in today's markup. Every 
piece of legislation we are going to look at today is a product 
of hearings and investigations we have conducted. I am 
extremely proud to see how our committee is generating sound 
and responsible legislation that will make main street 
stronger.
    With that I look forward to today's markup. I yield to the 
distinguished Ranking Member from the great state of New York, 
Ms. Velazquez.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for 
holding this markup today. We are considering seven bills to 
make improvements to SBA programs and services from focusing on 
rural disaster and disabled communities to improving the SBIC 
program and contracting rules.
    We have a strong slate of bills before us. Main street 
small businesses are the life blood of our nation's economy 
driving innovation and job creation and helping millions of 
Americans achieve the American Dream. I stand committed to 
creating more opportunities for entrepreneurs so that they 
continue to thrive and in turn create good-paying jobs in our 
local communities.
    I plan to lend my support to the seven bipartisan bills we 
are considering today. My hope is that we will work together to 
bring a fair ratio of Republican and Democratic bills to the 
floor in the near future. Thank you, Mr. Williams, and I look 
forward to a productive markup.
    I yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Thank you. And does any other Member seek 
recognition for the purpose of making an opening statement? 
Seeing none, we will now move to the consideration of the first 
bill.
    H.R. 7984
    The first bill we will mark up is H.R. 7984, the Rural 
Small Business Resilience Act, introduced by Representatives 
Pappas and Bean. I now recognize the bill's sponsor, Mr. Pappas 
for an opening statement.
    Mr. PAPPAS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. In New 
Hampshire, our small businesses are part of the backbone of our 
local economies and make up the fabric of our rural 
communities, and we know that rural small businesses face 
unique challenges that a one-size-fits-all approach by 
government agencies is simply ineffective at providing the 
support that they need.
    That is why I introduced the Rural Small Business 
Resilience Act. The bipartisan legislation would require the 
Small Business Administration to tailor its outreach and 
marketing efforts to reach our rural small businesses and 
ensure that small businesses in rural areas have full access to 
SBA disaster assistance.
    I am glad to be working with Representatives Bean, Golden, 
and Mann on this issue, and will continue to work in a 
bipartisan fashion to build support for this and other 
legislation that will help America's small businesses.
    I remain committed to ensuring that rural small businesses 
and our local economies can grow and thrive and I urge my 
colleagues to support this bill.
    I yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. I now recognize the bill's cosponsor, Mr. 
Bean, for an opening statement.
    Mr. BEAN. Very good morning, Mr. Chairman. Thank you so 
much. Good morning, Committee, and good morning those attending 
Small Business this morning. We are glad to have you here. 
Welcome to your nation's capital.
    I am pleased to co-lead H.R. 7984, the Rural Small Business 
Resilience Act, along with my new good friend, Representative 
Pappas from the great state of New Hampshire, also known as the 
Granite State. This legislation will require the SBA to 
appropriately tailor marketing and outreach materials to rural 
communities following a disaster.
    We all know the challenges facing America's rural 
communities following a disaster are different than those in 
urban areas and often are unique in their needs that go unmet. 
Natural disasters are all too common in the free state of 
Florida. We would still welcome you there if you want to come 
stay or come vacation, where the yearly threat of hurricanes is 
top of mind for small business owners.
    In February of this year, the Government Accountability 
Office, the GAO, issued a report on how targeted outreach from 
the SBA can benefit rural communities. The GAO found that 
people in rural areas may not be aware of the assistance the 
SBA can provide following a disaster.
    The GAO recommends the SBA distinguish between rural and 
urban communities and their outreach and marketing programs 
following a disaster. Thankfully, Mr. Pappas and I have heard 
that message loud and clear from the GAO and we think we have 
the answer to help rural small businesses get the answer that 
they are looking for.
    The answer is, and I have it, it is the Rural Small 
Business Resilience Act. And I look forward, Members, to 
working with you and working with Representative Pappas on the 
passage of this commonsense bipartisan bill and urge colleagues 
to join us, join our team to make this happen.
    Mr. Chairman, does everybody know you were up at 5:00 for 
baseball this morning and yet you are here today to serve the 
needs of small businesses across America? Thank you for your 
leadership, and I yield back the balance of my time.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Thank you for those remarks. Are there any 
other Members who wish to be recognized for a statement on the 
bill?
    Okay. If there are no other Members--I am sorry. Once all 
Members--you--the Chairman--Ranking Member, will you speak on 
this bill?
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Are you recognizing me?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. I am recognizing you, Madam Chair.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I commend Mr. 
Pappas, Mr. Bean, Mr. Golden, and Mr. Mann for their bipartisan 
effort to bring H.R. 7984 before the committee today.
    The Government Accountability Office provides Congress with 
fact-based, nonpartisan information to improve government 
programs and save taxpayers dollars. In February GAO issued a 
report that examined SBA disaster loan program and challenges 
rural communities face.
    GAO found that rural communities have unique obstacles 
making it harder to recover after a disaster such as a lack of 
infrastructure, human resources, and funding. While SBA has 
taken steps to better meet the needs of disaster survivors, GAO 
found a more targeted approach is needed in rural areas.
    This legislation would go a long way in signaling to SBA 
that strengthening outreach to rural communities is a priority.
    I commend Mr. Pappas, Mr. Bean, Mr. Golden, and Mr. Mann 
for their leadership, and I yield back. Thank you.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentlelady yields back. And I want to now 
recognize myself to speak in support of this legislation.
    H.R. 7984, the Rural Small Business Resilience Act, will 
require the SBA to meet communities where they are following a 
disaster. And there is no secret that Americans in rural 
communities face different challenges following a disaster than 
their urban counterparts.
    It makes sense then that a one-size-fits-all outreach and 
marketing plan from the SBA is inadequate. The GAO confirmed 
this in their February 2024 report stating that oftentimes 
individuals in rural areas do not even know assistance is 
available from the SBA as they try to get back on their feet 
following a disaster.
    The SBA's disaster loan program offers loans to help 
homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofits recover from 
physical and economic losses following a declared disaster.
    And I am grateful to Representatives Pappas and Bean for 
introducing this legislation so that rural Americans will have 
full access to their resources when disaster strikes and I urge 
my colleagues to support this bill.
    If there is no further discussion, the committee now moved 
to consider of H.R. 7984.
    The clerk will report.
    The CLERK. H.R. 7984, to require the administration----
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of the 
bill is dispensed and, without objection, the bill is 
considered and is 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. 7984 
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. 7984 
is agreed to be reported favorably to the House.
    Mr. BEAN. Mr. Chairman?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. What do you seek recognition for?
    Mr. BEAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I seek to request a 
recorded vote.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Okay. A recorded voted has been requested and 
a roll call vote is ordered pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and 
House rule XI. Further proceedings on the bill are postponed.
    H.R. 5333
    The next bill we will markup is H.R. 5333, the Investing in 
All of America Act of 2023, introduced by Representatives 
Meuser and Scholten. The clerk will report.
    The CLERK. H.R. 5333, to amend the----
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Without objection, H.R. 5333 is considered as 
read and open for amendment.
    The bill's sponsor, Mr. Meuser, has an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute at the desk. The amendment has been pre-
distributed to all Members and the clerk will report the 
amendment.
    The CLERK. Amendment in the nature of a substitute to 
H.R.----
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Without objection, the amendment is 
considered as read and the substitute will be considered base 
text of the bill for the purpose of amendment.
    I now recognize the bill's sponsor, Mr. Meuser, for his 
statement.
    Mr. MEUSER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Small business investment companies, SBICs, are privately 
owned companies that are licensed and regulated by the SBA. 
SBICs raise private capital by the Small Business 
Administration and it is matched with leverage by the SBA. 
SBICs then deploy these private funds along with the SBA 
guaranteed funding to invest directly in small businesses.
    The SBIC program operates at a zero-subsidy cost to the 
American taxpayer. In other words, taxpayer funds are not 
utilized to support credit extended to SBIC investments. SBIC-
backed businesses have created over 3 million new jobs and 
supported an additional 10.5 million jobs over just the last 
two decades.
    Last year alone SBICs invested over $8 billion in small 
businesses across America, including $412 million in my home 
state of Pennsylvania to small business. Now, the SBIC program 
has been very successful in responsibly deploying capital to 
small businesses. Recent studies have shown that less than 20 
percent of SBIC investment reaches low- to middle-income 
communities.
    So, H.R. 5333, the Investing in All of America Act, which I 
introduced with Representative Scholten, would incentive the 
deployment of additional capital to small business located in 
rural or low-income areas as well as small businesses in the 
national security technology sectors. Dollars invested in these 
areas will not count against individual SBIC's leveraged cap.
    By creating this incentive, the Investing in All of America 
Act will encourage private capital investment in the parts of 
America that are, in fact, often overlooked. It is important to 
note that the bonus leverage included in this legislation does 
not change the cost or risks of the SBIC program.
    The existing successful private capital ratio to SBA 
leverage that has kept the program operating so well and at no 
subsidy will remain the same. This legislation would also 
adjust the SBIC leverage caps to account for inflation. SBIC 
leverage caps have not been adjusted since 2015, for single 
licenses in 2018 for a family of funds. Since the last 
adjustments inflation has risen nearly 30 percent.
    So, as we continue to deal with increasing inflation, 
reinstating the inflation adjustor for the leverage cap is 
essential to ensure the investment power of SBICs remain 
consistent with the broader markets and ensure the program can 
continue to provide small business with the capital they need.
    Just yesterday the Subcommittee on Economic Growth Tax and 
Capital Access, which I Chair, held a hearing examining the 
SBIC program. In addition to discussing the positive effects of 
the program, we did discuss improvements that could be made. I 
am happy to say that a number of the reforms suggested by our 
witnesses are included in this legislation.
    While there is more work to do, this legislation will make 
a positive impact on those participating in the SBIC programs 
and assist them deploying even more capital to worthy small 
businesses, especially, again, those who are often overlooked.
    Now, before I conclude I would ask, Mr. Chairman, for 
unanimous consent to insert a letter into the record from 
nearly 100 small business investment companies in support of 
this legislation.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Granted.
    Mr. MEUSER. I would like to thank Representative Scholten 
for her partnership on this legislation and bipartisan group of 
14 Members who have cosponsored it. I would also like to thank 
Chairman Williams for bringing this bill forward for the 
consideration today.
    I look forward to continued working with my colleagues to 
ensure the SBA's programs, like the SBICs, are serving as small 
business as well and responsibly deploying capital to areas 
where it is most needed.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentleman yields back.
    I now recognize the bill's cosponsor, Ms. Scholten, for a 
statement.
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Thank you so much to the bill's leader, Mr. 
Meuser, and to Chairman Williams for bringing this bill before 
committee. This is what I came to Congress to do, these types 
of bipartisan, commonsense solutions that help Main Street 
America and rural parts of our community that are often 
overlooked.
    Michigan is home to almost 1 million small businesses. That 
is 99.6 percent of all privately owned businesses in the state. 
This bill is going to have a huge impact. On any given day, the 
issue of access to capital is among the greatest challenge for 
our small businesses. For low-, middle-income and rural 
communities this issue hits even closer to home.
    Recent studies have show that less than 20 percent of small 
business investment companies, SBIC funds are reaching these 
communities. That is insane. For a program with a long history 
of success, this disparity is completely unacceptable and it is 
incumbent upon this committee the program so that it serves 
small business owned by people from all walks of life.
    That is exactly what we are doing here today. That is why I 
am so proud to lead the Investing in All of America Act, which 
would not only incentivize the deployment of additional capital 
to underserved communities by not counting dollars invested in 
rural or low-income areas or in the national security 
technology sector against the SBICs' leverage count.
    This bipartisan solution would bolster SBIC program success 
as a zero subsidy, pubic-private partnership by encouraging 
investments in rural areas in industries that are vital to 
national defense here in West Michigan and across the country.
    It is critical that these businesses can get the 
investments that they need to continue growing our economy 
especially those in underserved and rural communities. I 
strongly urge Members to vote on this bipartisan and important 
legislation.
    Thank you again to the bill's cosponsor, Mr. Meuser, and to 
the Chair. I yield back the remainder of my time, sir.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentlelady yields back.
    Are there any other Members who wish to recognized for a 
statement on the bill?
    Okay. If there are no Members who wish to be recognized, I 
would like to recognize the Ranking Member to speak on the 
bill.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to 
Representatives Meuser and Scholten for your bipartisan 
leadership on this bill. H.R. 5333 makes statutory improvements 
to the SBAC program to provide access to additional leverage 
when they invest in small businesses in rural or underserved 
communities, or small business critical to national security.
    Due to the capital-intensive nature and early revenue 
profile small firms operating in America's critical technology 
sector need institutional investors with longer term time 
horizons to raise capital. Yet, due to statutory constraints 
these investors are often limited in their ability to 
participate in the SBIC program, making the program an 
unsuitable option for critical technology to raise capital.
    By providing SBICs with additional leverage flexibility, 
this bill will enable the SBA and Defense Department to 
successfully carry out their joint small business investment 
company critical technology initiative. By providing SBICs with 
additional bonus leverage, we are encouraging investment in 
small employers in our communities that need it most.
    I again want to thank Representatives Meuser and Scholten 
for their leadership on this issue. I also want to thank 
Chairman Williams and his team for their collaboration on 
technical edits to the bill and the team at the SBA for their 
feedback.
    I believe through the effort of all parties involved we 
have got in this bill to a good place. I am proud to support it 
and encourage Members to vote yes.
    I yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentlelady yields back. And I now 
recognize myself to speak in support of this legislation.
    Small business are faced with continual disadvantages when 
it comes to assessing capital whether it's burdensome 
regulations and high interest rates, banks are being forced to 
tighten their lending standards.
    When this happens, small businesses are often the ones 
forced to pay the higher price to much needed funds. This is 
where the SBA's SBIC program comes into help. This program 
expands the options available to our nation's job creators to 
assess vital funding to grow and expand their operations.
    And H.R. 5333 makes the thoughtful improvements to ensure 
that the SBIC program continues to be an essential part of 
helping many small businesses navigate these economic 
challenges and increase the avenues to access capital. The bill 
allows the SBIC license commitment to account for inflation and 
provides additional leverage to licensees when committing to 
invest in smaller enterprises in underserved areas, 
specifically in rural America and areas of critical national 
defense technologies.
    Additionally, the bill directs no new spending and no new 
mandates allowing the program to continue operating at no cost 
to the taxpayer. Just yesterday in a subcommittee hearing we 
heard about the benefits this bill will have on program 
participants. The bill will make meaningful changes to the SBIC 
program all without adding additional risk for the taxpayers.
    I urge my colleagues to vote yes, on both the amendment and 
the nature of substitute on H.R. 5333 and the underlying bill.
    So, do any Members seek recognition of the purpose of 
offering the amendment to the amendment in the nature of a 
substitute? If there is no further discussion, on the question 
now on the amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 
5333, offered by Mr. Meuser.
    All those in favor, say aye.
    All those opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it. The 
amendment and the nature of the substitute H.R. 5333 offered by 
Mr. Meuser is agreed to.
    Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Chairman?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Yes, sir?
    Mr. MEUSER. I would like to request a recorded vote.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. A recorded vote----
    Mr. MEUSER. I withdraw my request.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Request is withdrawn. Okay. The question now 
is now on favorably reporting H.R. 5333 as amended to the 
House. Okay.
    All those in favor, say aye.
    Opposed?
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it and H.R. 
5333, as amended, is agreed to in order to favorably move to 
the House.
    Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Chairman?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Yes, sir?
    Mr. MEUSER. I would now like to request a recorded vote.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. For what purpose does the gentleman seek 
recognition for a recorded vote?
    Mr. MEUSER. Yes, sir, for a recorded vote. Thank you.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. A recorded vote has been requested and a roll 
call is ordered. Pursuant to Committee Rule 13 and House rule 
XI further proceedings on the bill is postponed.
    All right.
    H.R. 8014
    The next bill we will markup is H.R. 8014, the Transparency 
and Predictability in Small Business Opportunities Act, 
introduced by Representatives Mfume and Alford. I now recognize 
the bill's sponsor. Mr. Mfume is not here I don't think. Is he? 
Okay. All right. All right.
    I now recognize the bill's cosponsor, Mr. Alford for an 
opening statement.
    Mr. ALFORD. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you so much, 
Ranking Member Velazquez, for holding this markup session 
today. I tell you what, I love coming to these sessions. It is 
a culmination of hard work, determination, and grit, and we are 
getting back to doing the business for Main Street America and 
I love that.
    This committee really exists in Congress to champion main 
street, to make sure that small businesses that employ about 
half of all Americans continue to thrive. Our role is to help 
lower the barriers to creating small businesses and to support 
small businesses that already exist. A major tool to help 
existing small businesses are government contracts specifically 
set aside for small businesses.
    However, federal agencies cancel contracts solicitations 
many times with no warning and no reason, leaving the small 
businesses that spent thousands or tens of thousands of dollars 
and hours preparing a bid, leaving them out in the cold.
    This bill, the Transparency and Predictability in Small 
Business Opportunities Act, would help address this problem, 
help solve it, help end it. This legislation would require 
agencies to provide the Small Business Administration a 
justification for canceled contract solicitations. 
Additionally, this would require the agency canceling the 
contract solicitations to disclose available information about 
plans to reissue similar solicitations.
    Finally, if the agency does not plan on reissuing a 
solicitation, the agency's director of small and disadvantaged 
business utilization must assist the small business in 
identifying similar contracting opportunities. Basically, Mr. 
Chairman and Ranking Member, this is setting up people for 
success and breaking down barriers in the process.
    I am proud to support this legislation, proud to be on this 
with Mr. Mfume. It is going to help provide stability and 
predictability to small business contractors, part of our 
responsibility on this committee.
    Thank you and I yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentleman yields back. Are there any 
other Members who wish to recognized for a statement on the 
bill?
    Okay. If there are no other Members who wish to be 
recognized, I would like to recognize the Ranking Member to 
speak on the bill.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I commend 
Representatives Mfume and Alford for their work on this 
legislation which will require the government to provide 
information to small business contractors when they cancel 
solicitations.
    The government has flexibility to change requirements and 
solicitations as needed when their circumstances change. While 
this flexibility is necessary, the small businesses take on the 
risk and can incur losses when it happens. We have heard and 
time and again the barriers facing small contractors in our 
industrial base.
    The Women's Chamber of Commerce has complained how numerous 
small business contracts just go away without explanation or 
discussion of the obstacles. And during our hearing on February 
6th, Andrew Christ, a small business owner highlighted how 
small firms can spend significant amounts, an average of 
$10,000 to develop a proposal, only to find out that the 
project has become inactive.
    The bill we are considering today would not limit an 
agency's ability to make changes when necessary. It will simply 
provide some help to the small business when it does, requiring 
an agency to disclose the reasons behind a cancellation and any 
plans for the work will provide small contractors with a little 
more information to adjust their business plans and operations 
accordingly.
    I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back, 
Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentlelady yields back.
    I now recognize myself to speak in support of this 
legislation. H.R. 8014, the Transparency and Predictability in 
Small Business Opportunities Act, seeks to bring clarity to 
small business owners when an agency cancels a contract 
solicitation.
    Small business spend an incredible amount of time and 
resources preparing to bid on government contracts. When an 
agency cancels a contract solicitation the small businesses 
that started preparing are left with nothing to show for their 
work.
    Furthermore, there is little clarity about what the agency 
will do with the products and services originally intended to 
purchase. So, H.R. 8014 will require the agency to share with 
the SBA justifications why the contract was cancelled. 
Moreover, this bill requires agencies to assist small 
businesses impacted by the canceled solicitation by helping 
them identify similar contracts to bid on.
    Small businesses deserve to have a full understanding of 
what opportunities are available to them and to know how 
agencies will fulfill their buying needs. So, I urge all my 
colleagues to support H.R. 8014.
    If there is no further discussion, the committee now moves 
to consideration of H.R. 8014.
    The clerk will report.
    The CLERK. H.R. 8014, to require the----
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of the 
bill is dispensed 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 that now on adoption of H.R. 
8014 and favorably reporting 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. 8014 
is agreed to and ordered favorably to the House.
    Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Chairman?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. What recognition do you seek?
    Mr. ALFORD. I seek to have recorded votes, sir.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. A record of votes has been requested and a 
roll call vote is ordered. Pursuant to committee rule 13 and 
House rule XI, further proceedings on the bill are postponed.
    H.R. 7987
    The next bill we will markup is H.R. 7987, the Plain 
Language in Contracting Act, introduced by Representatives 
LaLota and Thanedar. I recognize the bill's sponsor, Mr. LaLota 
for an opening statement.
    Mr. LALOTA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Chairman, it shouldn't be as hard as the federal government 
makes it for America's small businesses to apply for an to win 
a federal contract. Small business, who are the life blood of 
America's economy and often have a single-digit or a low 
double-digit number of employees, shouldn't require a lawyer or 
compliance office to compete for and ultimately win a federal 
contract. But we have a solution.
    My bill, and a shout-out to my cosponsor and Representative 
Thanedar, the Plain Language in Contracting Act, would help 
solve that problem by making it easier for small businesses to 
secure government contracts.
    There are over 33 million small businesses in America, 33 
million. And many of these companies offer products and 
services that are crucial for the procurement of key projects 
both here in the United States and abroad. However, of those 33 
million only about 65,000 of those small businesses actually 
win federal prime contracts. That is a terrible ratio.
    We have heard from many small business owners who say that 
complexity of the bidding process for a government contract 
ultimately turns them away. Preparing for that bid is difficult 
enough, but the process is made even more difficult when the 
government is ambiguous about what it wants and its language is 
so complex that understanding it requires an advance degree.
    I challenge everyone of you, both Members, audience, and 
folks at home to try to understand some of these contract 
requirements. I know that it is frustrating for me and it is 
absolutely ridiculous. It takes an advanced law degree to make 
sense of it and even a lot of folks with those degrees can't 
make that sense.
    In fact, a naval postgraduate school commissioned a study 
of over 1 million DOD solicitations and they found three key 
things. Less than 3 percent of DOD contract solicitations are 
written in plain English. Second, most DOD solicitations 
require a college education just to understand it. And third 
and final, on a standard readability scale most DOD contracts 
are either difficult or very difficult to read on their rating 
scale.
    The detrimental effect of our government's convoluted 
language on small businesses cannot be overstated. It is a 
direct cause of small businesses' exodus from federal 
contracting leading to a significant loss in competition. And 
let me be clear, the competition lost by reduced small business 
hurts all of us, especially on the pricing and the quality. 
Small businesses are the backbone of our great nation's economy 
and we should be doing everything we can to support them.
    That is why I am proud I have introduced my bill, the Plain 
Language in Contracting Act, which will require federal 
agencies to use clear language when publishing contact 
solicitations, finally allowing greater access to solicitations 
bids.
    I urge all of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to 
support this commonsense bill. Again, one more shout-out to my 
colleague, Representative Thanedar, with whom I also serve on 
the Homeland Security Committee for his co-lead on this, and, 
Chairman Williams, for you and your staff, for your diligence 
on this.
    This could be my fourth bill that gets to the House floor 
and appreciate it, sir. I yield.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentleman yields back.
    And I recognize the bill's co-sponsor, Mr. Thanedar, for an 
opening statement.
    Mr. THANEDAR. Thank you, Chairman Williams and Ranking 
Member Velazquez. I appreciate both of you and your leadership 
in this bipartisan effort. What a great work. This is really 
what I came to Congress to do. As an entrepreneur I am 
delighted with what this committee does and the collaboration 
with both sides.
    Today, alongside my esteemed colleague, Representative 
LaLota from New York, I am proud to co-lead the Plain Language 
in Contracting Act, a bipartisan initiative aimed at 
revolutionizing how government communicates with small 
businesses.
    As a co-lead on this vital legislation, I am deeply 
committed to simply find the often convoluted and inaccessible 
notices that hinder small businesses' access to government 
contracts.
    Having experienced the challenges of entrepreneurship 
firsthand, Representative LaLota and I recognize the urgent 
need to cut through bureaucratic jargon and provide clear, 
concise, and accessible information to our nation's small 
business owners. This bill not only aligns with our core values 
of transparency and efficiency but also reflects our unwavering 
dedication to fostering a level playing field for all 
businesses regardless of size.
    By requiring the inclusion of key words and adherence to 
federal plain language guidelines we are not just drafting 
legislation, we are empowering small businesses to navigate the 
complexity of government contracting with confidence and ease. 
This is about just--is this about more than just policy. It is 
about supporting the backbone of our economy and ensuring that 
every entrepreneur has the opportunity to succeed.
    I am proud to stand alongside Representative LaLota and our 
colleagues in this bipartisan effort and I look forward to 
working tirelessly to advance this critical legislation for the 
betterment of our small business community and our nation as a 
whole.
    Thank you, Representative LaLota, and thank you all, and I 
yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentleman yields back.
    Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a 
statement on this bill? If there are no other Members to be 
recognized, I would like to recognize the Ranking Member to 
speak on the bill.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the 
work done on this legislation that seeks to provide clarity for 
some small business government contractors working or looking 
to work with the federal government. It would require certain 
contracting documents, including requests for proposals and 
solicitations be written in a way that is clear, concise, and 
accessible.
    The goals of this bill are laudable. There are certainly 
ways in which the federal government can improve in this area 
in the language used and on contracting opportunities is one. 
Thanks to our sponsor for their work.
    Thank you again and I yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentlelady yields back. And I now 
recognize myself to speak in support of this legislation.
    H.R. 7987, the Plain Language in Contracting Act, is a very 
important piece of legislation which removes a hurdle small 
businesses face as they consider doing business with the 
government.
    The complexity of government contracting often turns small 
businesses away from even attempting to compete for these 
awards. The government-speak used in federal contracting only 
adds confusion to small businesses and often takes a team of 
attorneys to fully comprehend what they mean or services that 
are being requested and government language is so problematic 
that the committee has heard firsthand testimony from small 
business owners about the challenges of navigating government 
language.
    In a subcommittee hearing we held just yesterday we heard 
that most DOD solicitations require at least some higher 
education to understand what is written. This burden is just 
one of the many reasons that small businesses' participation in 
the industrial base has been cut by nearly one-half over the 
past decade.
    The Plain Language in Contracting Act makes it easier for 
small businesses to federal contracting to navigate these 
unnecessarily complex documents by finally requiring agencies 
to write concisely. I want to thank the Ranking Member and her 
staff and her team for working with us in drafting this bill 
and I urge all of my colleagues to vote for the Plain Language 
in Contracting Act.
    If there is no further discussion, the committee now moved 
to consideration of H.R. 7987.
    Mr. LALOTA. Mr. Chairman?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The clerk will report.
    Mr. LALOTA. Chairman?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Yes.
    Mr. LALOTA. Disregard, Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. What you would----
    Mr. LALOTA. Disregard my comment, Mr. Chairman. I pulled a 
Meuser, sorry.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. We good? We can--do you want us to take a 
recess and we will----
    Mr. LALOTA. No, sir. No, sir.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Okay. Here we go. If there is no further 
discussion, the committee now moves to consider H.R. 7987. The 
clerk will report.
    The CLERK. H.R. 7986, to require plain language----
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of the 
bill is dispensed 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?
    If no, seeing none, the question is now on the adoption of 
H.R. 7987 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. 
7987----
    Mr. LALOTA. Mr. Chairman?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Seek recognition.
    Mr. LALOTA. Mr. Chairman, I request a role call vote.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Okay. The Member asked for a recorded vote. A 
recorded vote has been requested and roll call vote is order. 
Pursuant to committee rule 13 and House rule XI, further 
proceedings on this bill----
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chair?
    Mr. WILLIAMS.--are postponed.
    H.R. 7988
    The next bill we will--Gluesenkamp Perez. I now recognize 
the bill's sponsor, Mr. Stauber, for an opening statement.
    Mr. STAUBER. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I rise to 
speak in favor of my bill, H.R. 7988, the Small Business 
Procurement and Utilization Reform Act of 2024, or the SPUR 
Act.
    Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They are 
the innovators, the job traders, and the driving force behind 
economic growth. In Minnesota, small businesses account for 
over 99 percent of all businesses and employ over half of the 
workforce.
    It is no exaggeration to say that the success of our 
economy is tied to the success of our small businesses. I 
believe there is no better way for the government to support 
small businesses than to ensure they have ever opportunity to 
contract with the largest purchaser of goods and services in 
the world, the federal government.
    The problem is that while government agencies set aside 
contract opportunities for small businesses participation in 
federal contracting has declined by half in the last decade. We 
have an existing system in place that helps us see that we need 
to improve.
    Agencies are graded on the total number and value of small 
business contracts, yet they do not factor in small businesses 
who won a federal contract for the first time. So, without 
incorporating this into the agency's scoreboard grade, we have 
no ability to tell whether the shrinking pool of small 
businesses are first time contractors or have been contracting 
for multiple years.
    My bill, the SPUR Act, addresses this concern. It will 
provide us with more information to see where the federal 
government can improve. I would like to thank my colleague from 
Washington, Representative Gluesenkamp Perez, for her support 
of this important legislation.
    Too many federal agencies fall short of their goals for 
awarding contracts to small businesses leaving billions of 
dollars in contracts out of reach of America's small 
businesses. And I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation as it will help ensure that the federal government 
is doing everything it can to support small businesses in 
America.
    Thank you, Mr. Chair. I yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentleman yields back. I now recognize 
the bill's cosponsor, Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez, for an opening 
statement.
    Ms. GLUESENKAMP PEREZ. Thank you, Chairman Williams, and 
thank you to my colleague, Mr. Stauber, for his partnership on 
this bill and your valiant efforts at pronouncing my last name.
    The SBA is tasked with ensuring that small businesses are 
given a fair shot at competing for federal contracting dollars. 
SBA publishes an annual small business procurement scorecard 
that grades each federal agency on their spending towards the 
goal and gives agencies a score for their performance. We all 
know the adage there is lies, damn lies, and statistics. And I 
am certainly not accusing anyone of lying here, but I think it 
is important that when we are looking at these numbers we are 
understanding what they are representing.
    Put simply the federal government is not retaining current 
small business government contractors and new small businesses 
are not choosing to enter the federal market. This is a big 
problem.
    For our local economies to thrive it is important that we 
level the playing field, ensure more Southwest Washington small 
businesses can benefit from these opportunities. Our bill would 
require that the SBA include the number of new entrants into 
the federal market and the methodology for scoring each federal 
agency's small business performance.
    After the pandemic hit in 2020, my husband and I spent the 
better part of the year working on upgrades to the 
infrastructure in our auto shop, like better ventilation, 
lighting, things that would keep our employees and customers 
safe.
    Our good friends who own an autobody shop spent the entire 
year trying to figure out how to navigate a contract with the 
City of Portland. To me this is a really good example of how it 
is a real loss to our workforce and our local economy when 
small business owners have to spend the whole year figuring out 
how to do business with the government.
    Our bill will help shed light on how successful federal 
agencies are at making sure that new businesses see the value 
in contracting with the federal government and have the 
capacity to overcome the regulatory burdens to tap into these 
resources.
    I am proud to co-lead this bill with Representative Stauber 
and I urge my colleagues on the committee to support it. Thank 
you and I yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentlelady yields back. Are there any 
other Members who wish to be recognized for a statement on the 
bill?
    If there are no other Members who wish to be recognized, I 
would like to recognize the Ranking Member to speak on the 
bill.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I commend 
Representatives Stauber and Gluesenkamp Perez for the work to 
require SBA to consider new small business contractors when 
grading a federal agency performance toward meeting its small 
businesses goals.
    The government has roughly 40 percent fewer small 
businesses in its ecosystem then it did just a decade ago. This 
decline of the industrial base has produced negative 
consequences for both the government and small firms and 
taxpayers. They lose out on the stability government 
contracting can provide and the government loses out on the 
innovation and competition that a larger small based of small 
businesses provides.
    Yet despite this decline, federal agencies award a record 
amount of contracting dollars to small businesses each year. 
This means fewer small businesses are getting larger contracts. 
And since contracts are getting larger, fewer small businesses 
are willing and able to compete for them. This legislation is a 
productive step that will help break that cycle.
    By requiring a year-over-year comparison of new entrants 
rather than a single target, federal agencies will be compelled 
to continuously focus on bringing in new companies and 
addressing the barriers, like contract size, that prevent 
greater small business participation.
    I again applaud the work put into this legislation. It is a 
thoughtful product that I am pleased to support and I urge my 
colleagues to support as well.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentlelady yields back.
    And I now recognize myself to speak in support of this 
legislation.
    H.R. 7988 makes it clear that small businesses are vital in 
the American industrial base. Each year agencies set a goal to 
spend at least 23 percent of their contract dollars with main 
street. The government generally meets this goal in dollars, 
but the number of small businesses actually winning contracts 
continues to decline and agencies are prioritizing the total 
dollars it awards, not the number of small firms.
    The decline in participation that we are seeing is a 
critical threat to America's industrial base and we must take 
action to reverse this trend. That is why the SPUR Act is 
critical. It will force agencies to factor in small businesses 
who won a government contract for the first time when they are 
graded on SBA's annual procurement scorecard.
    As agencies plan out their contracting activities they must 
ensure that increasing small businesses awards is a priority so 
that they have every opportunity to compete for these 
contracts. So, I urge all my colleagues to support the SPUR 
Act.
    And if there is no further discussion, the committee now 
moves to consideration of H.R. 7988. The clerk will report.
    The CLERK. H.R. 7988----
    Mr. 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. 7988 
in favor of 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.
    Do you seek recognition?
    Mr. STAUBER. I ask for a recorded vote. Thank you.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. A recorded vote has been requested and a roll 
call vote is ordered. Pursuant to committee rule 13 and House 
rule XI, any further proceedings on the bill are postponed.
    H.R. 7985
    The next bill we will markup is H.R. 7985, Entrepreneurs 
with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024, introduced by 
Representatives McGarvey and Molinaro. I now recognize the 
bill's sponsor, Mr. McGarvey for an opening statement.
    Mr. MCGARVEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for 
your support of H.R. 7985 and for including it in today's 
markup.
    I would also like to especially thank Chairman Molinaro. 
Not only is he the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Innovation, 
Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development, but he held a 
really great hearing about how we help people with disabilities 
become entrepreneurs and he very compassionately, courageously 
detailed the obstacles his own daughter has faced. And of 
course, brought up, for everyone on that subcommittee, brought 
up Maeve from Maeve's Coffee in the Hudson Valley, who was an 
absolute star in showing us the opportunities that exist if we 
are willing to invest and make this part of the American Dream 
available to everybody.
    I was also honored to have my constituent, Cody Clark, come 
up from Louisville, a small business owner, disability rights 
advocate, and I think the first person to perform a magic trick 
in front of this committee, at least this Congress. He did a 
great job telling us about the problems that people with 
disabilities face and his experience as an entrepreneur. His 
experience and those like the ones we heard from helped lead to 
today's legislation.
    This bipartisan legislation will require the Small Business 
Administration to submit a report to Congress on the challenges 
faced by entrepreneurs with disabilities. The report will 
include an assessment of these entrepreneurs' challenges and 
needs and detail what resources the SBA currently provides to 
entrepreneurs with disabilities. Importantly, it is also going 
to recommend legislative action to improve how the SBA serves 
entrepreneurs with disabilities.
    By requiring a report from the Small Business 
Administration, this bill will better help Congress understand 
how to support these entrepreneurs who face different 
challenges. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this 
bill, and yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentleman yields back.
    I now recognize the bill's cosponsor, Mr. Molinaro, for an 
opening statement.
    Mr. MOLINARO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was glad to hear 
the great applause for this legislation, cheering in the 
hallways. I commend Mr. McGarvey for sponsoring the bill and 
thank you, Mr. Chairman, for moving the Entrepreneurs with 
Disability Reporting Act here today.
    I do want to extend my appreciation, Mr. McGarvey, Cody was 
a wonderful witness, but also a strong testament to the ability 
of every individual should be given the support from family and 
removed obstacles by government to attain success. And I for 
one was very grateful that Maeve was able to join us, but an 
important hearing addressing the challenges and obstacles that 
many with intellectual, physical, and developmental 
disabilities face every day.
    This particular bill, bipartisan in nature, will provide 
much needed clarity for entrepreneurs with disabilities as the 
navigate SBA's complex maze of over 50 different programs 
geared towards assisting them in starting a business. As of 
April 2022, 74 percent of adults with disabilities work outside 
the traditional workforce with approximately 1.8 million of 
these individuals with disabilities as business owners 
themselves.
    Entrepreneurs of ability should have a fair shot at 
pursuing their passion and we ought to work hard to remove 
obstacles from them.
    As the Chairman of the Small Business Subcommittee on 
Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development I join 
my colleagues in remaining committed to empowering our 
entrepreneurs with disabilities to contribute more to main 
street and lead really more independent and fulfilled lives.
    I am grateful again to Mr. McGarvey and the commitment of 
this committee to move this legislation today. This act would 
provide a comprehensive assessment of the needs of our 
entrepreneurs with disabilities and help to inform lawmakers of 
legislative solutions to address the challenges these 
individuals face and breakdown barriers so they can pursue 
their employment options.
    I urge my colleagues to support the bill. As I like to say 
back home this is one more effort to show America what it means 
to think differently for those with intellectual, physical, and 
developmental disabilities.
    And with that I yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentleman yields back.
    Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a 
statement on this bill?
    If no other Members wish to be recognized, I would like to 
recognize the Ranking Member to speak on the bill.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased 
support the legislation offered by Mr. McGarvey and Mr. 
Molinaro, which will require the SBA to submit a report to 
Congress on the challenges facing entrepreneurs with 
disabilities.
    There are 44 million people with disabilities in the United 
States. While progress has been made to increase employment 
rates, disabled individuals lag behind people without 
disabilities. Only 26 percent of people with disabilities 
participate in the labor force.
    As a country we can do better and we must do better. 
Studies have found higher rates of self-employment among 
disabled Americans, most often because it offers more 
flexibility and the ability to work remotely. That is why we 
need a comprehensive study to assess the SBA resources that are 
available to entrepreneurs with disabilities examine their 
effectiveness and determine what actions need to be take to 
help support entrepreneurs with disabilities.
    I applaud Mr. McGarvey and Mr. Molinaro for their 
leadership on this issue. I support the bill, and I yield back 
my time.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentlelady yields back.
    H.R. 7985, the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting 
Act of 2024, will require the SBA to issue a report to Congress 
on the challenges individuals with disabilities face when 
starting a business. Furthermore, it would require the SBA to 
look at resources across the federal government that assist 
individuals with disabilities.
    The Government Accountability Office estimate there are 
only 50 programs across 9 federal agencies that support 
employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. 
However, as we know federal agencies often fail to coordinate 
or collaborate on such programs to ensure that their efforts 
are not duplicated.
    The Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Reporting Act of 2024 
will require the SBA to look at this fragmented system and do 
its part to consolidate and streamline these efforts. I thank 
Representatives McGarvey and Molinaro for introducing this 
legislation. I urge all Members to vote yes.
    If there's no further discussion, the committee now moves 
to consideration of H.R. 7985. The clerk will report.
    The CLERK. H.R. 7985, to require the administrator of the 
Small Business Administration----
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of the 
bill is dispensed and, without objection, the bill is 
considered as read and open for amendment. Do any Members seek 
recognition for purpose of offering an amendment?
    Seeing none, the question is now on the adoption of H.R. 
7985 and favorably reporting to the House?
    All those in favor, say aye.
    All those opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it.
    Mr. MCGARVEY. Chairman?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Seek recognition.
    Mr. MCGARVEY. Mr. Chairman, I seek a roll call vote.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Okay. A recorded vote has been requested and 
a roll call vote is ordered. Pursuant to committee rule 13 and 
House rule XI further proceedings on the bill are postponed.
    H.R. 7989
    The next bill we will markup is H.R. 7989, the 
ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disabilities Employment Act, introduced 
by Representatives Molinaro and Pappas.
    I now recognize the bill's sponsor, Mr. Molinaro for an 
opening statement.
    Mr. MOLINARO. Thank you again, Mr. Chairman. I am proud to 
speak in favor of this bill and very grateful to the committee 
for moving forward H.R. 7989, the ThinkDIFFERENTLY About 
Disabilities Employment Act.
    Building off of a nationwide effort to an initiative we 
refer to as ThinkDIFFERENTLY in my home state this bill will 
require greater cooperation between the SBA and the National 
Counsel on Disability to expand employment and entrepreneurship 
opportunities for the disability community. In New York State 
alone, as was noted, 60 percent of working-age people with 
disabilities are unemployed. Nationwide that number rises to 80 
percent of those with intellectual, physical, and developmental 
disabilities remain unemployed and outside the workforce.
    We know from small businesses throughout upstate New York 
and across America, we understand the many benefits of hiring 
individuals with intellectual, physical, and developmental 
disabilities. And especially we understand that in many cases 
their unique skillsets are sound economic investments, but, as 
importantly, help to boost company morale and make a benefit to 
the company overall. And their participation in the workforce 
promotes greater employee engagement.
    The ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act paves 
the way for lawmakers to assess the challenges that employees 
and entrepreneurs with disabilities face while proactively 
working to ensure those with disabilities have the support to 
pursue real career opportunities.
    I'd like to thank my colleague, Representative Pappas, for 
his partnership and leadership on the bill and I urge my 
colleagues to support this very simple, smart, bipartisan 
legislation that is meant again to tear down barriers and 
create opportunities for everyone of every ability and perhaps 
show Congress and the world what it means to think differently.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentleman yields back. I now recognize 
the bill's cosponsor, Mr. Pappas, for an opening statement.
    Mr. PAPPAS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Small 
business ownership is a major pathway for all Americans to 
achieve success and self-sufficiency and people with 
disabilities participate in entrepreneurship at a higher rate 
than nondisabled Americans. The ThinkDIFFERENTLY About 
Disability Employment Act will support collaboration between 
SBA and the National Counsel on Disability to help folks with 
disabilities pursue small business ownership and employment 
opportunities.
    Individuals with disabilities deserve equal access to 
support from SBA and this bipartisan legislation is an 
important step forward that will help achieve that. This will 
support entrepreneurship and employment of individuals with 
disabilities while helping our main street economies grow and 
our communities thrive.
    So, I am pleased to partner with Representative Molinaro on 
this bill. I thank him for his steadfast leadership in this 
space and I urge my colleagues to support it.
    I yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The gentleman yields back.
    Are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a 
statement on this bill?
    If there are no other Members who wish to be recognized, I 
would like to recognize the Ranking Member to speak on the 
bill.
    Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank the sponsor 
of this bill and I strongly support the bill.
    I yield back.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. I now recognize myself to speak in support of 
this legislation.
    Individuals with disabilities are more likely to be self-
employed than the average American. Across the federal 
government there are numerous programs and resources to assist 
Americans with disabilities, yet resources tailored to 
entrepreneurs with disabilities at the SBA are sorely lacking. 
H.R. 7989, the ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disabilities Employment 
Act, will require the SBA to enter into a Memorandum of 
Understanding with the National Council on Disability, which is 
an independent federal agency whose mission is to provide a 
recommendation to policymakers and issues impacting individuals 
with disabilities.
    This makes the National Disability Council equally 
qualified or uniquely qualified to advise and assist the SBA in 
the pursuit of assisting individuals with disabilities achieve 
the American dream.
    I would like to thank Representative Molinaro for his 
commitment to ensuring Congress works to pave the pathway to 
success for entrepreneurs and employees with disabilities and 
thank him and Mr. Pappas for introducing this legislation. I 
urge all my colleagues to vote yes this legislation.
    So, if there is no further discussion, the committee now 
moves to the consideration of H.R. 7989. The clerk will report.
    The CLERK. H.R. 7989, to provide----
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Without objection, the first reading of the 
bill is dispended and, without objection, the bill is 
considered and 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. 
7989 and favorably reporting to the House.
    All those in favor, say aye.
    All those opposed, say no.
    In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it. H.R. 7989--
do you seek recognition?
    Mr. MOLINARO. I request a recorded vote.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. A recorded vote has been requested and a roll 
call vote is ordered. Pursuant to committee rule 13 and House 
rule XI, further proceedings on the bill are postponed.
    The committee now stands in recess. Subject to the call of 
the Chair, we will resume at a later time. But I think we 
decided on 11:30, right? We will resume at 11:30.
    [Recess.]
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The committee will now 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. 7984.
    The question now is on adopting H.R. 7984 and ordering it 
favorably to the House. The clerk will call the role.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Stauber?
    [No response.]
    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?
    [No response.]
    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?
    [No response.]
    Mr. LaLota?
    [No response.]
    Ms. Maloy?
    Ms. MALOY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Maloy votes aye.
    Mr. Golden?
    Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
    Mr. Mfume?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Phillips?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Landsman?
    Mr. LANDSMAN. Aye.
    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. Ms. Gluesenkamp votes aye.
    Ms. Scholten?
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
    Mr. Thanedar?
    Mr. THANEDAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Thanedar 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. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
    Chaiman Williams?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who have not 
voted or wish to change their vote?
    Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, how am I reported?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. As absent.
    Mr. STAUBER. Please change it to a yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Stauber votes aye.
    Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Chairman, how was my vote recorded?
    The CLERK. The congressman was recorded as no vote or as 
not voting.
    Mr. ELLZEY. Ellzey, aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Ellzey votes aye.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Do any other Members with to vote or change 
their vote? Seeing none, the clerk will report.
    The CLERK. On that vote, Mr. LaLota is recorded as an aye.
    Mr. Chairman, on that vote 23 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 present.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. H.R. 7984 is adopted and will be reported 
favorably to the House.
    Before I move on, there are two people I want to thank that 
have made our hearing go as it has today, go very well. I want 
to first of all thank Ellen. Thank you very much for all you 
have done on your side and we appreciate it very much. And 
also, I want to thank Andrew, who has done a good job over 
here. They have made everything run well and we appreciate 
them. So, thank you.
    The question is now on adopting H.R. 5333, as amended, and 
order it favorably reported to the House. The clerk will call 
the role.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Stauber?
    [No response.]
    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. ELLZEY. Ellzey, aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Ellzey votes aye.
    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.
    [No response.]
    Mr. LaLota?
    Mr. LALOTA. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. LaLota votes aye.
    Ms. Maloy?
    Ms. MALOY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Maloy votes aye.
    Mr. Golden?
    Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
    Mr. Mfume?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Phillips?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Landsman?
    Mr. LANDSMAN. Aye.
    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. Ms. Gluesenkamp votes aye.
    Ms. Scholten?
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
    Mr. Thanedar?
    Mr. THANEDAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Thanedar 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. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
    Chaiman Williams?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
    Mr. STAUBER. Stauber votes aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Stauber votes aye.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Okay. 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 23 ayes, 0 nays, and 
0 present.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. The motion is agreed to and H.R. 5333, as 
amended, is adopted and will be reported favorably to the 
House.
    The question now is on adopting H.R. 8014 and ordering it 
favorably to the House. The clerk will call the roll.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
    [No response.]
    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. ELLZEY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Ellzey votes aye.
    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?
    [No response.]
    Mr. LaLota?
    Mr. LALOTA. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. LaLota votes aye.
    Ms. Maloy?
    Ms. MALOY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Maloy votes aye.
    Mr. Golden?
    Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
    Mr. Mfume?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Phillips?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Landsman?
    Mr. LANDSMAN. Aye.
    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. Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
    Ms. Scholten?
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
    Mr. Thanedar?
    Mr. THANEDAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Thanedar 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. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
    Chaiman Williams?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
    Mr. 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 23 ayes, 0 nays, and 
0 present.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R. 8014 
is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
    The question now is on adopting H.R. 7987 and ordering it 
favorably to the House. The clerk will call the roll.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
    [No response.]
    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. ELLZEY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Ellzey votes aye.
    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?
    [No response.]
    Mr. LaLota?
    Mr. LALOTA. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. LaLota votes aye.
    Ms. Maloy?
    Ms. MALOY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Maloy votes aye.
    Mr. Golden?
    Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
    Mr. Mfume?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Phillips?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Landsman?
    Mr. LANDSMAN. Aye.
    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. Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
    Ms. Scholten?
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
    Mr. Thanedar?
    Mr. THANEDAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Thanedar 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. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ranking Member Velazquez votes aye.
    Chaiman Williams?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
    Mr. 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 23 ayes, 0 nays, and 
0 present.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R. 7987 
is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
    The question now is on adopting H.R. 7988 and ordering it 
favorably to the House. The clerk will call the roll.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
    [No response.]
    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. ELLZEY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Ellzey votes aye.
    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?
    [No response.]
    Mr. LaLota?
    Mr. LALOTA. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. LaLota votes aye.
    Ms. Maloy?
    Ms. MALOY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Maloy votes aye.
    Mr. Golden?
    Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
    Mr. Mfume?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Phillips?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Landsman?
    Mr. LANDSMAN. Aye.
    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. Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
    Ms. Scholten?
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
    Mr. Thanedar?
    Mr. THANEDAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Thanedar 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?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members that have not 
voted or wish to change their vote?
    Seeing none the clerk will report.
    The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote 23 ayes, 0 nays, and 
0 present.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R. 7988 
is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
    The question now is on adopting H.R. 7985 and ordering it 
favorably to the House. The clerk will call the roll.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
    [No response.]
    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. ELLZEY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Ellzey votes aye.
    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?
    [No response.]
    Mr. LaLota?
    Mr. LALOTA. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. LaLota votes aye.
    Ms. Maloy?
    Ms. MALOY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Maloy votes aye.
    Mr. Golden?
    Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
    Mr. Mfume?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Phillips?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Landsman?
    Mr. LANDSMAN. Aye.
    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. Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
    Ms. Scholten?
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
    Mr. Thanedar?
    Mr. THANEDAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Thanedar 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?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Are there any other Members who have not 
voted or wish to change their vote?
    Seeing none the clerk will report.
    The CLERK. Mr. Chairman, on that vote 23 ayes, 0 nays, and 
0 present.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R. 7985 
is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
    The question now is on adopting H.R. 7989 and ordering it 
favorably reported to the House. The clerk will call the roll.
    The CLERK. Mr. Luetkemeyer?
    [No response.]
    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. ELLZEY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Ellzey votes aye.
    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?
    [No response.]
    Mr. LaLota?
    Mr. LALOTA. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. LaLota votes aye.
    Ms. Maloy?
    Ms. MALOY. Aye.
    The CLERK. Ms. Maloy votes aye.
    Mr. Golden?
    Mr. GOLDEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Mr. Golden votes aye.
    Mr. Mfume?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Phillips?
    [No response.]
    Mr. Landsman?
    Mr. LANDSMAN. Aye.
    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. Ms. Gluesenkamp Perez votes aye.
    Ms. Scholten?
    Ms. SCHOLTEN. Yes.
    The CLERK. Ms. Scholten votes aye.
    Mr. Thanedar?
    Mr. THANEDAR. Aye.
    The CLERK. Mr. Thanedar 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?
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Aye.
    The CLERK. Chairman Williams votes aye.
    Mr. 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 23 ayes, 0 nays, and 
0 present.
    Mr. WILLIAMS. Okay. The motion is agreed to and H.R. 7989 
is adopted and will be reported favorably to the House.
    Without objection, 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 everyone for being here today. I also want 
to say it was a great hearing. I think when you go home you can 
tell them about a committee that actually is getting something 
done in a bipartisan fashion. And I appreciate everybody's work 
on both sides of the aisle.
    And if there is no further business, this concludes today's 
markup. Without objection, the committee stands adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 11:57 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
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