Transcripts For CSPAN U.S. House Of Representatives U.S. House Of Representatives 20240713

Lso, a republican effort to censure Intelligence Committee chair adam schiff. Live coverage of the house now here on cspan. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] recorded v yeas and nays are ordered, or votes objected to under clause 6 of rule 206789 the house will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. That rules and pass the bill, h. R. 4406, as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 4406, a bill to amend the Small Business act, to improve the Small Business Development Centers program and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from new york, ms. Very laz kess, and the gentleman from velazquez, and the gentleman from ohio, mr. Chabot, each will control 20 minutes. The chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. Ms. Velazquez thank you, mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Ms. Velazquez thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Velazquez i rise today in support of h. R. 4406, the Small Business Development Centers improvement act of 2019. As always, before we address the many benefits of the bill, i just want to thank the Ranking Member and his staff for all of their collaboration and hard work to bring this bipartisan package of bills to the floor. Our committee prides itself on our ability to put the noise aside and get meaningful work accomplished. This these bills are especially critical because hey strengthen the Entrepreneurial Network of Small Businesses contributing to our country every day. It is once again a reminder of the importance of working across the aisle and getting things done for americas 30 million Small Businesses. H. R. 4406 bolsters the Small Business Development Center or sbdc network, which is the Small Business administrations larger entrepreneurial resource partner. The Network Delivers three face to face free face to face counseling and atcost training in alls a pecks of Business Management to new and existing small firms. The Services Include but are in no way limited to assisting Small Businesses with developing a Business Plan, accessing capital, marketing, regulatory compliance, technology development, and International Trade. The business the benefits of the program are tangible to Business Owners and the federal taxpayer. For every federal dollar spent on sbdcs, 2 is returned to the u. S. Treasury. Nearly 3 to the states. And approximately 48 in new capital is generated. Unfortunately over the years, congress has asked them to take on additional responsibilities, ranging from cybersecurity to expert promotion. Increasing the authorization vel to 175 million each year, just as this bill does, would allow the program to grow and reach more american entrepreneurs. H. R. 4406 also requires regular reporting to the congress on new metrics to help us better assess the program and how improvements can be made in the future. Studying a starting a business is not for the faint of heart. And strengthening the network will enable sbdcs to continue providing the in depth Business Training for aspiring entrepreneurs and Small Business owners. I thank mr. Golden and vice Ranking Member radewagen for leading this effort to improve the program, measure its success, and increase awareness of the sbdc program and its many valuable services. I urge members to support this bipartisan piece of legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. The gentleman from ohio is recognized. Mr. Chabot thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Chabot thank you. I rise in support of h. R. 4406, the Small Business Development Centers improvement act of 2019. Before i speak on the bill, id like to thank chairwoman velazquez for working with us in such a bipartisan manner. Its surely refreshing in this. Ge of intense partisanship the programs offered by the s. B. A. , i want to thank the chairwoman again for her leadership on the committee. The Small Business Development Center program or sbdc is the largest of the s. B. A. s Entrepreneurial Development programs with locations in all 50 states and also four territories. In fiscal year 2018, more than a quarter of a million clients received lowcost training and nearly 200,000 clients receive nodcost business consulting. H. R. 4406, this bill, includes several updates based on feedback from h. R. 1702, the Small Business Development Centers improvement act of last year, 2018. Which passed the house in may of 2018. Over 99 of all businesses in our nation are small. And those businesses employ nearly 60 million americans. The u. S. Economy depends on the success of Small Businesses. Providing support to entrepreneurs and Small Business owners must be a priority for this congress. Sbdcs offer that support. They offer minimal or nocost business counseling and training to wouldbe entrepreneurs and existing Small Business owners alike. The support offered at these centers ranges from creating the Business Plans, commercial promotion and branding, and navigating the International Trade market. The importance of the assistance offered at sbdcs cannot really be overstated. Its not just the single entrepreneur that benefits, our nation benefits as well. For every federal dollar appropriated, the sbdc program, 43. 50 in new capital is generated. The legislation we are considering today will only serve to increase the positive impact of sbdcs to our entrepreneurs and national economy. I want to thank the gentleman from maine, mr. Golden, and the gentlelady from american samoa, mrs. Radewagen, for their hard work on this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the bill and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore does the gentleman reserve the balance of his time . The gentleman reserves the balance of his time. At this time, the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Velazquez mr. Speaker, i yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from maine, and sponsor of the bill, mr. Golden, chair of the subcommittee on contracting and infrastructure. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from maine is recognized. Mr. Golden thank you, mr. Speaker. And thanks to chairwoman velazquez. Since coming to congress 10 months ago, ive been focused on protecting jobs in the state of maine. And that means helping Small Businesses succeed. Thousands of Small Businesses in my state have launched or grown with help from Small Business Development Centers, or as youve heard them referred to, sbdcs. Just last year, sbdcs served over 1,500 Small Businesses in my state. Helped to start 136 new businesses, and worked to protect or create more than 800 jobs. Here are just a few of the Small Businesses that ive heard from directly in my district about this program. Sbdcs helped the maine meal purchase a building in order to launch their new bills. The milk house reeved received the accounting and tax advice that they needed to help grow their business from an sbdc advisor, important farming and dairy industry right there. Sbdcs helped a ski area in auburn, just across the river from my hometown, to develop a Business Plan so that they could secure the financing that they needed to start to acquire and continue the ski area, which is very important to our community. Particularly during the winter months. I visited each of these businesses and seen their work firsthand. These are just a few of the thousands of sbdc Success Stories in the state of maine. Given the Small Business Development Centers are the largest resource partner to s. B. A. , its particularly important for congress to keep the program up to date and performing at a high level for Small Businesses throughout the country. In maine, the states lead sbdc runs 11 out 11 outreach locations in my Congressional District alone in partnership with Regional Economic development entities, enabling smaul Small Businesses in maines Rural Communities to access valuable assistance. While the centers have had many successes, weve also learned lessons about ways to improve the programs in the years since it was last reauthorized. Thats why im excited to lead this bill, alongside vice Ranking Member radewagen, to reauthorize the program. And i want to thank her for her support of the bill. Its been a pleasure to work with her. The Small Business Development Centers improvement act of 2019 will make a number of positive changes to improve oversite, better enable sbdc tease partner with organizations, bolster the senate Accreditation Process and improve the voice of sbdcs in setting programs direction. Im particularly glad that the bill will help broaden rural Small Business access to this assistance by clarifying that centers are allowed to market and advertise their services. Rural access to s. B. A. Resources is key for states like maine and many Rural Communities all over the country. Finally, the bill will reauthorize appropriations at the level of 175 million for fiscal year 2020 through 2023, reaffirming Congress Commitment to the program. In closing, id like to thank the chairwoman and Ranking Member, in particular their staff, for forging a bipartisan path forward on the reauthorization of this program. Id also like to thank vice Ranking Member radewagen for coleading this bill with me, as well as mr. Evans and mr. Fitzpatrick for joining me as cosponsors. And i would encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill, to keep the sbdc program up to date for the good of americas Small Businesses. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentlewoman from new york reserves the balance of her time. The gentleman from ohio is choysed. Mr. Chabot thank you, mr. Speaker. We have no further members to speak on the bill and im prepared to close if the gentlelady from new york is ready. Ill be very brief then. The sbdc program positively effects hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs each year and offers a significant return on investment for american taxpayers. This is a good, bipartisan bill. I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Velazquez thank you, mr. Speaker. Americas 30 million Small Businesses account for more than 56 million jobs and create two out of three private sector jobs in the United States. The s. B. A. Offers a wide range of free or lowcost counseling and Training Services through its entrepreneurial ecosystem, to help entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses. H. R. 4406 makes a number of im. Pros improvements to the sbdc program. It will enable more collaboration between the centers and s. B. A. , improve the ability of this committee to oversee its performance, while also clarifying other rules such as confidential requirements. Most importantly this legislation is the muchneeded reauthorization of the program for four years at greater authorization levels. It is time for congress to prove its commitment to entrepreneurs all over the country by strengthening one of the greatest resources, the s. B. A. Sbdc program. It is a commonsense move and once supported by the Small Business Development Centers. I thank the Ranking Member for his support and i urge my colleagues to support the bill. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. The question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h. R. 4406, as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, ms. Velazquez mr. Speaker. On that i ask the speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from new york. Ms. Velazquez on that i ask for the yeas and nays. The speaker pro tempore the yeas and nays are requested. All those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. A sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition . Ms. Velazquez mr. Speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h. R. 44005. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk Union Calendar number 190. H. R. 4405. A bill to amend the Small Business act to improve the womens business Center Program and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from new york, me velazquez, and the gentleman from ohio, mr. Chabot, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york. Ms. Velazquez thank you, mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection, so ordered. Ms. Velazquez thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Velazquez thank you. I rise in support of the bill before us today, h. R. 4405, the Womens Business Centers improvements act. Womens Business Center or w. B. C. s are a critical component of s. B. A. s entrepreneurial ecosystem. W. B. C. s were created to assist Small Businesses primarily owned by women, many of whom are socially and economically disadvantaged. The w. B. C. Program funds more than 100 Centers Nationwide and offers a full range of counseling and Training Services for all the stages of business development. Many of the w. B. C. s provide multilingual services, Weekend Hours to accommodate clients who work fulltime, and allow children to attend training sessions with their mothers. They created nearly 12,000 Small Businesses. Also proven to be a great return on investment, just like wshss. For every w. B. C. s. Invested 45 is returned to the economy. Women growing as entrepreneurs, its imperative and vest in modernizing adequately funding the program. Centers s Business Improvement act increases the authorizing level to 31. 5 each year and lifts the Center Grants al to 300,000, allowing more stablished centers to expand their reach to greater number of Women Entrepreneurs, of those who are socially and economically disadvantaged. Additionally, this legislation makes key changes to the w. B. C. s nabling the to serve more of americas early 13 million womenowned Small Businesses. Y eliminating unnecessary reporting requirements and reating a transparent and consultative process between s. B. A. And the association of centers, the ess bill guarantees w. B. C. s can eet the growing demand for their services. Want to thank representative davids for his diligence in etting it bill right and ensuring that Women Entrepreneurs across the country ave continued access to vital counseling and training. Urge members to support this bipartisan bill and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from new york eserves the balance of his time. The gentleman from ohio is recognized. Mr. Chabot thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Of chabot i rise in support h. R. 4405, the womens business t Centers Centers act of 2019 and i want to thank the two lead sponsors ms. Davids slation, hagedorn. And mr. This makes key updates to the s. B. A. s office of womens ownership and the womens business Center Program, w. B. C. The w. B. C. Program funds more than 100 Nonprofit Organizations provide training, counseling, and technical assistance, specifically needs of o meet the Women Entrepreneurs. Many w. B. C. s offer training at multiple languages to ensure that Women Entrepreneurs have the tools and need when creating or sustaining a business. Overyear, w. B. C. s trained 114,000 clients and advised over 26,000 individuals. This training and counseling contributed to the creation of 17,000 new Small Businesses in the United States. He womens business Center Program has a profound impact, not only in our local our nities, but also on nations economy overall. Womens Business Center improvements act of 2019 1680, the Womens Business Center improvement act passed in the house back in may, 2018. This raises the initial and year grant amount indexes it for inflation. This minor increase provides new Business Centers with the support they need to provide an effective course urriculum to Small Business clients. Additionally, h. R. 4405 requires a w. B. C. To establish Accreditation Program. This program, similar to the Business Center evelopment center will ensure programmatic and guarantees that each Center Provides women with effective training opportunities. This updates will ensure that unds supporting the w. B. C. Program are used efficiently to fost foster economic growth. And i urge my l colleagues to support it. I, again, want to commend the this important legislation and reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from ohio reserves the balance of his time. The gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Velazquez i yield as much consume to the gentlelady from kansas and sponsor of the bill, ms. Davids. The speaker pro tempore the kansas is from recognized. Davids thank you, mr. Chair. Urge my day to colleagues to vote yes on h. R. 4405, the womens business of 2019,mprovement act which would increase access to vital resources and for female s entrepreneurs in kansas and across the country. Ranking member chabot and to chairwoman velazquez for your commitment to Small Businesses in our country. I want to thank my fellow small member, Committee Representative hagedorn, for cosponsoring and coleading this bipartisan piece of me. Slation with this bill helps strengthen the womens business Centers Program than 100 s more Womens Business Centers, also w. B. C. s, across the country and in the district i represent in kansas. Small enters provides Business Owners, many of whom are socially and economically critical ged with counseling and training at all stages of their business development. Any w. B. C. s provide multilingual services, maintain evening and Weekend Hours to full odate clients with work time and allow children who work full time and who work and allow children to attend sessions with their mothers. The values of w. B. C. s cannot be overstated. Are the Fastest Growing sector of entrepreneurs in our country. Up until 1988 women would have a hard time pplying a Small Business loan without having a male relative cosigning it. Now more than 11. 6 million the United States are owned by women and 5. 4 businesses are owned by women of color. Many gh we made progress, unique challenges face women, particularly women of color, to business. Grow a this includes limited access to Funding Resources and the support system to get a business the ground and maintain its success. I see this firsthand when im my district. In where i ach project spend time with a Small Business owner in the community. Whole range of Women Entrepreneurial needs. It provides training, mentoring, development and financing opportunities for 145,000 Women Entrepreneurs each year. The kansas city Womens Business Center located in fairway, kansas, which i proudly serves over 600 clients annually in both kansas nd missouri through Business Training, workshops, counseling, and access to capital programs. So important to support the w. B. C. Program. The tremendous growth of the Program Since its creation in 1988, its resources even ot kept up with the greater growth of Women Entrepreneurs. My bill would authorize funding for four b. C. Program years at 31. 5 million. Million. Ently at 18 this increase ensures the program can reach even more women. The cap also increase on individual Center Grants to 300,000 to index for the the first ince time indexing for inflation, it has happened since the programs inception. According to a survey conducted Women Association of Business Centers, 71 of the centers could match at least it would establish an Accreditation Program to strengthening w. B. C. s and raise for tandards of excellence training and counseling Women Entrepreneurs. O i urge my colleagues to support the womens Business Improvement act and ensure we help create a level Playing Field for Women Entrepreneurs that sets them up for success. Thank you. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from kansas, ms. The balance s back of her time. The gentlewoman from new york reserves the balance of her time. He gentleman from ohio is recognized. Mr. Chabot thank you, mr. Speaker. Id like to yield to the on the l sponsor republican side, mr. Hagedorn of minnesota. The peaker pro tempore gentleman from minnesota is recognized. Mr. Hagedorn thank you, mr. Speaker. Hank you, Ranking Member chabot, for yielding the time. Rise today in support of h. R. 4405, the Womens Business Centers improvements act, and hanks to my colleague, representative davids, for sponsoring this bill, me oducing it, and inviting to coauthor it. I appreciate your leadership on this, congresswoman. His Bipartisan Legislation works to support Women Entrepreneurs nationwide by strengthening the womens business Centers Program. Our bill will increase access to training, counseling, assistance programs, capital, and workforce investment. Essentialmeasures are to growing businesses, expanding enterprises, and growing our economy. Ates millions of women own Small Businesses in the United States, wonderful thing. Entrepreneurship and the womens business Center Program are empowering women to become Business Owners. Services we these ncrease the availability of women Small Business leaders. This is the backbone of our american economy. Youre in southern minnesota or western eastern kansas, or communities across its critical that we foster an environment of entrepreneurs of all stripes have access to resources they need to succeed excessivet stymied by regulations, taxes, and other antibusiness burdens. According to the national of women Business Owners, as of 2017, more than million firms are owned and operated by women. These firms employ almost nine and generate 1. 7 trillion in revenue. Growing, we economy must embrace, encourage, and enterprises, ing including those owned by folks who do not fit the traditional mold of Business Owners to get started. Of the great Success Stories that we have in Women Entrepreneurship is that of her Candy Company in minnesotas first district, minnesota. Re, the company is called maud boric. To tour the 112yard line onfections company that specializes in core gay candy, gummy rmet bears, and it started off as a and mortar brick shop in st. Paul even before women had the right to vote. Wholesale its a Company Continuing to offer opportunities for women 96 of 100 employees are women. And christine, an army veteran, less, bought the company in 2005 and expandable the sales by by 2,000 ,500 , to put that in perspective. Really sales went from 500,000 to 20 million in just 10 years reason. Good she was named the Small Business person of the year in minnesota 2019. Now, she served her community, now shes serving served her country. Now shes serving her community and expanding jobs and Economic Opportunity for folks in minnesota. This is one of the types of Success Stories that were to immolate and replicate across the country for this legislation, the Womens Business Centers improvements act. Our legislation will fund more than 100 Nonprofit Organizations hat provide training, counseling, and technical assistance, specifically for Women Entrepreneurs. As the Ranking Member said, expands upon the, success f h. R. 1980, which was passed by the house in may of 2018 but didnt quite make it into law. Will make key improvements for the Small Business Administrations Office Business Ownership and womens business Centers Program by raising the initial grant to to 300,000. For fiscal years 2020 through 2023. Establishes an Accreditation Program to strengthen Womens Business Centers by increasing and raising the standards of excellence for training and counseling of women also reneurs and will create a transparent and for the ive process selection of new Center Locations while also requiring n annual report to ensure transparency and measure the effectiveness of the overall program. Importantly, the bill will provide muchneeded reforms that hand for smallng Business Owners, freeing them of undo burdens and further economic expansion and help ardworking americans achieve their dreams. Im incredibly proud of the bipartisan nature of this bill. Again, o thank, congresswoman davids for introducing the bill and managing it. Im proud to stand with her to womenowned enterprises, and a special thanks to the committee on small chair, of course, our chairwoman velazquez, Ranking Member chabot for the bipartisan they offered. I ask my colleagues to join in 4405. T and vote for h. R. With that i yield back, mr. Speaker. Thank you. The speaker pro tempore the entleman from minnesota yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from ohio reserves the balance of his time. The gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Velazquez i have no speakers, so i am prepared to close if the gentleman doesnt have any r mr. Chabot we have no speakers and i willed id be happy to close and yield to the gentlelady. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady from new york reserves. The gentleman from ohio is recognized. Mr. Chabot thank you, mr. Speaker. In closing, mr. Speaker, 40 ofh a little less of firms in the United States are womenowned, that number has 114 over the last 10 years. With womenowned firms growing than 2 1 2 times faster than other businesses, its women nt to recognize entrepreneurs as a driving force in todays economy. Colleagues to support this Bipartisan Legislation and yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from ohio yields back the balance of his time. The gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Velazquez the United States has 13 million womenowned firms. Our economy relies heavily on womenowned Small Businesses as they generate over 1. 9 trillion in revenues and employ 9. 4 million workers. H. R. 4405 ensures that they have access to the tools they need to succeed. The good news is womenowned Small Businesses are growing two times faster on average than all businesses nationwide. And women of color are launching businesses 4. 5 times faster than all businesses. The discouraging news is that nearly half of aspiring women Business Owners report a lack of available meantors. We must take action to break down the barriers hindering their success. That is why it is imperative for us to pass this legislation today and ensuring access to mentorship and professional guidance to this group of entrepreneurs. This bill builds upon their success by creating uniformity for w. B. C. And increasing maximum grant levels to ensure they have the resources to meet demand for their services. We all agree that women Business Owners offer invaluable contributions to our economy. And by passing this bill, we are standing with women. I urge members to support this bill. And i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from new york yields back. The question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 4405. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid n the table. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition . Ms. Velazquez i move the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 4407. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk Union Calendar number 192, h. R. 4407, a bill to amend the Small Business act to reauthorize the Score Program, and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from new york, ms. Velazquez and the gentleman from ohio, mr. Chabot, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york, ms. Velazquez. Ms. Velazquez i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Ms. Velazquez i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Velazquez i rise today in support of the bill before us h. R. 4407, the score for Small Business act. There are nearly 30 million Small Businesses in the United States representing 99 of all businesses. These small firms employ nearly 50 of all private sectors employees in the u. S. The s. B. A. Administers Entrepreneurial Development programs which includes the Score Program. Since its inception the s. B. A. Has undertaken efforts to connect new entrepreneurs and Small Business owners with more experienced businessmen and women. This Expansive Network consists of entrepreneurs, Business Leaders and executives who volunteer as meantors to small firms both in person and online. Score has grown to become one of the federal governments largest business adviser and mentor program. Improvements are needed to ensure score minimizes risk for fraud or misuse of Program Funds and strengthens s. B. A. s oversight and the committees ability to review effectiveness of the program. On july 11, 2019, our subcommittee on investigations, oversight and regulations held a hearing to examine the agencys oversight of the Score Program. This bill is a direct result of that hearing and much stakeholder engagement. H. R. 4407 not only reauthorizes this essential program but also takes steps to restore integrity, accounting and enforcement of the program. Doing so ensures the program will continue to have the ability to meet the needs of entrepreneurs. And with Technology Enhancements and streamlined services processes, score mentoring will be access i will to Business Owners no matter their location. I commend congressman hernan to make sure that counseling and Training Programs is operating effectively as well as holding s. B. A. Accountable as a good steward of taxpayer dollars. I urge members to support this legislation. And i resevere the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from new york reserves the balance of her time. The gentleman from ohio, mr. Chabot is recognized. Mr. Chabot i yield myself such time as am recognized. I rise in support of h. R. 4407. This legislation will allow the Score Program to continue offer business mentoring and training to entrepreneurs and Small Business owners each year. The Score Program includes 11,000 volunteer meantors with expertise across 62 industries who provide more than one million hours of business counseling each year. When an entrepreneur seeks a score mentor, they are paired with a business professional with knowledge in a specific field or experience facing specific challenges. This process ensures that the goals of the entrepreneur are met by the volunteer mentor. In addition, the program also offers inperson Business Training classes at its 350 chapter locations. Entrepreneurs can utilize extensive Online Training opportunities and free Business Tools on Scores National website. Over the last 50 years, score has become the governments largest Business Mentoring Program with 800 locations nationally. Last year, score meantors provided personalized guidance to 140,000 clients. More than 400,000 clients attended work shops. This legislation will allow score to continue to provide these important services. H. R. 4407, this bill, the score for Small Business agget of 2019 adds strict safeguards to core provisions of the score bill passed last year in may. This legislation offered by the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. Heroin, and the gentlelady from minnesota, ms. Craig establishes strict requirements to protect taxpayer dollars and sets new outcome performance goals to meet the congressional intent. These provisions will increase congressional oversight of the program and provide future congresses with Additional Information about the health of the program. I thank the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. Heroin, for his leadership on this and the minnesota for her minnesota for her leadership on this and their thoughtful approach to the passage of this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the bill and i resevere sm the speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Velazquez i continue to reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman reserves. The gentlewoman from ohio is recognized. Mr. Chabot at this time, i would like to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from oklahoma, mr. Heroin, who is the lead republican sponsor of this legislation. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. Mr. Hern i thank the Ranking Member for yielding. Mr. Speaker, i rise in support f h. R. 4407. Score has helped more than 11 million entrepreneurs over the last 50 years. As you may know, score is a Nonprofit Organization made up of active and retired Business Executives who act as meantors. These volunteers provide facetoface counseling on Business Issues arranging from planning, budgeting, marketing and financing, all of this at no charge to the entrepreneur. As a Small Business owner myself, i can attest to the mentorship programs like this. In a country like this where a good idea and hard work can put you on the path to the hard dream, this can be a huge asset to a startup. There are more than 300 score chapters totalling 11,000 volunteers and there is one in my hometown of tulsa. H. R. 4407 will continue the success of the Score Program by reauthorizing the funds while safeguarding the program by modernizing data standards, closing loopholes for fraud and adding oversight over the use of funds. This will increase the integrity of score and help more Small Businesses and entrepreneurs. All of the reforms in this bill are supported by score. The bipartisan effort to invest in our Small Business owners and encourage americans to follow their dreams is a big step forward. I would like to thank ms. Craig from minnesota, being an original cosponsor and supporting its progress through the committee and now here on the house floor. The passage of bill will be an important future and my first piece of legislation to pass the house. Focusing on the businesses that drive our local economies and encouraging entrepreneurship has been my top priority in congress. Reauthorizing and strengthening score is a necessary step to help grow our economy and invest in our communities and i urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill today. Mr. Speaker, before i close, i just want to say i appreciate the leadership and bipartisanship of our chairwoman. You all do a great job in bipartisanship and leadership. Its a great example for the peoples house and i would encounseling our members to come in and see our meetings. It might be something they would like to see. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from ohio reserves. Ms. Velazquez i have no further speakers, if the gentleman is ready to close. Mr. Chabot i am ready to close. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. The chair will receive a message. The messenger mr. Speaker, a message from the senate. The secretary i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the senate has res in the con Capitol Visitor Center in connection of Memorial Services to be conducted in the house wing for the honorable elijah cummings, a representative from the state of maryland in which the concurrence of the house is requested. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from ohio is recognized. Mr. Chabot i have no further speakers so i am ready to close. The Score Program will continue its Mission Helping entrepreneurs to grow and start their businesses. With the vast majority of all businesses being classified as small, its vital that these Business Owners have effective entrepreneurial resources. H. R. 4407 regardless of location, a Small Business can access score mentoring and training. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from ohio yields back. The gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Velazquez there is no question that we need to support our Small Businesses across the country no matter where. H. R. 4407 does exactly that by reauthorizing a major component of s. B. A. Entrepreneurial programs and clarifying the utilization of the volunteer base. This bill is reflective of the Score Program which actively engages Business Owners as well as retired executives to mentor the next generation. Most importantly it responds to the finding of the i. G. And makes strides to hold agencies and score meantors accountable. I urge members to support this bill. And i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from new york yields back. The question is now will the house suspend the rules and pass bill h. R. 4407. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 being in the affirmative ms. Velazquez i demand the yeas and nays. The speaker pro tempore the yeas and nays are requested. All those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. A sufficient number having arisen, yeas and nays are ordered. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition . S. Velazquez i move that ms. Velazquez i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h. R. 4387. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title. The clerk a bill to establish growth accelerateor Fund Competition within the Small Business administration and for other purposes. Reporter pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from new york, ms. Velazquez, and the gentleman from ohio, mr. Chabot, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york, ms. Velazquez. Ms. Velazquez thank you, mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection, so ordered. Ms. Velazquez i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Velazquez i rise today in support of the bill before us. H. R. 4787, which establishes the growth accelerateor Fund Competition within s. B. A. Accelerator programs provide founders of Early Companies with education, mentorship, financing, and technical assistance. There are many accelerator Success Stories, among them are wellknown Companies Like air b b, dropbox and stripe. The s. B. A. Funds, the growth accelerator Fund Competition for the nation east most innovative, diverse, and promising Small Business accelerators and incubators. It was created in 2014 to job t Small Business creation job creation by giving early stage entrepreneurs exunts to immerse themselves in an intense learning environment. Monetary prizes of 50,000 to each of the winners go a long way to supporting the development of accelerators and incubators. Not only does the growth accelerator Fund Competition spur Economic Development and create jobs, uh but most importantly it supports innovation in economic areas that are outside of what we have come to think of as traditional coastal tech hubs. It supports places like industrial heartland where barriers to Capital Access has hindered entrepreneurs. The program also has a proven record of investing in women and minority entrepreneurs. The legislation will authorize millions in funds and money for four years to carry out the growth accelerator Fund Competition. 4387 continue ours commitment of investment in the next generation of american entrepreneurs by promoting innovation and growing jobs. I urge members to support this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from new york reserves the balance of her time. The gentleman from ohio is recognized. Mr. Chabot i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Chabot this codifies the growth accelerateor Fund Competition. Since 2014, the s. B. A. s office of investment innovation has run a yearly competition to identify the nations best Small Business accelerators and incubators. Its proven successful over the last five years and i suspect they will continue during the authorization period to be successful. The accelerators that win these awards represent a broad set of industries and sectors from manufacturing to Tech Startups to farming with a diversified range of demographic groups. The winners are selected through a twotyre review Panel Process and are evaluated by experts in entrepreneurship, investing and Business Plans both inside and outside the federal government. The expert judges review applications and pitch videos submitted by the finalists. Im proud to say that three cincinnati organizations have won an award prize since the initiatives inception. The brandry, first batch and mortar. These award dollars have been reinvested in Small Business clients in cincinnati communities. As an authorized program rather than an s. B. A. Administrator initiative the competition will be subject to greater congressional oversight. I want to thank the gentleman from new york, mr. Espaillat, and my fellow ohioan, mr. Balderson, for their leadership on this bill their hard work on the bill has been informed by oversight findings and agency trands parentcy. This legislation has my full support, i urge its adoption and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentlewoman from new york is recognized. Ms. Velazquez i want to take this opportunity to congratulate conditioningman espaillat from new yorkened espaillat and mr. Balderson for their hard work and cricks they are baking they are making with this bill. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from new york and sponsor of the bill, mr. Espaillat. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman the speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Espaillat thank you, chairwoman velazquez. I want to thank you and also Ranking Member shah with the for your lead cher leadership. I want to thank my colleague, congressman balderson, for working with me on this Bipartisan Legislation. One of the most widely successful tools the Small Business administration utilizes to grow and support Small Businesses is the growth accelerateor Fund Competition. Since this Program Began in 2014, the growth accelerator Fund Competition has Small Businesses, entrepreneurs in almost 40 states. This Competitive Program provides some of the most innovative and promising Small Businesses in high growth sectors with early stage education, financing mentorship, training and technical assistance. Importantly, these Entrepreneurial Development models create a pipeline of talented entrepreneur, especially women and minority, to grow and succeed. According to the Small Business administration, since this growth accelerator Fund Competition began in 2014, the first 50 awardees have led directly to almost 1,500 Companies Across the country. Canned fiing this program and authorizing 2 million for four additional years is a commitment to american innovation. The legislation reflect ours bipartisan support and priority investment in the growth, development and expansion of Small Businesses. I am proud to support this program and im glad to work with colleaguesen both sides of the aisle on this meaningful and important legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this, thank you, mr. Speaker, and i yield back the remaining part of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new york yields the balance of his time they have gentlewoman from new york, ms. Velazquez, reserves. The gentleman from ohio is recognized. Mr. Chabot i have no further speakers members seeking time, im prepared to close if the gentlelady prepared. The Growth Accelerator Fund at the s. B. A. Draws attention and funding to parts of the country where there were gap where there are gaps in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. This bill will provide for increased report, better metrics to gauge Program Outcomes and provides budding entrepreneurs with greater resources to build our communities. This bill is a product of our bipartisan work at the Small Business committee. I want to thank all of our members both democrat and republican for their excellent work on this legislative package as well as our chairwoman, ms. Velazquez, and her staff for working with our staff in a very cooperative, bipartisan method. It would be great if the rest of the house does worked as well as this committee does. Im on Foreign Affairs and legislative too so they may not is a joy to t this serve on. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Velazquez thank you, mr. Speaker. Business accelerateors help High Growth Enterprises develop product, identify promising customer segments and secure resources including vital capital and potential employees. It is clear that they serve an Important Role in innovation. H. R. 4387 enhances the ability of the s. B. A. s growth accelerator Fund Competition so it can continue to assist entrepreneurs. By opening the Funding Network for companies that may not otherwise have gained such exposure, the Growth Accelerator Fund helps boost Small Business innovation and growth economy. S. B. A. Growth Accelerator Program supports underserved Business Owners and fills critical gaps in Capital Access. In 2019, 60 of the winners were either women owned, socially or economically disadvantaged. Or located in areas with lower numbers of sbir and sttr awards. This bill reinforces our committees pledge to entrepreneurship and job creation. Finally, i want to thank mr. Espaillat and mr. Balderson for their diligence on this bill and i also want to take this opportunity to thank the Ranking Member, mr. Chabot, an his staff, my staff, and what we are showing today is that there is not republican or democratic approach when it comes to Small Businesses. This is the way we do right by American People and with that, i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from new york yields back the balance of her time. Members, the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 4387. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess subjec and tomorrow, a hearing on the u. S. Troop withdrawal from syria and turkeys military action. We will hear from the special envoy to syria before the Senate Foreign relations committee. And on wednesday, testimony from ook c. E. O. Mark zucker zuckerberg. He will speak before the House Financial Services committee. Thinking about participating cam 2020 student competition. But never made a film . We have resources to help you get started. Check our Getting Started for producing information and video links to footage in the cspan library. Teachers will find resources on the teachers page to help introduce your students. The final topic if you are truly passionate about it. We are asking middle and High School Students to create a Short Documentary on the issues that you would like the president ial candidates to address. 1pan will award 100,000 ,000 program. Produce the best video. Visit studiocam. Org today. Next, remarks by connecticut democratic senator chris murphy. He spoke at the Hudson Institute in washington d. C. This is an hour. Good morning everyone and thanks to those who are watching us on cspan and electronic