On the recordNovember 13, 2019
I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand up for small business owners across our country who want to do the patriotic thing and provide economic opportunities to those serving in the military Reserves. I represent Burlington County and Ocean County in New Jersey, home to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Approximately 5,500 reservists are currently serving at our joint base, and 99 percent of New Jersey businesses are classified as small businesses. For those small business owners who are members of the Reserves or want to hire reservists, there is uncertainty and risks that come with unexpected deployments and activations to Active Duty. During times of war, we not only ask these reservists to sacrifice during their service but to sacrifice their economic well-being. In 2003, during the Iraq war, a small business owner and servicemember named Stanley Adams was called to Active Duty. Mr. Adams, who owned two thriving livestock trailer companies, had to close one down and saw revenue plummet during his deployment. In an interview, Mr. Adams said, ``Everything came to a halt, and all this money still had to be paid.'' We owe our servicemembers more than that. Serving our country shouldn't be a barrier to those who want to start or work for a small business. We should reward these patriots, not create an environment of economic uncertainty.…
