On the recordMarch 25, 2021
Mr. President, the very reason we even have to do an extension is that the new administration has unfairly and unnecessarily restricted eligible businesses and nonprofits from applying. It has created confusion. People haven't been able to get in by the deadlines, and unless we put in more guardrails, there is little assurance that this is not going to continue. In particular, the one thing that would undermine this popular, bipartisan program is if people came to the conclusion that it was being used arbitrarily to give priority to politically favored groups. So all this amendment does is prohibit the Small Business Administration from setting up any new set-asides beyond those that this Congress, on a bipartisan basis, already created last year when we passed this at the end of 2020. What were those priorities? Smaller businesses, businesses in low- income areas, community financial institutions. All it says is, if you want to change those priorities, Congress has to do it, not the Small Business Administration. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
