Political Quotes

“I thank the chairman for his leadership in continuing to fight for small business. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3170, the Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act of 2017. Cybersecurity has become an increasing issue for small businesses, as many small firms have less time than larger firms to develop cybersecurity defense strategies, fewer staff to monitor systems, and less access to capital to purchase computer security hardware and software. As more businesses embrace online tools, such as social media, mobile services, and cloud data storage, the need for stronger information security and cybersecurity systems has grown. Small business development centers provide important resources and business assistance programs for entrepreneurs and small-business owners. In Kansas, small business development centers have aided hundreds of businesses across the State, many of which I visited across the district. H.R. 3170 acknowledges the importance of cybersecurity, as well as the broad reach of SBDCs, and instructs the small-business administrator to establish a cybersecurity program for SBDC employees. Adding this training to the SBDC toolkit will allow SBDC employees to assist businessowners with cyber planning and strategy and is critical in ensuring that small businesses and entrepreneurs are able to securely compete in today's digital marketplace. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.”