Hillary Scholten

I am proud to speak on behalf of my bill, the Enhancing Competition in Contracting Orders, which is cosponsored by my wonderful colleague, Congresswoman Salazar.

It is not an overstatement to say they truly are the lifeblood of our economy.

Just this past November, 216 of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle voted to prohibit funding for the CDC's firearm injury and mortality prevention research.

We can have an assault weapons ban. We can have waiting periods. We can have extreme risk protection orders or red flag laws.

In 2024, in the U.S., there have already been 1,137 gun violence-related deaths and seven mass shootings.

Crime and violence against small businesses defy the core tenets of economic freedom and empowerment our country and our economy is built on.

Water is a way of life in west Michigan. The Great Lakes are a major economic engine, both in Michigan and throughout our region.

It is just so critical that we take stock of what we have been able to accomplish and just how much we have yet to do.

Maintaining safe passages, open passages through the Great Lakes year-round is critical to that end.

I encourage you to do all that you can to keep our servicemembers safe and undistracted.

Of course, the Coast Guard plays such a critical role in national security.

Many of us continue to be concerned about the impacts of further continuing resolutions in place of appropriations.

I am concerned not only for the workers themselves, but as a lawmaker and a protector of my constituents, I am concerned about their safety.

I am particularly concerned about the impact and delays on these airports for these programs.

It bears repeating over and over and over again that the Senate's delay in passing the FAA reauthorization has created significant uncertainty for our aviation industry.

Supporting these minority entrepreneurs is a high priority of mine as it is for the SBDC.

The 14 percent cut to the SBDC is of particular note to a district like mine.

My question for you is, knowing this importance, the fiscal year 2024 SBA budget requests funding cuts to the SBDC Program by approximately 14 percent.

We could not agree more. I want to be on the record as saying we know that you are not out to hurt small businesses.

As the vice ranking member on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, I was fortunate enough in August to join a congressional delegation to Panama with the Coast Guard to learn more about the Coast Guard's key law…

I have been the first among Democrats many times to push back against unnecessary regulations.

There is nothing more frustrating to a west Michigan small business owner than regulations that do nothing and just stand in their way.

My district is home to a very large portion of the Grand River Watershed, the largest river in the State of Michigan.

I couldn't agree with you more.

It feels like a problem that we continue to throw more and more money at without really solving the problem.