Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of the Small Business Contracting Transparency Act. I thank my colleague, Representative Houlahan, for bringing this up. It is a very good bill and I am proud to stand in support of it. In Minnesota, Feeding Our Future, a supposed nonprofit in Minnesota meant to feed children, used $250 million of COVID-19 Federal funds to buy luxury cars and real estate. Since COVID-19, fraud has been on the rise. Bad actors are taking advantage of vulnerable government programs and stealing taxpayer dollars for their own benefit and wealth. We must be better stewards of taxpayer dollars and ensure proper safeguards are in place. The Small Business Administration is charged with ensuring that only eligible firms are participating in its Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract program, HUBZone programs, and the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business programs. The Small Business Contracting Transparency Act would bring much- needed oversight to the certification process, ensure the SBA is only approving appropriate firms, and give Congress the tools to hold the SBA accountable, if necessary. By supporting the Small Business Contracting Transparency Act, we will not only provide valuable assistance to small businesses but also ensure effectiveness in government contracting. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Small Business Contracting Transparency Act.”