Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of H.R. 5044. The gentleman has brought a really important point forward. Currently, if a veteran's death results in their small business becoming less than 51 percent owned by a service-disabled veteran, the surviving spouse can acquire the veteran's ownership interest if the veteran had a 100-percent disability rating. This allows the surviving spouse to keep their loved one's small business status. However, the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran who had less than a 100-percent disability is not allowed to do the same. This is a clear-cut case, I think, of spirit and intent of the law. I don't think anyone intended for a 60-percent service-disabled veteran who maybe lost a limb in combat, and then who dies, for their spouse to lose their eligibility. It is a really important point to bring up. This bill will now permit a surviving spouse to maintain a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business status for a period of 3 years after the veteran's death, or until the spouse remarries. This simply allows a Gold Star spouse a bit more time after a loved one's death to settle any business affairs of the deceased spouse it had. It is the right thing to do to ease the burden that comes with the loss of a spouse in expression of our gratitude for their family's service. Mr.…”