Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support in of S. 4900, the SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022. The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Businesses Technology Transfer, or SBIR and STTR programs, are vital to the success of many small entities and have helped create thousands of new jobs by fostering innovation and stimulating the economy through cutting-edge research. SBIR and STTR's mission is to support scientific excellence and technological innovation for small businesses. For the last 40 years, these programs have helped firms develop new technologies that have directly assisted Federal agencies meet their R&D needs. The American warfighter is no doubt stronger due to these programs. However, a recent Department of Defense report revealed foreign adversaries have been exploiting the SBIR through shell companies, planted government researchers, and state-sponsored talent programs. The report found that the People's Republic of China has become a large beneficiary of SBIR and STTR. This is unacceptable, and the status quo must not continue, Mr. Speaker. {time} 1415 The programs must have heightened awareness and protections in place to prevent nefarious abuse. This legislation, crafted over months of negotiations, provides significant reforms to combat malign foreign influence and protect our small businesses from Chinese acquisition of innovation technologies.…”