Annie Kuster: “This is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill…”

“This is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage as amended. Mr. Speaker, I would first like to commend Congressman Pittenger and Congressman Heck for their tireless work on this bill. The three of us arrived in Congress at the same time, just over 2 years ago, as part of a very large freshman class. Republicans and Democrats alike, we were all sent here by constituents frustrated with the gridlock and partisanship who want their Representatives to work together to solve problems. In that spirit, I appreciate the bipartisan work that went into this bill, which addresses a noble goal: ensuring that the voices of small businesses are heard by Federal regulators making important decisions across our entire economy. I share that goal. Indeed, I have worked across the aisle to bring regulators like the FDA and the SBA to my district in New Hampshire to ensure that they listen to our small businesses and family farmers. Unfortunately, this bill before us today falls short of what our constituents expect and deserve, and contains a last-minute, partisan amendment to undermine funding for consumer protection. Regardless of one's position on the bill, however, I believe we should all work together to improve it. Thus, I offer this amendment to help protect veterans and military servicemembers from unscrupulous business practices.…”