Nydia M. Velazquez

For the past 4 years, our Nation has faced economic headwinds, but was able to break through and strengthen considerably. In that time, over 12 million jobs have been created, the stock market has come roaring back, and optimism in the…

In closing, the 7(a) loan program provides a critical source of capital for our veterans. This year the SBA lending to veteran-owned firms is on track to exceed $1 billion for the first time ever. Today's bill will save veterans millions…

Veterans play a significant role in the U.S. economy. They own 2.4 million businesses, employ 5.8 million people, and have generated well over $1 trillion in receipts. Like most small businesses, access to capital is still hard to come by…

The microloan program provides very small loans to start-up, newly established, or growing small businesses. Many of these businessowners come from traditionally underserved markets, where personal and commercial credit is hard to come by…

When Hurricane Sandy made landfall in 2012, New York City was one of the hardest hit areas. Thousands of homes suffered damage, infrastructure was disrupted, and our city's small businesses were impacted physically and economically. Mr…

I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time. Since its creation in 1958, the SBIC program has injected billions of dollars into promising startups and small businesses. With the help of the SBIC, some of these small…

Once again, we are being asked to vote for an agreement that will cost jobs, undermine environmental protections, and erode workers' rights, all in the name of so-called free trade. This agreement is being negotiated in the dark, behind…

When I go home to New York, I don't hear people telling me we need to rush into another trade deal. The only people pushing fast track are lobbyists and big corporations. They are not whom I represent. I would rather stand with New York's…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, time and again, we are promised trade deals create opportunity. Time and again, instead, they send jobs abroad. In the first 7 years of NAFTA, New York City's textile and apparel industry…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this legislation, which amounts to nothing less than an assault on women's fundamental rights. This is about a woman's ability to make her own decisions in…

I thank the ranking member for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose a budget that will cut the legs out from under our Nation's small businesses. This budget would mean $10 billion of cuts to initiatives that foster small business…

Sixteen. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the bill before us today. As we all know, small businesses are critical to sustaining our economic growth, and it only makes sense to cater our economic policy to meet their needs. Congress…

Reducing the costs of regulations is a very important issue for small businesses, and it is an issue that is always on their minds. Complicated rules and duplicative requirements can create burdens for small firms across a wide range of…

I want to take this opportunity to thank the gentlelady from New York for yielding. Today, I call on my colleagues to reauthorize the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program, a public-private partnership that is vital to continued economic…

I thank the gentlelady for yielding. Today I call on my colleagues to pass reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program, a public-private partnership that is vital to continued economic development across the country. Following…

The National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2015 includes several small business sections, including Section 825 which was taken from my legislation H.R. 2452, The Women's Procurement Program Equalization Act of 2013. This bill…

I enter into the Record the story of two Honduran brothers who were tortured and murdered by gang members in San Pedro Sula, the murder capital of the world. Mr. Speaker, how we treat our children speaks to the character of our Nation…

With 3 legislative days left before Congress leaves for a 5-week vacation, Democrats are working to advance the priorities of the American people: creating jobs, jump-starting the middle class, and working to reform our broken immigration…

When we look at this budget, we know that the rhetoric does not match the reality. Rather than paying lip service to small businesses, we must invest in the programs that help them grow and create jobs. That is what we need, job creation…

We just held a press conference today with so many small business people who have benefited from these types of programs. They are businesses that opened up in 2006. Today, we had a lady who provides IT services to the DOD and to many…

I thank the ranking member for yielding, for fighting, and for being a real fiscal leader for small businesses in this country. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this budget. Far from being a path to prosperity, it is actually a…

Because of the House Republican leadership's inaction, 3 days after Christmas, 127,000 New Yorkers were cut off from their jobless benefits. Every week in 2014, another 5,100 working families in New York lose unemployment compensation…

I want to thank the gentlelady from New York for yielding. Mr. Speaker, in 16 days, 1.3 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits they have relied on to buy groceries and keep a roof over their heads; and, no, we are not…

I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member, and especially the ranking member for yielding. I rise in support of this critical legislation and urge my colleagues to support its passage. Throughout our Nation, in every city and…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, let's be clear about the bill before us today. This bill is not an attempt to help Americans keep their insurance plans. The President already announced a plan to help address that goal…