Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7988, the Small Business Procurement and Utilization Reform Act of 2024, also known as the SPUR Act, sponsored by Representatives Stauber and Perez. Small businesses are vital to the health and resiliency of America's industrial base. Broad and robust small business participation ensures that America can continue to lead the world in innovation and defend us against foreign adversaries. However, small businesses are getting squeezed out of the industrial base at a staggering rate, a direct threat to America's dominance. There are just half as many small businesses participating in the industrial base as there were just a decade ago. This downward trend is a culmination of years of bad government policy and is being made worse by the Biden administration's regulatory onslaught, dissuading small businesses from even considering participating in the Federal marketplace. The SPUR Act is a critical step into looking under the hood of the government and bringing accountability to agencies. By grading agencies on how many contracts have been awarded to small businesses for the very first time, we will bring together a great focus on reversing the declining participation of small businesses in the industrial base. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 7988, and I reserve the balance of my time.”