Steve Chabot

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Knight and Ms. Clarke for this leading bipartisan legislation, which takes a critical step toward addressing the challenge that small contractors face when entering the middle market. The primary objective of the SBA's small business programs is to encourage the growth and vibrancy of the Federal supplier base, boost competition, protect against supplier consolidation, and spur innovation. These noble goals are thwarted when small businesses find themselves competing in the open market prematurely before they have the tools they need to succeed. Given the increasing size of Federal contract awards made today, one or two big awards won by a small contractor could easily force them out of the category of small business. Since many do not have the infrastructure or competitiveness to go head to head against firms many times their size, they often fail or become consumed into a larger competitor's supply chain. These results contravene the mission and purpose of the small business programs, further widening the divide between large and small contractors. Competitiveness takes time, hard work, and significant resources to build. However, difficult as it is to build competitiveness, it is just as easily lost. H.R. 6330 provides a solution to this problem, allowing small businesses extra time to potentially retain their ``small'' size status while they continue to develop their competitive edge. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6330, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight) and thank him for his leadership in this important measure.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close. Mr. Speaker, this legislation gives small businesses more time to adjust to not being a small business anymore. We want our small businesses to thrive and grow and break through to the mid-tier and big business strata. Oftentimes, that is difficult. H.R. 6330 gives these firms just a little more time to adapt to their new business environment, so they can compete more efficiently and continue to grow and create more jobs for more Americans. I again thank Mr. Knight for his leadership on this. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6367) to amend the Small Business Act to specify what credit is given for certain subcontractors and to provide a dispute process for non-payment to subcontractors, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, before we begin discussion of this legislation, I would like to thank Mr. Lawson from Florida and Mr. Kelly from Mississippi for their leadership in addressing an issue that is a cause of great concern for small subcontractors; namely, prime contractor compliance with their subcontracting plans. Large prime contractors have a statutory obligation to develop and submit a subcontracting plan as part of their bid and proposal package. In this plan, prime contractors are required to outline their intention to award a certain percentage of subcontracting dollars to small businesses. Unfortunately, it has been a challenge to ensure that prime contractors are held accountable to these plans. Recently, the Department of Defense Inspector General's Office issued a report that found post-award compliance activities, specifically the oversight of subcontracting plans, is not a high priority for contracting officers. This finding is not limited to the military and can be generalized to apply across the Federal Government. As the number of prime contracts suitable for small business continues to decline, subcontracting becomes increasingly important for small contractors trying to gain a foothold in the Federal market. H.R. 6367, as amended, proposes to strengthen subcontracting measures by requiring large primes to maintain records proving they are subcontracting to small businesses, as required by their subcontracting plans. Furthermore, this bill establishes an alternative avenue of redress for small subcontractors, allowing them to engage the appropriate Federal agency's small business advocate office if they believe payment is being withheld unfairly by a large prime contractor. Because of these important measures undertaken to protect small contractors, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6367, as amended. I also, again, thank my colleagues for their leadership in this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on this particular legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close. Mr. Speaker, as we have discussed, there are less prime contracting opportunities that are available for small businesses nowadays. It is in the subcontracting arena that is often the best and only way for a small contractor to engage with the Federal Government, but the lack of accountability and Federal oversight harms small subcontractors that rely on these opportunities to survive. This is a lose-lose situation for both America's small businesses seeking to do work for the Federal Government and for the government itself. We want our citizens to get the best bang for their buck, and the more competition there is, the better it is for all of us. The greater oversight reforms in this legislation take a big step in ensuring small firms are protected. I once again thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lawson) for his leadership on this measure, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan, commonsense piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6368) to encourage R&D small business set-asides, to encourage SBIR and STTR participants to serve as mentors under the Small Business Administration's mentor-protege program, to promote the use of interagency contracts, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation was introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat) and cosponsored by the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman), so it is bipartisan. I thank the gentlemen, both of them, for their leadership on this important issue. This legislation would make small but important changes to the Small Business Innovation Research, or SBIR, and the Small Business Technology Transfer, or STTR, programs. A healthy and vibrant Federal marketplace is important to our Nation. Competition breeds innovation, which is critical in our national defense to save lives on the battlefield or healthcare advancements to improve and prolong lives. The SBIR and STTR programs are often one of the first places small innovators and manufacturers venture into the Federal contracting arena. The process can be daunting for small firms completely new to contracting with the Federal Government. H.R. 6368 provides an avenue for more experienced SBIR and STTR companies to mentor newer companies to help them adjust to how the Federal Government does business. By doing so, it aims to strengthen the industrial base by bringing new firms into the contracting process. The bill also rewards mentors with a past-performance rating boost so they can be more advantaged when applying for a full research and development set-aside or sole-source contracts going forward outside of the program. Additionally, this legislation provides clarity in the use of government-side interagency acquisitions permitted through the fiscal year 2009 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, by updating and harmonizing the terminology used in acquisitions. Finally, the bill expressly allows the GSA, General Services Administration, to assist agencies with contract awards and vehicle creation for small businesses receiving sole-source or set-aside contracts in the SBIR and STTR programs. Historically, there have been lengthy delays in the programs at various stages, including award notification, payment, and advancement. The bill aims to reduce these delays by allowing the GSA to assist participating agencies in the SBIR and STTR contract creation and management. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Washington, DC, September 18, 2018. Hon. Steve Chabot, Chairman, Committee on Small Business, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 6368, the Encouraging Small Business Innovators Act of 2018. This bill contains provisions within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. As a result of your having consulted with me concerning the provisions of the bill that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction, I agree to forgo consideration of the bill, so the bill may proceed expeditiously to the House floor. The Committee takes this action with our mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 6368, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and we will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so we may address any remaining issues within our Rule X jurisdiction. Further, I request your support for the appointment of conferees from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform during any House-Senate conference on this or related legislation. Finally, I would appreciate a response confirming this understanding and ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the bill report filed by the Committee on Small Business, as well as in the Congressional Record during floor consideration thereof. Sincerely, Trey Gowdy.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close. Mr. Speaker, I, first of all, thank the gentlewoman, the ranking member, for her leadership on this, and Mr. Espaillat, as well, and Mr. Norman for working together in a bipartisan manner. Mr. Speaker, the SBIR and STTR play pivotal roles in the development of new technologies while giving Federal agencies innovative and cost- effective ways to solve operational problems. They are highly popular and have helped thousands of small businesses create new technologies, commercialize their ideas, and generate new jobs. The reforms contained in H.R. 6368 will bring more firms into the programs and make it easier for them to win contracts. This is a win- win for small businesses and the Federal Government as competition breeds innovation, and innovation leads to saving taxpayer dollars. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bipartisan and commonsense reforms of H.R. 6368, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6369) to amend the Small Business Act to eliminate the inclusion of option years in the award price for sole source contracts, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Dr. Marshall and Mr. Schneider for their leadership on this bill. The Small Business Act currently allows Federal agencies to award sole-source contracts to women-owned; service-disabled veteran-owned; HUBZone; and socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses. However, these awards can only be made in the narrowest of circumstances, rightly protecting the ability of small businesses to compete against each other. Even though Federal contracting officers have this procurement tool in their toolbox, the reality is that small business sole-source contracting is rare and may be underutilized. This can, in part, be attributed to the fact that the maximum dollar threshold for Federal sole-source contracts designated in statute has fallen far behind the typical size of contract awards made today. As contracts increase in size and scope, the usefulness of small business sole-source contracts diminishes, to the detriment of small contractors eligible to receive such awards. H.R. 6369, as amended, adjusts the dollar threshold to actually reflect the size of contracts that are commonly used across the government today. This modest change will provide agencies with an accessible pathway to achieving their small business goals in categories they have historically been unable to meet. Additionally, and importantly, this bill institutes a new oversight process which will help reduce the chances of sole-source awards being made to ineligible firms by requiring positive confirmation by the Small Business Administration that this small business is, in fact, eligible to receive the award before it is issued by the Federal agency. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6369, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Marshall), the leader on this particular legislation.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close. Mr. Speaker, this bill provides greater opportunities for women- owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone, and socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses. Additionally, it will help Federal agencies achieve and exceed their small business goals. It reinforces oversight, and gives Federal agencies a greater motivation to work with small firms. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support the bipartisan and commonsense reforms in H.R. 6369, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6382) to amend the Small Business Act to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to report certain information to the Congress and to the President, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.