Steve Chabot

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to thank Ms. Adams for leading this important piece of legislation. Category management is a procurement initiative that is currently being rolled out across the Federal Government. It can be a positive tool, allowing the Federal Government to better understand its purchasing habits and identify cost savings where appropriate. However, setting mandatory targets to manage agency spending may result in unintended consequences. Specifically, there is concern that this initiative may have the effect of reducing competition to only a few select vendors. As we continue to see increased use of these best-in-class vehicles by Federal agencies, it is important to remember that it is not the job of the government to pick winners and losers. We must be vigilant and ensure that maximum opportunities are given to small businesses, even as we continue to pursue cost savings across the Federal Government. H.R. 6382, as amended, takes that critical first step by tracking the potential impacts of category management on small businesses. The bill requires the SBA to report exactly how much of these dollars spent through best-in-class vehicles are awarded to small businesses. Obtaining this data and identifying trends or patterns affecting small businesses will become increasingly important as category management continues to be used in years to come. This is a commonsense piece of oversight legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support the measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Ms. Adams for her leadership on this measure and congratulate her for its passage here shortly. This legislation raises the profile of this important issue and requires that the SBA keep track of how much Federal spending is made through best-in-class vehicles. I applaud the administration for looking for ways to ensure taxpayer dollars are utilized in the most efficient ways possible. At the same time, we must be watchful to safeguard small businesses' proper importance and place in the Federal marketplace. Enacting this legislation will help ensure that the correct data is collected and reported to help maintain that balance. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan 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 (S. 791) to amend the Small Business Act to expand intellectual property education and training for small businesses, and for other purposes.

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 materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 791, the Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017. As small-business entrepreneurs continue to expand both here and abroad, they must have the tools they need to protect their intellectual property. However, the process for obtaining intellectual property protections both in the U.S. and abroad can be daunting, even for the most experienced small-business owner. We must ensure that small-business owners have the tools they need to protect their innovative ideas and products, as intellectual property protections are essential to promoting entrepreneurship and innovation. Small-business owners often do not have the resources to protect their ideas and products, especially when they are competing in the international marketplace. Most simply cannot afford to retain attorneys to guide them through the difficult process of obtaining intellectual property protections, which leaves them vulnerable to their innovative ideas and products being stolen both here in the United States and internationally. This legislation addresses this issue by developing a partnership between the Small Business Administration, the SBA, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office, USPTO, giving entrepreneurs the full breadth of knowledge of a Small Business Development Center system and the USPTO. The bill utilizes existing resources at both agencies to better assist small-business owners and expand their outreach efforts to provide small businesses with the resources they need to address intellectual property issues. Considering the important role that small-business entrepreneurs play in our global marketplace, it is our responsibility to ensure that they have the resources they need to better protect their intellectual property. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, September 20, 2018. Hon. Steve Chabot, Chairman, Committee on Small Business, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Chabot, I write with respect to S. 791, the ``Small Business Innovation Protection Act.'' As a result of your having consulted with us on provisions within S. 791 that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary, I forego any further consideration of this bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration. The Judiciary Committee takes this action with our mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration of S. 791 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject matter contained in this or similar legislation and that our committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. Our committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation and asks that you support any such request. I would appreciate a response to this letter confirming this understanding with respect to S. 791 and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of S. 791. Sincerely, Bob Goodlatte, Chairman.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 791 is the Senate counterpart to legislation spearheaded on the House side by Mr. Evans and Mr. Fitzpatrick, both of Pennsylvania. Once again, it is bipartisan legislation coming out of the Small Business Committee. That bill, H.R. 2655, was also reported unanimously out of our committee this spring. I commend them on their work on this important issue. This legislation helps small businesses receive better access to education and training opportunities both domestically and abroad. A partnership between the Small Business Administration and the USPTO would help more small-business owners learn how they can use intellectual property to protect their ideas and products. This important partnership between the two agencies will help to reach more small-business owners and better prepare them for doing business both here and abroad. It is vital that small-business owners have as many tools and resources as possible to help protect their innovative ideas from intellectual property theft. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I would just advise the gentlewoman not to get ahead of herself there. It ain't happened yet, and I don't think it is going to happen. But nonetheless, we have had a wonderful working relationship over the years. I have been the chair; I have been the ranking member. The gentlewoman from New York has been the chair and the ranking member. We would like to keep it just the way it is now, but we will see in about 6 weeks. Mr. Speaker, I have already given the closing statement, so 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. 6758) to direct the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, in consultation with the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, to study and provide recommendations to promote the participation of women and minorities in entrepreneurship activities and the patent system, to extend by 8 years the Patent and Trademark Office's authority to set the amounts for the fees it charges, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 6758, currently under consideration.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6758, the SUCCESS Act. Back in 2011, I was one of five Members of Congress who cosponsored the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act that the President eventually signed into law. In it, a provision was included to provide the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office with the authority to set fees to cover the cost of examining patent applications and registering trademarks. Today, as a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, I recognize the need to extend that authority another 8 years. The PTO plays a critical role in the development of new technologies. The agency operates on fees it collects from patent and trademark applicants. To ensure that the PTO has the resources it needs to properly examine patent applications and register trademarks to study the issue of patenting by women, minority, and veteran entrepreneurs, and to perform the countless other activities it undertakes that are essential to maintaining America's competitiveness, Congress needs to reauthorize the PTO's authority to adjust its fees. Additionally, we need to ensure that every American with a great new idea has access to the tools necessary for success in order for our Nation to realize its full potential and to secure an even brighter economic future for ourselves and our children. The SUCCESS Act helps us achieve that goal by requiring that the PTO provide recommendations to Congress on how to increase the participation of women, minorities, and veterans in entrepreneurship activities in the patent system. While American ingenuity is unparalleled, recent reports indicate that we have not tapped into all that the American people have to offer. Those reports indicate that while U.S. women earn almost half of all undergraduate degrees in science and engineering, and an estimated 39 percent of all new Ph.D.s in those fields, it appears that only between 10 percent and 20 percent of innovators listed on patents are women. A 2017 study showed that racial minorities fair even worse. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank Representatives Comstock and Adams for introducing language that served as the inspiration for the study included in H.R. 6758. I want to also thank my fellow members on the Judiciary and Small Business Committees for being original cosponsors of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close, and I will be very brief. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to thank the gentleman from Georgia for his hard work on this legislation. We worked together on a number of bills in the past, and I really do appreciate the bipartisan effort in this area. I urge my colleagues to support this important 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. 5075) to encourage, enhance, and integrate Ashanti Alert plans throughout the United States, 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 H.R. 5075, currently under consideration.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we will vote today on H.R. 5075, the Ashanti Alert Act of 2018. This bill establishes a national alert network for missing adults at the Department of Justice. It will allow law enforcement to coordinate the use of communication systems to alert the public that an adult is missing. In order to issue an alert, the missing adult must either suffer from a proven mental or physical disability, or law enforcement must certify the person's physical safety may be in danger, or their disappearance was not voluntary. This Ashanti national alert network will be integrated into the existing Blue Alert system. The Blue Alert system issues alerts to notify the public of nearby suspects or threats to their community's law enforcement officials. This legislation will also allow the Attorney General to designate a national coordinator to work with States to establish alert systems for missing adults and to develop voluntary guidelines States may use in creating their networks. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Scott Taylor for introducing this legislation. We appreciate Mr. Taylor being here today and appreciate his leadership in this effort. I ask my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Taylor).

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. It was my understanding that the gentlewoman would like to participate in a colloquy.

Mr. CHABOT. I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mr. CHABOT. The gentlewoman is correct. This outreach to tribes shall be conducted in the same manner as the Blue Alert program, yes.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the remainder of my time. Mr. Speaker, in closing, on behalf of all Members of the House, I would like to offer my condolences to the family of Ashanti. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Taylor for his leadership in proposing this very important legislation. Hopefully, other people will benefit from its passage. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. As the dean of the Ohio Republican delegation, I rise to welcome the newest Buckeye to our delegation, Troy Balderson. Troy was born and raised in southeast Ohio. He grew up and worked on his family farm. He graduated from Zanesville High School. And, Mr. Speaker, that is Zanesville, not Janesville. He also attended both Muskingum College as well as The Ohio State University. Prior to joining our delegation, Troy served our great State as both a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and a member of the Ohio Senate. He is no stranger to building relationships, learning the issues, and solving problems. So he will do well here. As a businessman, as my colleague mentioned, an elder at the Christian Church in Zanesville, and as an athlete, Troy has proven time and again that hard work and a little grit make a very strong leader. I have no doubt that our delegation and the residents of the 12th Congressional District will truly benefit from his experience. I believe that we all will. Congratulations to you and your family, Troy. On behalf of the Ohio Republican delegation and I think all Members, welcome to the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5754, the Cambodia Democracy Act of 2018. As the Republican Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Cambodia and an original cosponsor of this legislation and I believe it is critical that Congress support the people of Cambodia in their march toward democracy. I want to thank Congressman Lowenthal, the Democratic Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Cambodia, Chairman Royce, and Chairman Yoho for their work on this important legislation. Throughout his 30-year rule, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has routinely stifled Cambodia's progress toward democracy. Last year, he began his latest crackdown because he knew that given the chance, the Cambodian people would elect someone else. He began by uprooting civil society organizations. This included cracking down on newspapers such as the Cambodia Daily and outlets like Radio Free Asia and Voice of America as well as forcing the National Democratic Institute to leave the country. Then he started peddling the ridiculous story that the United States was trying to orchestrate a coup. Then he threw Kem Sokah--leader of the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) and his principal opponent--in prison. Hun Sen proceeded to disband the CNRP, bar its MPs from serving in public office, and cause many of them to flee into exile. Due to these crimes, there can be no doubt Cambodia's so-called elections this Sunday will not be free or fair. At present Cambodia can no longer be called a democracy, whatever its dictator wants to claim. H.R. 5754 is simple. It would sanction those individuals who are responsible for crushing democracy in Cambodia to encourage them to reverse their actions, to show our support for the Cambodian people, and to demonstrate that we will not stand idly by when democracy is squashed around the world. I would urge my colleges to support this measure.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1220, which would establish the Adams Memorial Commission. As a former teacher and a history major from the College of William and Mary, our nation's second oldest college, I think we should do more to remember President John Adams. He was instrumental in our nation's founding and he is a central, if often overlooked, figure in American history. John Adams--who served as our first Vice President and second President--was a statesman, lawyer, diplomat, political theorist, and leader in the campaign for American Independence. As a Member of both the First and Second Continental Congress, he became a leader in the movement for independence. During the Second Continental Congress, he nominated George Washington to lead the Continental Army, and is one of the most prominent signers of the Declaration of Independence, serving on the committee that helped Thomas Jefferson craft this monumental document. During and after the war, he served in numerous diplomatic posts in Europe. Along with Benjamin Franklin, he negotiated the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War and solidified America's new independence. He also served in Holland during the war, and as our Ambassador to Britain following the war. Throughout his time serving the United States, President Adams remained true to his principles, and consistently fought for his beliefs. Due to these immeasurable contributions, President Adams deserves to be more visibly honored among our nation's founders. H.R. 1220 recognizes his service by establishing a Commission to advance current efforts to build a memorial in his honor. I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, ZTE has been a consistent offender of U.S. law and policy. It has repeatedly lied to the U.S. government, broken commitments, and stolen valuable intellectual property (IP) from the U.S. companies. That is precisely why I hoped for the inclusion of the Senate amendment to reinstate penalties against ZTE in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2019. Unfortunately, the amendment will not be included and I remain deeply concerned that America's businesses--both large and small--may pay the price. ZTE routinely employs many U.S. patented innovations without paying anything for the privilege. U.S. businesses have successfully brought suits against ZTE at both the US International Trade Commission and in U.S. district courts. Moreover, ZTE refuses to enter into fair licensing agreements with U.S. businesses to pay for the IP it has appropriated and employs tactics to avoid entering into fair contractual agreements while the theft of IP from our U.S. companies continues. In light of the fact that the FY2019 NDAA will not include language to reinstate penalties against ZTE and the likelihood that ZTE will be back to business in the U.S. as usual, I will be introducing legislation that helps to protect U.S. businesses from ZTE's nefarious activities and creates meaningful repercussions for ZTE if it continues to steal our most advanced and valuable intellectual property. I believe that if ZTE is going to have the undeserved privilege of conducting business with U.S. companies, Congress must act to ensure that they operate as good stewards of our free market system or face the penalties that our own businesses are subject to. The protection of our U.S. intellectual property laws remains my top priority.