Steve Chabot

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, as we look back some 70 years in commemoration of the end of World War II, it is a good time to reflect upon one group of unsung heroes who went above and beyond their service to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today. The Flying Tigers aircraft was easily recognizable because it had the face of a shark painted on the nose of the plane and its menacing teeth served as a warning to their enemies wherever they flew. During World War II, when Taiwan was brutally attacked by the Japanese, its leader called upon the world community for help. A group of American volunteers answered the call and joined up with Taiwan's Air Force to become one of the most important elements in the ultimate defeat of the Japanese invaders. It is fitting that we recognize the role of the Flying Tigers and Taiwan's Air Force in holding off the onslaught that U.S. military forces eventually rolled back. Mr. Speaker, the Flying Tigers held the fort until our Nation was able to gather our strength. For this, we are eternally grateful. We remember. We are grateful. We salute you.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlemen for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman DeSaulnier and Congresswoman Lee for their leadership and drawing attention to this issue and for helping to bring attention to this story of injustice. The story of the Port Chicago 50 isn't in most textbooks or histories of World War II, but perhaps it should be. While it may not be this Nation's proudest moment, it is a part of our history, and it is a tragic event from which we can learn and we can actually grow, I think, as a nation. The enlisted men stationed at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine, including the Port Chicago 50, served our Nation proudly, and they served her honorably. For that, they deserve our gratitude. For those unfamiliar with the story, and I know it has already been talked about, but I would like to talk about it very briefly again. Following a catastrophic cargo vessel explosion on July 17, 1944, which killed or wounded 710 people, several enlisted men voiced concerns about continuing to handle munitions at the port. Among those voicing concerns were two gentlemen from Cincinnati, Ohio, from the area that I am proud to serve, Mentor Burns and Edward Lee Longmire. Both men enlisted in 1943. They were not lifelong soldiers with extensive training. They were ordinary, patriotic Americans doing their part to help in the war effort. Mr. Burns was a wood-turner in a furniture factory before enlisting. Mr. Longmire worked as a sales clerk selling poultry. Nothing in their background prepared them for handling munitions, and, unfortunately, the Navy at that time, did not provide adequate training for the men serving at Port Chicago. So it is understandable that the men who survived the explosion were reluctant to continue loading munitions without efforts to make the process safer. For that, they were charged with mutiny. Reluctance and even refusal to return to unsafe conditions and procedures is not mutiny; it is common sense. Mr. Speaker, America is the greatest country on the face of the globe, but that doesn't mean we don't at times make mistakes, and that is what happened here. Injustices like the mutiny convictions for the Port Chicago 50 certainly fall within that category. However, one of the things that makes America great is the freedom of the American people and the people's elected representatives to speak out against injustices, correct past wrongs, and strive for a better future for all of us. Mr. Speaker, we can't go back in time and prevent the convictions of the Port Chicago 50, but we can correct the record, and we can exonerate those wrongfully convicted and give their families and their loved ones the peace of knowing that they served our Nation honorably and faithfully and that they did nothing wrong. Mr. Speaker, it is far past time that the Port Chicago 50 received justice. We owe it to Mr. Burns, Mr. Longmire, and the rest of those wrongfully convicted and discharged. We need to set the record straight. I want to thank my colleagues for making it possible for us this evening to participate in this effort.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight).

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, I would, first of all, like to acknowledge that Mr. Knight, who just spoke, is a veteran himself, and we certainly appreciate his service to our country. Again, I want to stress that H.R. 2499 will provide greater assistance to our veterans without imposing any additional costs on taxpayers. The enactment of H.R. 2499 then represents only a small token of the appreciation that we can show to our veterans as they take their skills learned through service to create small businesses that will help create jobs, thus serving our country a second time. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 2499. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Every day, American soldiers are risking their lives and leaving family and friends and loved ones behind to protect our freedoms and defend the United States. Currently, there are over 21 million veterans living all across the United States. When these brave men and women return home, they strive to transition seamlessly, hopefully, back into their civilian lives. Veterans face challenges in that transition, one of those being employment. Our most recent veterans who have served in Active Duty at any time since September 2001 have a higher unemployment rate than the average civilian. In particular, our recent female veterans have an unemployment rate that is over twice the national average. While finding employment upon transition to civilian life is a challenge, many veterans find that skills learned during military service translate well into entrepreneurship. Yet many veterans have found it difficult to obtain the funds needed to start a small business. In looking for ways to finance their new businesses, veterans may turn to the Small Business Administration, the SBA, for loan assistance. In fiscal year 2014, veterans received over 2,000 7(a) loans, totaling almost $600 million, but I believe we can do more to get these loans into the hands of veterans. Already the SBA Administrator is using her authority to waive certain fees charged to veterans. One way to increase veterans' access to capital is to make SBA loans more affordable for veterans by permanently waiving the up-front fee charged by the SBA to borrowers through the agency's 7(a) express loan program. H.R. 2499 does just that, all at no cost to the taxpayer. H.R. 2499 strikes a delicate balance between providing a fee waiver to help America's veterans while safeguarding scarce taxpayer dollars by creating an exception to the fee waiver in any year where an appropriation is necessary to cover the cost of the overall 7(a) loan program. This ensures that this fee waiver will never have a cost to the taxpayer. I believe, as many Americans do, that we must support our veterans, and this legislation provides support to veteran entrepreneurs for years to come at no cost. It is a smart, commonsense approach which had broad bipartisan support and passed out of our committee by a voice vote, meaning basically everyone supported it on the committee. Further, this bill has support from major veterans' groups who are well aware of the challenges that brave veterans face in transitioning to civilian life. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2499, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2499) to amend the Small Business Act to increase access to capital for veteran entrepreneurs, to help create jobs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. CHABOT

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

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in closing, as we work to get capital into the hands of entrepreneurs, we need to keep SBA programs relevant. We also must ensure that our lending partners have the flexibility to manage their loan portfolios in a way that makes the most sense for the borrower. H.R. 2670 does that. I want to thank Mr. Moulton and Mr. Curbelo for their leadership on these reforms. And I once again want to recognize the ranking member, Ms. Velazquez, for her leadership and her cooperation in getting this type of legislation to the floor today so that we can pass this. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2670, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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, the microloan program, overseen by the Small Business Administration, the SBA, is designed to provide credit for those entrepreneurs that would not otherwise have any access to credit, even basic revolving credit. Among the SBA's capital access programs, the microloan program is unique because it also provides technical assistance to borrowers. It merges the money with the know-how. To borrow a sports reference, microloans punch above their weight. I know the President has used that phrase on a number of occasions. These small-dollar loans are often the most difficult to receive and typically are the deciding factors in an entrepreneur's ability to start a business. This is demonstrated by the large number of first generation entrepreneurs who have received assistance under the microloan program. Think about the number of successful individuals who recall starting a business with funds pooled from family and friends. Well, if no one in your family has started a business or has money to lend, then that entrepreneur's dream quickly fades to a distant memory. This is particularly true in traditionally underserved markets. By making small-dollar loans less complicated and more accessible, we will empower individuals to become entrepreneurs; lift up their families; improve their communities; and, most importantly, create jobs for a whole lot of Americans. H.R. 2670 does that. This bill enhances the microloan program by allowing microloan intermediaries greater flexibility in providing loans and technical assistance to their borrowers. The expectation is that the greater flexibility will result in greater participation by microlenders in the microloan program, thereby increasing the availability of critical small-dollar loans to these micro- entrepreneurs that punch above their size. Despite the greater flexibility, H.R. 2670 also provides safeguards to maintain the primary feature of the program, and that is low-dollar loans offered to micro-entrepreneurs, along with intermediary-provided technical assistance. By modernizing the microloan program, as H.R. 2670 does, we are allowing the little guy a chance to get off the ropes, use their skills, and create innovative ideas to compete with the heavyweights of American industry. We all strive for a stronger, more competitive economy; and this bill aids in that mission. Mr. Speaker, this bill has broad, bipartisan support once again. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 2670, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Curbelo), who is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade of the Committee on Small Business.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2670) to amend the Small Business Act to provide for expanded participation in the microloan program, and for other purposes.

Mr. CHABOT

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.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 208) to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish a program to make loans to certain businesses, homeowners, and renters affected by Superstorm Sandy, as amended.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, in closing, we never know when and where the next disaster will strike, but, unfortunately, we do know that there will be more disasters. Given this, we must ensure that the SBA is truly prepared to help victims in the aftermath of those disasters. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 208 rights the wrongs imposed by the SBA on those who suffered from the effects of Sandy, but H.R. 208 does more than just correct past mistakes; it imposes obligations on the SBA to ensure that the agency learns from history and does not repeat those mistakes so people in this country are actually helped next time and not harmed by the agency. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. A natural disaster exposes us to the worst of nature. Yet, in some powerful way, it brings out the best in people. Communities ban together. Neighbors help neighbors, and volunteers donate their time and energy all in an effort to rebuild. In the last decade, America has faced some of its worst natural disasters, with Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and, more recently, Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In the aftermath of any disaster, it is imperative that the Federal Government programs operate as efficiently and effectively as possible so that victims are able to rebuild and return to their normal lives as soon as possible. Following Hurricane Sandy, there have been startling reports regarding the Small Business Administration's inability to properly administer the disaster loan program. The SBA was unwilling to implement and utilize preexisting statutory authority that would have assisted the agency in its response to Sandy. Mr. Speaker, despite our living in the Internet era with smartphones, email, and apps, the SBA was shocked and surprised at the volume of electronic disaster assistance applications it received, and the systems were overwhelmed and unable to process applications. In a poor pun, the SBA's disaster loan program was a disaster itself for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. The legislation before us, H.R. 208, is a corrective to those who suffered twice--first, by a disaster and, second, by the SBA's inability to effectively provide disaster assistance. As Congress did with those who suffered from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, this legislation would allow those in the areas affected by Sandy to apply for disaster assistance, irrespective of the artificial and nonbinding deadlines imposed by the SBA. Further, given the struggles that the SBA had in responding to Hurricane Sandy, H.R. 208 makes practical changes to the disaster loan program to help ensure that victims of future disasters do not suffer as those who felt the brunt of Sandy did. For example, H.R. 208 requires the SBA to update their disaster plan to account for a disaster with extreme application volumes and allows those affected by disasters to use SBA disaster loans to build safe rooms as a mitigating measure against future similar disasters. Mr. Speaker, this legislation also makes smart changes to create parity among disaster victims by requiring the SBA to establish credit standards so that similarly situated borrowers are treated in an identical manner following a disaster. These changes, among others, will ensure that the SBA is fully capable of responding to the next catastrophic disaster. Unfortunately, we all know there will be one or probably many. I want to thank Ranking Member Velazquez, once again, for her leadership on this issue and for working with me to develop a bill that strives to ensure those affected by disasters can rebuild quickly. Mr. Speaker, this bill has broad, bipartisan support. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 208, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT

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. When an entrepreneur starts a business, one of the first challenges they face is getting the money they need to produce their new product or patent their great idea. For small businesses, this has remained a constant struggle. However, we also know that small businesses are vital to our economic growth and, since the recession, have accounted for 60 percent of new net jobs in this country. For these reasons, over 60 years ago Congress created the Small Business Administration, the SBA, and tasked it with the vital mission of ensuring that small businesses can get the capital they need. The Small Business Investment Company, or SBIC, program is a public- private partnership that provides small businesses access to equity and debt financing. It has been extremely successful over the years providing billions in private capital to help promising businesses grow into household names. Pandora, Whole Foods, Apple, even Nike, were all small businesses that received early financing from the SBIC program. In fiscal year 2014 alone, SBICs invested $5.46 billion in small firms that employ approximately 113,000 workers all across America. In my home State of Ohio, more than 2,000 people have jobs today because the SBIC program helped small businesses there in Ohio access the resources that they needed to grow. Under current law, successful SBICs under common control, frequently called the family of funds, are limited in the amount of funds they can provide to small businesses. By merely raising this cap from $225 million to $350 million, as this legislation would do, we could stimulate up to $750 million a year in capital that would be available to the next Nike or Apple. Given the volatile fiscal climate, we can all agree that small businesses would benefit from such a valuable increase in private investment. H.R. 1023 increases this flow of private funds to small businesses at no cost--let me repeat--no cost to the taxpayer. The committee passed this bill with bipartisan support, both Republican and Democrat support. I want to thank several members of the Committee on Small Business for their support and work on this bill, including Representatives Bost, Chu, Curbelo, Gibson, Hahn, Hanna, Knight, Lawrence, Luetkemeyer, and Meng. I would urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1023. I want to thank Ileana--I want to thank Nydia Velazquez for her strong leadership on this bill and much of the other bipartisan work that we have done in the committee. Ileana is another Member who I strongly support and admire greatly. At this point, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Collins).

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, Mr. Speaker, let me just reiterate the impact this minor change could have on small businesses all across this country. H.R. 1023 would increase the amount of capital available to small business and enable well-managed SBICs, at no cost to the taxpayer, to increase investment in small businesses. This legislation is a commonsense, bipartisan reform, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1023. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1023) to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to provide for increased limitations on leverage for multiple licenses under common control.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support the rule, and I think every Member of this body, on both sides of the aisle, have something in common. We all have small businesses in our district and probably a lot of them. One of the privileges we have, as Members of Congress, is to talk to those people and find out what is important to them. What is important to them is important to the country because about 70 percent of the new jobs that are created in the American economy nowadays are created by small businesses. In thinking about what I would say about TPA here this morning, I thought, rather than just tell people what I thought about it, I thought I would bring some examples of some of those folks that we have talked to. As Chair of the Small Business Committee, I get to talk to small businesses all across the country. Here are some examples of what they are telling us. Here is Michael Stanek of Hunt Imaging in Berea, Ohio. He said: Free trade agreements are extremely important as they lower foreign barriers to our exports and produce a more level playing field. Without TPA, the U.S. is relegated to the sidelines as other nations negotiate trade agreements without us, putting American workers and companies, especially small ones, at a competitive disadvantage. Here is Dyke Messinger of Power Curbers in Salisbury, North Carolina: Passage of TPA, which lapsed back in 2007, is critical to restore U.S. leadership on trade. Manufacturers in the U.S. face steeper trade barriers abroad than virtually any other major country, including Mexico and China and European countries, largely because those countries have entered into more market access agreements than the United States. Trade and foreign markets are critical for small businesses like Power Curbers. Here is Kevin Severns of Severns Farm in Sanger, California. Without TPA, critical negotiations with some of our key export markets may well stall. My understanding is that, on average, U.S. citrus exports to countries included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership can currently face tariffs as high as 40 percent. That is tariffs at 40 percent. Given that 35 percent of California's citrus crop is exported around the world, access to these markets is vital to us. Here is Brian Bieron of eBay, which helps many small businesses sell their products abroad. He said: Through our experience, we have found that technology is transforming trade by allowing Main Street businesses to directly take part in globalization, reaping the benefits of markets previously only open to the largest global companies. This is good economics because it means more growth and wealth, and it is good for society because it means a more inclusive form of globalization. That is what people from around this country--small-business men, small-business women--are saying about TPA and TPP and trade. In effect, they are saying, if we want to grow the American economy and create jobs, which I think we all want to do, we must be proactive on trade, and that means passing TPA and then TPP. Better trade agreements mean small businesses will be able to access new international customers and offer their products more easily and at a lower cost than ever before. It means that more products will be built and sold. When that happens, jobs are created, wages go up, and more opportunity is available to all. You put an American worker against anyone in the world, and I will take that bet every day of the week and twice on Sunday; but we can't get there without TPA. Without TPA, other nations, especially China, will dictate the rules of the new economy, nations that do not respect the rule of law or the rights of individuals in many cases, especially in the case of China. Ninety-six percent of the people that are on this globe that we all share live outside the borders of the United States. Many of the world's consumers are not here. We want to sell our products overseas, and TPA gets us on the right track.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Goodlatte, not only for yielding me this time but also for his leadership on promoting and pushing for this bill. The Internet is an essential component of our economy. It drives innovation, job creation, and has resulted in a higher standard of living for virtually every American. The bill before us today provides certainty to Americans by making the current law of the land permanent and protecting access to the Internet against new taxes. Mr. Speaker, there is common ground in this Chamber today. We all agree that the Internet is an essential part of our lives and an incredibly powerful tool for communication, education, and job creation. Let's not make accessing the Internet more costly and more difficult. The Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act, H.R. 235, makes the current law of the land permanent and protects access to the Internet from new taxes, and that is why I would urge my colleagues to support the bill. The Internet, it is essential to our everyday lives. Americans use it to run small businesses, to do research, to apply for jobs, to listen to music, to communicate with friends and family, to check the weather and the traffic, and for so many other things. Since 1998, Congress has made sure that access to the Internet remains tax-free. Unfortunately, this protection expires in October, at which point taxes could go up on every American who wants to get online. Now is the time to make sure that this policy remains permanent. Now is the time to protect access to the Internet. So I want to again thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Goodlatte, for his leadership on this issue. Let's make sure that access to the Internet stays tax-free. That is the way it is under the existing law. What we are trying to do is to make that permanent. I would urge my colleagues to do that.