Blaine Luetkemeyer

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Van Duyne), who is the ranking member on the Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations. In that position, she has been leading the way in protecting small businesses.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

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

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

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, we discussed this bill thoroughly this morning, and I think everybody understands that we have a $42 billion section of it that is wanting to help restaurants. I thoroughly support trying to get restaurants back on their feet. In fact, it has been mentioned a number of times, we have an alternative bill called the ENTREE Act that actually fixed the constitutional problem that existed because the bill as originally structured, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, was incorrectly structured. It prioritized groups over something else and was quite unconstitutional. It was underfunded. I told everybody at the time that the bill came through committee that was the case. I offered an amendment to try to fix it, and it was defeated. Today, here we are trying to fix a bill that I said wasn't structured right, it was underfunded, and we tried to fix it. I have a bill to do that. It is paid for. This bill suddenly has no chance because it has never even been in committee yet. We can't get a hearing on it. Why? Who knows? We have known for a long time we had this problem. Suddenly, last Friday this particular bill shows up, and now, all of a sudden, we recognize we have a problem. We have said this for a long, long time, 6 months or more already. Number two, we have a second part of this which hasn't been discussed very much this morning, which are the hardest-hit industries. We have $13 billion there. I can guarantee you, Madam Speaker, this isn't going to come close to fixing that problem. If you open this up to every single business that has been hard hit, we are going to wind up being back here--which is fine--but I am just telling you right now this is not going to fix it. I think one of the comments made earlier was that this bill is about economic resilience. I think our businesses are resilient. That is why our economy has continued to bounce back. But it is not going to be resilient if we strangle it with higher inflation, pouring more money into this, higher energy prices, and more regulation. This is about freeing up the entrepreneurial spirit of our people and our small businesses that drive this country, taking those burdens off, lowering inflation, quit spending money we don't have, and give them the support they need instead of choking them off with all these other sorts of things. We have a bill before us that can fix this if we allow it to come up. But we are not doing it this morning. Instead, we have a bill that is poorly structured again. I guarantee you, Madam Speaker, it is not funded correctly either. We are trying to find a way to claw back money which we don't even know for sure if we can. We have got some so far, but we don't have enough. So where is the rest of it going to come from? It is going to be printed. That is not how we should operate as a Congress. That is not what the American people expect of us. They deserve better than this. Madam Speaker, let me just close by saying that enough is enough. Whenever we don't let alternatives be heard, to be able to hear the voice of the minority and to be able to be heard, then we don't have a bipartisan atmosphere that this body should be operating under. When you have one-party rule and you throw bills on the floor without going through proper order, this is what you get--another bill that is poorly structured, that is not going to have a chance in the Senate because nobody has worked together to find a way to solve a problem which we all recognize exists. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a woman who has dedicated her life to public service and the people of Washington, Missouri. After being in public service for over thirty years and as the Mayor of Washington, Missouri for almost twelve years, Mayor Sandy Lucy is retiring. Over the past thirty years Mayor Lucy has served her community in multiple roles. She was president of Downtown Washington Inc. and a member of the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce. Most recently she was the first woman to serve as Mayor of Washington, Missouri. As Mayor she served with professionalism, honor, and integrity. Through her leadership the city has achieved many successes and earned Washington the Great American Main Street Award. Mayor Lucy leaves a legacy that will be cherished by the community for years to come. Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mayor Sandy Lucy on an exceptional career and a well-deserved retirement.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, today l congratulate the Washington High School Choir for their prestigious selection to perform at the 100th anniversary celebration of the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial. As the only choir selected from Missouri, it is truly an honor to represent such hard-working and dedicated students. Under the direction of Ms. Jessie Patterson, the Washington students will be experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I could not be prouder to represent them. Missouri is lucky to be represented by the WHS Choir.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I want to take a moment to recognize and congratulate, the Committee's Chief Counsel, Jan Oliver on her upcoming retirement. Jan has been a stalwart for small businesses for years and has worked in public service for decades. From her time with now Senator Portman to working at the White House to her service to this Committee, her steady guidance and counsel has always been welcomed. Jan, thank you for the thoughtful insight and analysis on all issues, including and especially those pertaining to regulations and its impact on small businesses.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who has dedicated his life to public service and bring attention to the communities he has improved. After twenty-five years as the City Administrator of Fulton, Missouri, Bill Johnson is retiring. Over the last 25 years, Mr. Johnson oversaw countless meaningful projects, including, but not limited to, construction of a new city hall building, police station, fire station, animal shelter, warehouse complex, recreation center, golf course, and an airport runway. The list of major accomplishments doesn't stop there. He was able to achieve upgrades for water and wastewater utilities, rebuilding of natural gas and electric delivery systems, improvements to the sanitary sewer system, and much more. Mr. Johnson also promoted Fulton at the state, national and international level through his participation in organizations like the International City Management Association, Missouri Municipal League, and Missouri State Homeland Security Committee to name a few. In 2014 Mr. Johnson was awarded the J.T. Bell Award for the ``City Manager of the Year'' for the State of Missouri. This award, given by his peers, is evidence of Mr. Johnson's value to the community and commitment to efficient, effective government. It is not surprising that a man who has so passionately dedicated his adult life to public service started that service in the U.S. military. Mr. Johnson is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps where he received three Meritorious Masts and the Good Conduct Medal during his Service. Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mr. Johnson on his accomplishments as the City Administrator of Fulton and a well-deserved retirement. More importantly, please help me thank him and his family for their service to the city, the community, and our entire nation.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. It doesn't seem to bother them that they are going to spend their own constituents' hard-earned tax dollars and give to a MS-13 gang member up to $450,000. Holy smokes. It blows you away.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3469, the Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2021. Mr. Speaker, this week is National Veterans Small Business Week. This is a time to honor and recognize the men and women who have served our Nation proudly in uniform. Many of these brave veterans go on to start and run successful businesses. This week and every week, we must recognize their resiliency and determination. I would like to thank all our veterans who have dedicated their lives to keeping the United States safe and preserving our freedoms. Importantly, today we are considering the Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2021, which codifies the Small Business Administration's successful Boots to Business Program. The Boots to Business Program offers veterans, servicemembers, and military spouses entrepreneurship resources that provide the business skills and knowledge to launch and run a successful business. The program uniquely delivers results for those who have honed their skills in the military. I am proud that we are focusing on veteran-owned businesses, and I believe this legislation will continue to provide important and valuable resources as our veterans return home and transition into providing goods and services to their communities. I would like to thank Mr. Schneider from Illinois and Mr. Williams from Texas, who is the vice ranking member of our committee, for working diligently on this legislation. I would also like to thank the chair for her efforts on this legislation and for working with me in a bipartisan manner to advance all the commonsense small business bills before us today. I look forward to working with the chairwoman on several issues moving forward. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3469, which was passed favorably out of our committee via voice vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams), who is the vice ranking member of the committee.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time to close. The Boots to Business Program is critical in assisting our veterans during their entrepreneurial business journey. I, once again, want to thank all of our friends and colleagues along the way here for their help putting this bill together, as well as our brave men and women who have served in the military on our behalf of our great country. We are better off with their unwavering commitment to American safety and security. Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate and honor National Veterans Small Business Week, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3469, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4256, the Investing in Main Street Act, as amended. Just last week, the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access held a hearing on the Small Business Investment Company program, also known as the SBIC program. This program, which increases the amount of private equity into small businesses, has successfully assisted thousands of small businesses. The SBIC program is currently running on zero cost to the American taxpayer due to the fees built into the program. To enhance the program, H.R. 4256 increases the amount of capital and surplus that can be invested into an SBIC from a financial institution from 5 percent to 15 percent, which is currently the percentage requirement of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. This important change will not only bring parity between the SBA and Federal financial rules, but it can also jump-start the program for our Nation's smallest firms. I would like to thank the chair for advancing this bill, and Ms. Chu from California and Mr. Garbarino from New York for working in a bipartisan manner to ensure this bill reached the House floor. I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R. 4256, which was unanimously reported out of our committee and has been passed on the House floor in recent congressional sessions, as well. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, as well, so I will close. The SBIC program has delivered for small businesses for many years. It is time we update the program to match other Federal Rules and ensure the program continues to serve our communities in the future. This is a commonsense step to increase the amount of investment that an SBIC can receive. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4256, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3462, the SBA Cyber Awareness Act. Mr. Speaker, the importance of being cyber ready cannot be overstated. This goes for individuals, businesses, and even our Federal Government. H.R. 3462 takes important strides to ensure the agency that was created to assist and aid the Nation's smallest firms, the Small Business Administration, has the ability to access its own cybersecurity framework. Additionally, H.R. 3462 requires the SBA to report to Congress on its cyber infrastructure. Unfortunately, cyberattacks are too common in today's world. Vulnerabilities will be used and taken advantage of by criminals. We must take steps now to enhance and protect our Federal Government. H.R. 3462 does just that. I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Crow) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim) for having the foresight to work on such an important measure. I also thank the chair for pushing forward this legislation. H.R. 3462 was favorably reported out of the Committee on Small Business in July. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass the bill today on the House floor, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, I believe now is the time to act to prepare our financial institutions for cyber intrusions. Requiring the SBA to assess its own cyber infrastructure is an important step to ensure the agency can continue to serve as a leader for our Nation's 31 million small businesses. Congress should make certain that the Federal Government is cyber prepared on behalf of the Nation's small businesses, entrepreneurs, and start-ups. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 3462, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).