Brad Schneider

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I, too, commend and thank Representative Kim and Representative Burchett for their leadership on this. The Small Business Committee, as a whole, commends those small business owners who support their employees serving in the National Guard and Reserves and thereby support our national security. Reservists can be called away at a moment's notice and fulfill their duty in a variety of ways. For instance, we rely on them during our most vulnerable times, like during natural disasters, and they can be tapped to serve abroad when needed and necessary. They protect us and our communities by leaving their lives and communities behind. Though they may be called upon temporarily, their absence is sorely noticed by their families and employers who rely upon them. The bill before us today, H.R. 3661, takes their absence into consideration by reflecting how our Nation has changed the way we call upon them. By making the SBA's Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Repayment Deferral for Active Duty Reservists programs more accessible to servicemembers and their employers, we are helping to sustain small businesses, families, and local communities. This legislation makes sure that the SBA can be a resource for when employers support their workers while on deployment. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 499) to amend the Small Business Act to clarify the treatment of certain surviving spouses under the definition of small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. 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 material on the measure under consideration.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 499, the Service- Disabled Veterans Small Business Continuation Act, which protects small businesses owned by disabled veterans by providing a transitionary period to keep service-disabled veteran-owned small business status in the event of the business owner's death. This bill codifies our intention to bridge the differences between the SBA and VA by establishing uniformity. We know that running a small business often involves many members of a family. By extending surviving spousal rights to the SDVOSB definition, we are honoring the sacrifice a deceased veteran previously made for our country. We are also providing stability for the business and its employees to ensure that they can remain competitive, rather than being effectively penalized by the death of the service-disabled veteran business owner. I thank Ranking Member Chabot and Mr. Delgado for working together to ensure that when a disabled veteran business owner passes, the law does not impose insult to injury by penalizing the surviving spouse. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bipartisan piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, both the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Small Business Administration value the sacrifices of America's veterans and, in particular, we note today, service-disabled veterans who remain committed to their country by starting small firms. In that vein, the VA and the SBA have contracting preferences for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Despite the success of these programs, neither adequately address what happens when the service-disabled veteran owner dies. The death of a loved one by itself, an already devastating event, is compounded by needing to attend to the duties of running his or her small business and it is often debilitating. The sudden death of a veteran whose small business relies upon a contracting preference takes a toll on the spouse of the deceased veteran, the business operations, and the business' employees. H.R. 499 establishes much-needed certainty by rectifying inherently critical oversight. Setting forth the rules by which a surviving spouse can retain the service-disabled veteran-owned small business status honors the dedication of the veteran, the surviving spouse, and their business. The government has a responsibility to ensure those who give so much to their country have the opportunity for their small business passions to survive and prosper, even upon death. I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3734) to require the Comptroller General of the United States to report on access to credit for small business concerns owned and controlled by covered individuals, to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to report on the veterans interagency task force, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3734, the Successful Entrepreneurship for Reservists, or SERV Act. The SBA offers several programs to help aspiring and existing veteran entrepreneurs launch and grow their small businesses. But as valuable as they are, more must be done to promote these programs to guarantee that our veterans are aware of them and utilizing them. The Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development was established to do just that. The task force is chaired by the SBA and is comprised of representatives appointed by the SBA's administrator from a variety of agencies, including: the SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development, Department of Defense, Department of Labor, Department of the Treasury, Veterans' Affairs, General Services Administration, Office of Management and Budget, and four representatives from veterans service and military organizations. The task force is charged with coordinating efforts to improve capital access, business development, and contracting goals for veterans. Unfortunately, it hasn't filed an annual report since fiscal year 2015. This delay is wholly unacceptable on its face. Considering we heard from veterans about the needs for more outreach and coordination of business services, it only makes the delay more painful. Today's legislation requires the SBA administrator to report annually on the appointments made, highlighting the activities of and plan for outreach and engagement by the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development. Annual reporting will give Congress the visibility over the task force responsible for serving our veterans at SBA and the ability to provide proper oversight. Gathering a regular snapshot of the program will enable Congress to make modifications where they are needed in a timely fashion. I want to thank Ms. Davids and Ranking Member Chabot for their collaboration on this bill. I urge Members to support this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Kansas (Ms. Davids), my good friend and cosponsor of this bill.

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

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Assisting entrepreneurs requires integrated, comprehensive solutions that leverage a combination of government and private efforts. Despite progress we have made, hundreds of thousands of veterans and their families continue to struggle, demonstrating how much more must be done. The interagency veterans task force is a critical part of this effort, and we must hold agencies accountable for ensuring they are meeting the duties placed upon them to maximize outreach to our servicemembers. H.R. 3734 does just this by requiring regular reporting by the task force to gather snapshots of programmatic outreach and education to veterans. It also asks the Government Accountability Office to study the many issues raised by veteran entrepreneurs facing difficulty accessing credit so that this body can better understand the financing needs of veterans. Doing so enables us to take additional steps to ease the burdens of not just transitioning back to civilian life, but also risking more to start a business. It is incumbent upon all of us to ensure that resources reach the veterans and servicemembers held in such high regard. I sincerely thank Ms. Davids for spearheading this bill and working with Ranking Member Chabot to make certain we hold agencies, through the task force, accountable. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1615) to transfer the responsibility of verifying small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans or service-disabled veterans to the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. 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 material on the measure under consideration.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1615, the Verification Alignment and Service-Disabled Business Adjustment Act, or the VA-SBA Act. I want to first take this opportunity to thank Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Roe of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. This bill is a culmination of years of collaboration to ensure we are doing right by our Nation's veteran business owners. I thank the gentlemen for their cooperation and recognize the staff of our respective committees, both majority and minority, for seeing this effort through. Mr. Speaker, considering how veteran-owned businesses increase competition and solidify our industrial base, Congress created the SBA's Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, SDVOSB, program to maximize their participation in the Federal marketplace. In 2018, the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business procurement program awarded $20.6 billion to over 180,000 contracts. Such awards accounted for approximately 4.27 percent of all contracts, exceeding the 3 percent statutory goal. While this accomplishment should be applauded, the structure and resources of the program have not kept pace with the growth. Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs requires all participants to go through a rigorous certification process. In contrast, the SBA allows businesses to self-certify that they meet the regulatory threshold. The problem with two certification processes is simple: It creates confusion for business owners and contracting officers alike. This bill harmonizes the two conflicting contracting programs by eliminating the VA certification and transferring it to the SBA. It also institutes a certification process under the SBA program to prevent concerns of fraud and abuse. I thank all the members of the respective committees who have sponsored this bill, because it is certainly a step in the right direction to eliminate duplication and confusion between the two agencies. This bipartisan legislation will make it easier for the veteran-owned business to do business with our government. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bipartisan piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington, DC, November 4, 2019. Hon. Nydia M. Velazquez, Chairwoman, Committee on Small Business, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairwoman Velazquez: I am writing with respect to H.R. 1615, the Verification Alignment and Service-Disabled Business Adjustment Act. Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Veterans' Affairs regarding the matters in H.R. 1615 that fall within the Committee's jurisdiction. As a result of your consultation with us on this measure and in order to expeditiously move the bill to the floor, I forego further consideration of H.R. 1615. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs takes this action with our mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues that fall within our jurisdiction. Further, I request your support for the appointment of an appropriate number of conferees from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs during any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation. Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding regarding H.R. 1615 and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Committee Report and the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the measure. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Mark Takano, Chairman.

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Crow), my friend and colleague.

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

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world, the Federal Government is in a unique position to support veteran-owned businesses, yet navigating this process remains complicated to many veteran entrepreneurs. One of the most challenging obstacles for veteran-owned businesses is getting certified. This first step toward contracting with the Federal Government is the most important, but also the most complex. This is largely due to the fact that the SBA established its own program, which applies government-wide, and the VA administrators established their own program as well. Although the two programs share the same goal, each has its own participation requirements. Creating more confusion is the fact that firms can self-certify for the SBA programs, ones verified by the VA may not necessarily be found eligible to receive an SBA set-aside contract, and vice versa. Coordinating certifications between the SBA and the VA can allow the Federal Government to reap the benefits of goods and services provided by veteran-owned businesses. Again, I would like to thank Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Roe. Finally, I commend the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Kelly) for leading this long effort and continuing to keep the needs of our veteran business owners in mind, as well as my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Crow). Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, in a few days, our Nation will celebrate Veterans Day, a time to pause, give thanks, and honor the brave men and women who have served our country. Those men and women who have worn the uniform of our Nation, who have sacrificed so much for us, deserve more than just words in return. We owe them action. That means keeping the promises we have made to our veterans to provide skills and offer opportunities as these men and women transition to civilian life; to provide a lifetime of healthcare that they have earned and were guaranteed; to support access to mental health services, including to those with other than honorable discharges who may have been improperly dismissed from the service due to undiagnosed brain injuries or PTSD; and to end the scourge of veteran homelessness, as we have done in Lake County, in my district in Illinois. To that end, I am proud of the bipartisan legislation I introduced to reauthorize the Boots to Business entrepreneurship training program for veterans, previously passed in the House, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to similarly support this and other important programs. This Veterans Day, and every day, I hope we will all do more to remember the privileges we enjoy as Americans and honor those who served us as a small token of our thanks.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in great sadness and profound concern over President Trump's inexplicable abandonment of our Kurdish allies in Syria who sacrificed more than 11,000 of their sons and daughters in our joint fight against ISIS. The President's impulsive and abrupt decision not only betrays our allies, but it betrays our values. It immediately compromises our national security, dramatically undermines American credibility, and will have negative strategic implications for generations to come. It is not just me saying this. These are the words of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: ``Withdrawing U.S. forces from Syria is a grave strategic mistake. It will leave the American people and homeland less safe, embolden our enemies, and weaken important alliances.'' While we should all welcome the announced 5-day pause in the Turkish assault, we should not be celebrating. Turkey has not recognized the cease-fire but, rather, just a pause in fighting. Reports from the area indicate that Turkish-affiliated forces are still attacking, and the pause is scheduled to end tomorrow. We can likely expect the carnage to then resume with a new ferocity. Regarding the deal with Turkey, The Wall Street Journal this morning notes: ``Critics have said the agreement was a wholesale concession to Ankara, giving it control of an area in Syria it has coveted for years and freeing it from U.S. sanctions in return for pausing an offensive it had no international backing for. While President Trump hailed the pact as a diplomatic victory, U.S.-allied Kurds have likened it to a surrender on their part.'' Unsurprisingly, our Kurdish allies have now aligned their forces with Assad's army. Assad has, thus, instantly made significant territorial gains in just a few days, effectively controlling lands that the U.S. and allied forces have spent years seeking to defend. So, let's review. In the weeks following the President's decision to walk away from our allies, Turkish forces and allied fighters, many of which are Islamic extremists, have crossed the border into Syria. U.S. forces have abandoned forward operating bases and then sent U.S. planes to destroy those bases. But before those bases could be destroyed, celebrating Russian troops posted selfies in some of these former American strongholds. Turkey is not just targeting Kurdish forces, they are attacking entire towns, and civilians are literally being murdered in the streets. The expansion of control by Russian and Syrian forces is not just a win for those countries in Syria but also threatens our allies in the region--in particular, Israel. Iran's sense of emboldenment will likely lead it to expand programs to deliver advanced weapons to Hezbollah, increasing the already significant threat to Israel--only now from Syria as well as Lebanon. As already noted, Assad has consolidated his power over virtually all of Syria at no political or military cost. Finally, many ISIS prisoners have escaped to join the fight, and thousands more are at risk of release, giving ISIS a greater ability to reorganize. One more thing: Today, there are reports that President Erdogan now wants Turkey to acquire nuclear weapons. The last thing this region needs is a nuclear arms race. Here is the bottom line. Last Thursday, the American Vice President and Secretary of State stood at a podium and announced the administration's effective capitulation and surrender. Turkey will complete its ethnic cleansing, and the U.S. will lift all sanctions. Assad has full control in Syria, under the tutelage of his Russian and Iranian masters. Turkey, Syria, Russia, and Iran are the winners. The Kurds are, once more, on the losing end. The United States, under President Trump, is sadly diminished--so much so that Syrians are throwing rotten food at retreating U.S. troops. The administration's policies are tragic for reasons beyond the human suffering it has unleashed. They weaken our national security, undermine our fight against terrorism, and diminish American credibility. We are so much better than this. I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to speak out and condemn the actions of this administration. Congress must pass sanctions on Turkey and seek to compel Erdogan to stop Turkey's assault on the Kurds. We must compel this administration to live up to our Nation's values, to stand by our allies, and to confront our enemies.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, following a summer of horrific gun violence, we can no longer accept congressional failure to take concrete action. Mass shootings in Gilroy, El Paso, Dayton, and Odessa, as well as the unceasing daily gun violence in communities across our country, including close to my home in Chicago, define the summer of 2019. I hope the fall of 2019 will be remembered as the time when our leaders finally began to address our Nation's gun violence epidemic. The simple fact is, this House already passed bipartisan bills on universal background checks and closing the Charleston loophole. This is commonsense legislation that more than 90 percent of Americans support. It would have closed the loophole that the Texas shooter used to acquire his weapon. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell astonishingly continues to carry the water for the NRA and refuses to even allow a simple up or down vote on this bill. We need to tell Mr. McConnell and the NRA that enough is enough. People are needlessly dying. The victims and their loved ones deserve more than mere thoughts and prayers. Congress must act now.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to proudly recognize the 100th anniversary since the founding of Dumaresq Spencer Post No. 145, an American Legion Post located in my district. The Dumaresq Spencer Post was established by World War I veterans led by William Burke and its namesake honors the first Highland Park resident to be killed in the conflict. It was originally located on the second floor of Witten Hall, across the street from the former Alcyon Theatre. Members of the Post typically took part in patriotic events such as the Memorial Day parade each year. They also led efforts to collect scrap metal, prepare for possible air raids, and offer comfort to families whose sons were killed in World War II. Following World War II, the Post gained substantially more members and its headquarters was relocated to a larger venue, the second floor of the then-Masonic Temple. In the late 1940's, the Post donated $2,400 to the Highland Park Hospital because of a lack of basinets in their nurseries. Post members also assisted disabled veterans at Downey Veterans Hospital by frequently visiting them and providing them with entertainment. The Post eventually constructed its own building at 1957 Sheridan Road and its members made enormous financial and material sacrifices to this end. This location hosted many events, including Tenth District meetings and Scouting events. It was eventually sold and a portion of the proceeds funded the construction of the Veterans Memorial on the corner of Central and St. Johns Avenue. The Post now has approximately 100 members and it continues to serve our community and champion the causes of veterans. I congratulate all its members on their 100th anniversary, and look forward to working with Post No. 145 for many more years to come.

Mr. SCHNEIDER

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize two World War II veterans who just happen to be married to each other: Daniel Krauklis and Hazel Shelton Krauklis. Daniel was born in 1922 and grew up on the South Side of Chicago. He graduated from Calumet High School. After the Pearl Harbor attacks, Daniel enlisted in the Army Air Corps where he served as a technical staff sergeant in the China-Burma-India (CBI) unit. He worked with one of the first IBM computing systems to send reports of personnel to the Pentagon. After the war, he worked in the burgeoning IBM department at the Old Rose Liquor Distributors in Chicago. Hazel was born in 1924 and grew up in a small Oklahoma town. After she graduated from high school, Hazel worked at a Douglas Aircraft facility in Tulsa, constructing war planes. When she turned 20, Hazel enlisted in the Women's Army Corps. There, Hazel was a sheet metal mechanic--building and flying in B-17s and B-29s. After the war, Hazel moved to Chicago where she was hired as a keypunch operator by none other than Daniel. The two eventually married on February 20, 1951. They moved to Park Forest, Illinois, a community developed for returning GIs where they raised five children together. Daniel eventually worked at an Office Electronics Inc. facility, ultimately becoming President of the company before taking another job selling office supplies prior to his retirement. The couple finally moved to Spring Meadows Assisted Living in Libertyville where Daniel just celebrated his 97th birthday and Hazel her 95th. Three years ago, B-17s were featured at the Waukegan Air Show where visitors, including Hazel, were able to fly on the planes. I am honored to recognize their combined service to our country as they celebrate over 67 years of marriage.