Nydia Velázquez

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. 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.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill before us today, S. 1687, the Small Business Cyber Training Act of 2022. The House passed its companion bill, H.R. 4515, the Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act on November 2, 2021. S. 1687, would establish a cyber counseling certification program for lead SBDC staff to provide specific, free-of-charge cyber training for small businesses. As more businesses utilize the internet for social media advertising, payment systems, and global markets, more of them become vulnerable to cyberattacks. The cyber disruptions can destroy IT systems and derail operations, sometimes forcing the business to shut down. Cyberattack damage is not just limited to the IT systems; it can also erode customers' trust and tarnish a business' reputation. With that said, a recent SBA survey found that 88 percent of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyberattack, but reported that they couldn't afford professional IT solutions, have limited time to devote to cybersecurity, or just do not know where to begin. Given the greater risk cyberattacks pose to small businesses and their limited capacity to protect against them, we must find ways to help entrepreneurs strengthen their cybersecurity posture. The SBA and SBDCs are ready, willing, and able to fill these gaps. Under this legislation, lead SBDCs would be required to provide cyber training and resources and facilitate cybersecurity investments that are typically too expensive for small businesses. S. 1687 makes minor technical changes to the House passed bill and were agreed upon by all stakeholders. I thank our House leaders, Mr. Garbarino, Mr. Evans, Ms. Houlahan, and Mr. Chabot, who have been true advocates on this issue. I applaud their commitment to helping small business owners protect their livelihood from destructive cyberattacks. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, as amended, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. The use of digital tools dramatically increased during the pandemic, even here in Congress; and the massive shift to remote work has resulted in a significant rise in cybersecurity threats and attacks. Guarding against cyberattacks often comes with significant costs and a substantial investment of time and resources. Unfortunately, small businesses operating on thin margins have fewer resources to dedicate to cybersecurity. S. 1687 ensures that the Nation's 62 lead SBDCs are fully equipped to assist small businesses with their cybersecurity needs at no cost. The bill would eliminate the primary obstacle of investment costs and make cybersecurity mitigation easier to adopt. This bill is a commonsense solution to complex problems. I urge my colleagues to support S. 1687, the Small Business Cyber Training Act of 2022, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1617) to modify the requirements for the Administrator of the Small Business Administration relating to declaring a disaster in a rural area, and for other purposes.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. 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.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1617, the Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act. This bill will close a loophole in the Small Business Administration's disaster lending program, which disproportionately impacts homeowners and businesses located in remote rural areas. Although people assume SBA only provides assistance to small businesses after a declared disaster, the opposite is true. In fact, according to CRS, approximately 80 percent of SBA disaster loans were awarded to individuals and households rather than businesses. SBA's disaster lending program has been an important tool that helps not only businessowners, but also homeowners and renters rebuild after disasters and emergencies. Under the current law, when the President declares a disaster under the Stafford Act, but does not authorize individual assistance, the SBA must declare a disaster for an individual to apply for a loan. Yet, for SBA to declare a disaster, a minimum amount of physical damage must be sustained by a certain number of homes and businesses in a county or smaller political subdivision. This policy hurts remote rural areas because SBA cannot declare a disaster if a minimum number of homes or businesses aren't damaged or destroyed. This outdated policy is hurting some of our most vulnerable citizens. We must close this loophole, especially as major disasters become more prevalent and destructive due to climate change. In 2021, the United States experienced 20 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, which caused $145 billion in damage. This bill addresses this issue by allowing SBA to declare a disaster in any rural area in which a major disaster has been declared by the President but individual assistance hasn't been authorized under the Stafford Act. It is critical that SBA disaster lending programs be available to all individuals, no matter where they reside or where they operate their business. I thank Senators Risch, Shaheen, Hassan, Kennedy, and Braun for their leadership on this important measure. I also thank Mr. Golden, who introduced a companion bill on the House side. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. This legislation to update SBA's policy to provide assistance to homeowners and businesses in remote rural areas is long overdue. Individuals affected by natural disasters need SBA assistance now more than ever, particularly with the threat of major disasters due to climate change. A business' location shouldn't determine their eligibility for aid in the wake of a natural disaster. Simply put, it is not fair for SBA loans to be available for individuals impacted by a tornado or flood in an urban area, but not a remote rural area just because the number of properties damaged by the disaster didn't meet an arbitrary threshold. The SBA's disaster lending program has been an essential tool helping people get back on their feet after a disaster and the program should be available to help as many people as possible. I thank Ranking Member Luetkemeyer for working with me to get this bill passed today. In the 117th Congress, Representative Luetkemeyer joined the committee as the ranking member, and while we may not have always seen eye to eye, we were able to set aside our differences to bring more than 20 bipartisan bills to the floor, including legislation to extend the statute of limitations for fraud cases involving PPP and COVID EIDL. The spirit of bipartisanship has always been central to the day-to- day operations of the committee. I look forward to continuing this tradition. American small businesses deserve nothing less. I once again thank the members of the committee and their staff who have worked tirelessly through this Congress to aid small business owners and entrepreneurs throughout the country. I am incredibly proud of all the work our committee has done to support small businesses when they needed it the most. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on S. 1617, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the achievements of Judge Alex Calabrese, the presiding judge of the Red Hook Community Justice Center in my district in Brooklyn, New York. Judge Calabrese began his legal career as a public defender in the Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Practice and went on to serve as the court attorney for the Honorable Leslie Crocker Snyder. He was later appointed to the bench in 1997, presiding in Kings County Criminal Court prior to his tenure in Red Hook. While sitting through Kings County arraignments of low-level cases, he recognized the return appearances of those who had previously came before him. He began incorporating supportive services as part of sentencing including a follow-up approach which had not been done before. This brought him to the attention of Center for Court Innovation which was opening the Red Hook Community Court. As the first and only presiding judge in the Red Hook Court, Judge Calabrese handled cases from three jurisdictions: criminal, family, and housing, the first in the country to do so. Judge Calabrese kept to his belief in people, viewing each who came before him as unique and deserving of respect, and most of all, the opportunity to live up to their full potential. Under his leadership, he fostered the Peacemaking approach of the Navajo Nation where the community comes together as part of decision making. A key innovation is Red Hook Youth Court where young people are trained to serve as jurors, judges and advocates for their peers who have committed minor offenses. This approach helps restore the harm done in the community and ensure those involved receive the help they need to avoid getting caught up in the justice system, addressing early-on underlying issues that prompt criminal behavior in the first place. Judge Calabrese has shared his unique approach from the bench by presenting and teaching extensively, both nationally and internationally. Lord Woolf, Chief Judge of England and Whales said: ``the Red Hook Courthouse is the finest example of restorative justice I have ever seen and should be emulated by courts throughout the world; then justice will truly have meaning.'' For his greater than two decades of service on the bench to reform justice in our communities, I recognize Judge Alex Calabrese for his invaluable service to us all.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life achievements of my longtime constituent Christine Holowacz, a community activist and environmental champion in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York. Christine immigrated from Poland in 1972 and attended high school here where she quickly learned English. Having a voice here was something she did not take lightly. As an early homeowner in the neighborhood, she became engaged in community issues and rose to become the president of the Greenpoint Property Owners Association. This fits a pattern for Christine over the last 25 years: she becomes involved, leads the charge, and works to find solutions for what seem to be intractable problems. Christine Holowacz is emblazoned in my mind being at the forefront of the fight to cleanup one of the most environmentally impacted neighborhoods in New York City. Greenpoint today hosts two Superfund cleanup sites and the largest oil spill in the country. Christine was there in our effort to get the sites on the National Priorities List and played a key role ensuring a measure of relief from the devastation of the Greenpoint oil spill through the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund. Many, including her children growing up, recall her advocacy at countless meetings: ``No power plants! Less garbage, more cleanups!'' She stepped up to become a founding member of Newtown Creek Alliance and played a pivotal role in the reconstruction of the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and its Newtown Creek Monitoring Committee (1999 to 2012), and the construction of the massive Kosciuszko Bridge Project (2013 to 2020) leveraging community amenities in open space. Christine has played a lead role in Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks and Planning, the North Brooklyn Community Boathouse, Neighbors Allied for Good Growth, the Newtown Creek Superfund Community Advisory Group, to name a few. Christine is respected by generations of neighbors and leaders. Indeed, Christine Holowacz is honored today at the Newtown Creek Alliance 20th-anniversary ``Tidal Toast'' gala with the Revitalize Award for her life-long dedication. I too raise a toast to Christine Holowacz, who has made North Brooklyn a better place to live. May Christine continue this work for another 25 years.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 4900) to reauthorize the SBIR and STTR programs and pilot programs, and for other purposes.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. 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.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 4900, the SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022. Let me begin by thanking Ranking Member Luetkemeyer and my colleagues on the Senate Small Business Committee and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology for their work on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I especially want to thank Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, who is retiring at the end of this Congress. Her knowledge and expertise of the programs were pivotal to these negotiations. Today's bill extends the SBIR and STTR programs and six related pilot programs for 3 years. Reauthorizing them is vital to thousands of small businesses and research institutions that partner with 11 agencies to develop solutions to some of our country's most difficult challenges. Since their founding 40 years ago, SBIR and STTR have launched some of our Nation's most innovative enterprises and products that have become household names. Companies like iRobot, Sonicare electric toothbrushes, 23andMe, LASIK eye surgery, and Qualcomm wireless communications all got their start through SBIR/STTR. More innovative technology is on the way. In fiscal year 2021 alone, Federal agencies leveraged nearly $4 billion in awards to back 4,000 small businesses and nearly 7,000 projects. Awardees are leading the way in our efforts to fight climate change, modernize manufacturing, and create breakthroughs in lifesaving medical technologies. S. 4900 gives them the ability to continue their work and lead America's innovation by providing stability to both the small businesses and agencies for the next 3 years. It builds on efforts to strengthen Federal research security through due diligence reviews to prevent malign foreign countries from stealing technologies developed through SBIR and STTR. It also establishes higher benchmarks for more experienced firms to commercialize their technologies and includes various studies and more detailed reporting to increase oversight and inform future program changes. Unfortunately, S. 4900 does not include everything we wanted to accomplish during this reauthorization, but I remain committed to coming together again in the future to have those conversations. Our monthslong bipartisan and bicameral negotiations will avoid a devastating lapse and protect thousands of jobs. Today, we are here considering a hard-fought compromise to reauthorize the SBIR and STTR programs. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens), the chairwoman of the Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan).

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for closing. The U.S. has the most dynamic small business ecosystem on the planet, and this 3-year extension ensures that our country remains one of the most innovative in the world. The SBIR and STTR are essential components of that global competitiveness. They give small businesses a role in developing groundbreaking technologies that make our lives better in a variety of ways. This program boosts American security, innovation, and entrepreneurship. That is why we must act today to extend them and ensure our country continues to reap these benefits into the future. Stakeholders, from individual small business owners to research universities to the Department of Defense, have made it clear that even a temporary shutdown would be disastrous. Throughout these negotiations, we have not always seen eye to eye, but I am thankful we all remain committed to keeping the programs open. We have come up with a compromise that provides stability for small businesses and the agencies they partner with, reduces the risk that foreign adversaries can steal U.S. technologies developed through SBIR and STTR, and preserves the competitive and merit-based strength of these programs. Mr. Speaker, this is not the end, and there will be more work to do in the coming years. I pledge to continue to work to improve the programs. I, again, thank my colleagues involved with reauthorization for all of their work leading up to today, including the members of the Committee on Small Business who participated in many hearings and briefings over the course of the past 2 years. I also thank the staff on the House Committees on Small Business and Science, Space, and Technology for their dedication and tireless work to get us to this point: Dahlia Sokolov, Rebecca Callahan, Sara Barber, Elizabeth Barczak, Catherine Johnson, Jenn Wickre, Giulia Leganski, Robert Yavor, Delia Barr, Ellen Harrington, and Kevin Wheeler, who have been living and breathing SBIR for most of their time on the Hill, including this year as they worked around the clock, days, nights, and weekends. I sincerely thank each of them. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022 to provide stability and certainty to small firms and agencies alike, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this historic legislation. The climate crisis is the single-most important issue facing our future, the future we will all share, Democrats and Republicans. I understand this is a down payment on climate action and more needs to be done, but let's focus on what this bill does. It lowers the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs. It lowers energy costs and delivers the largest-ever climate action by investing in domestic energy production and manufacturing while reducing carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030. It lowers the deficit and helps fight inflation by making a historic payment on deficit reduction of $300 billion. We do this by making the biggest corporations and ultrawealthy pay their fair share in taxes. Enough with the fear-mongering by the other side. Let's get this done on behalf of hardworking families across America.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chair, as the designee of Chair Grijalva, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. There are at least 40 States and two territories with ongoing disaster declarations for drought. The Small Business Administration is currently serving the millions of small businesses and residents in those States to provide relief against economic loss. The SBA has also provided almost $1 billion in wildfire disaster relief since 2016. The amendment I am offering, along with my colleague, Congressman Garret Graves of Louisiana, would permanently set the unsecured credit threshold for SBA's disaster loans at $25,000. Doing so gives the millions of borrowers affected by any natural disaster, including wildfires and droughts, the peace of mind during a stressful and traumatic time. In 2015, Congress enacted the RISE Act, legislation I championed that temporarily raised the collateral threshold on SBA disaster loans to make it easier for victims to obtain capital to rebuild their homes and businesses. Unfortunately, that provision is scheduled to expire in November unless it is extended or made permanent. My amendment will make the provision permanent, allowing disaster victims to continue to receive a $25,000 loan, rather than just $14,000, without requiring them to provide collateral within 5 days of closing. A recent report issued by the Government Accountability Office found that disaster loans with collateral performed comparably to those without collateral. Given this finding, it makes sense to help victims of disaster to rebuild quickly, particularly when they have lost everything to hurricane, flood, or fire. As we continue to experience stronger and more frequent disasters, it is imperative that Congress enact policies to help communities get back on their feet and maximize support when they need it most. Finally, this amendment is supported by the Small Business Administration. I thank the gentleman from Louisiana, for his support of this effort and his overall support of SBA's disaster loan program. I thank Chairmen Grijalva and McGovern for working with me on this amendment. I am proud to leave the Small Businesses Committee's bipartisan work to make disaster loans more affordable and accessible for disaster victims, while also addressing fraud in the SBA's pandemic relief programs. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 5118.