Roger Williams

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the manager very much for those kind words. Mr. Speaker, on June 10, 2026, we had a game at Nationals Park. Nearly 40,000 people attended, breaking a record. As we have already heard, $3.2 million was raised for charity. We had co-MVPs for the Republican team. We didn't play that good, but we played good enough to win. I thank Greg Steube who pitched a full seven innings and in seven innings threw only 97 pitches. I also thank Senator Schmitt for making a catch that made ESPN's top 10 catches for that week. We are proud of that. We won seven in a row, and we plan on doing better next year. We have lost some players, and I thank Morgan Luttrell and Randy Feenstra for all the time that they have committed to the game. To recover from the loss of players, you have to go recruit players. We are trying to do that now so we can be competitive, Linda, when we play next year. That is what we want to do is be competitive. Mr. Speaker, I thank all of my players for their hard work. We had a good first workout today. It was not too cold. It was good. We played pretty good this morning. The game is great. Baseball is the greatest game there is. It is always there. We plan on being as good as we can play next year if we can get the right people, but it is an honor to represent the team that we have. It is an honor to take this trophy. For the seventh year in a row, Republicans have received this, so let's get the trophy. The Democrats have a good team. They are very competitive. May God bless everybody. See you next year.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez), my friend and manager of the Democratic baseball team.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pray for those affected by the Ross fire in Palo Pinto and Jack Counties. More than 85,000 acres have burned across north Texas impacting families, ranchers, and communities in my district. For many of these families, this fire has meant losing their livelihoods, livestock, and land that their families have owned for generations. Please join me in praying for those affected. My heart goes out to every Texan who is hurting during this difficult time. I thank the firefighters, the first responders, the Forest Service, and everyone who has traveled from across Texas to help contain this wildfire. My office will continue to closely monitor the fires and stand ready to help. Mr. Speaker, in the face of adversity, we have seen how great America is and how great Texas is. In God we trust.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 8882 because it promotes a stronger, more competitive environment for the Main Street of America and businesses to succeed and create jobs. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we must pass H.R. 8882 to help ensure small businesses remain competitive. This legislation will help us identify barriers to growth and ways to improve access. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Schmidt), my good friend.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8882, the Main Street Competes Act, introduced by my good friend Representative Scholten from the great State of Michigan and Representative Schmidt from the great State of Kansas. Competition is fundamental in the free market and especially in this economy. Without robust competition, businesses have little incentive to innovate, weakening the U.S. economy. If competition is weak, innovation and the U.S. economy suffer. H.R. 8882, the Main Street Competes Act, reinforces the SBA's mission to preserve free and fair competition and strengthen the American economy. This bill requires the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to share data with SBA Office of Advocacy regarding antitrust complaints, investigations, and enforcement actions involving small businesses. The bill further directs the Office of Advocacy to analyze these trends and provide recommendations to Congress on how to improve competition and address harmful anticompetitive conduct impacting small businesses. This is a targeted, data-driven approach to better understand competitive pressures in the marketplace and to assess whether existing antitrust enforcement is effectively protecting small businesses. Importantly, this legislation does not create new regulatory burdens or expand Federal authority. By improving transparency and strengthening oversight, this bill ensures policymakers have the information needed to support a competitive marketplace here where Main Street businesses can grow, compete, and succeed. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 8882, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. 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 bill.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8882) to amend the Small Business Economic Policy Act of 1980 to examine how the competitiveness of small businesses is affected by the enforcement of Federal antitrust laws, and for other purposes.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 8881 to help modernize the SBA and ensure the agency can better serve America's small business. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Finstad), my friend.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8881, the SBA Artificial Intelligence Utilization Act of 2026, introduced by Representative Finstad from the great State of Minnesota and Representative Latimer from the great State of New York. Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how businesses operate. Across this great country, companies are using AI and machine learning technologies to improve customer service, detect fraud, streamline operations, and process information more effectively. As these technologies continue to develop, Federal agencies should evaluate how to responsibly leverage them to better serve the American people. The Small Business Administration plays a critical role in supporting entrepreneurs and job creators across this Nation. As the agency works to improve service delivery, strengthen program integrity, and modernize its operations, Congress should have visibility into how emerging technologies are being used. H.R. 8881 requires the SBA to submit annual reports to Congress regarding the agency's use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The bill requires the SBA to evaluate both the benefits and risks associated with these technologies, identify appropriate uses for AI tools, and explain how the agency maintains human involvement and oversight in its decisions assisted by AI. As the Federal Government works to prevent fraud and protect taxpayer dollars, AI tools can help the SBA better identify suspicious activity, detect improper payments, improve customer service, and strengthen oversight of agency programs. At the same time, Congress must ensure that these technologies are deployed responsibly and transparently. By providing regular information to the SBA's use of artificial intelligence, this legislation will help promote a more efficient and accountable government while ensuring that innovation is paired with appropriate oversight and human judgment. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 8881, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7396) to establish an Office of Native American Affairs within the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. 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 bill.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7396, the Native American Entrepreneurial Opportunity Act, introduced by Representative Davids from the great State of Kansas, Representative Ellzey from the great State of Texas, Representative Morrison from the great State of Minnesota, and Representative Crane from the great State of Arizona. The bill codifies the Office of Native American Affairs within the Small Business Administration. The SBA's entrepreneurial development programs help small businesses start, grow, and compete by providing training, counseling, and access to critical resources. For years, the Office of Native American Affairs has played an important role in delivering these services to Native American entrepreneurs and conducting consultations with Tribal communities. Despite its longstanding work, the office has never been formally authorized by Congress. In addition to codifying the office, this legislation strengthens oversight by requiring an annual report to Congress. The report will detail the office's activities, including the number of clients served, consultations conducted, and training provided. The reporting requirement will improve congressional oversight and help ensure resources are being effectively deployed. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we must pass H.R. 7396 to ensure consistent, long-term support and access to resources for Native American entrepreneurs and Tribal businesses, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 7396 to strengthen economic opportunity in Native American communities and provide certainty that this important SBA office will continue its work. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7401) to require employees of the Small Business Administration to certify that the employee does not have any prohibited conflicts of interest with respect to loans in which the employee is involved, and for other purposes.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. 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 bill.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7401, the Small Business Lending Fraud Prevention Act, introduced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser) and the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Goodlander). Last year, a former SBA loan officer pled guilty to submitting false statements in order to fraudulently secure over $500,000 in pandemic relief loans for herself and family members. When the SBA initially denied the loans, the SBA employee approved them herself. The SBA Office of Inspector General identified multiple instances in which SBA employees approved loans to relatives or others who were barred from conflict of interest rules and noted that such cases were rarely prosecuted. We must take serious steps to avoid such cases in the future. It should not be possible for fraud like this to occur. This bipartisan legislation offers a commonsense solution to add a layer of security to crack down on loan fraud. H.R. 7401 requires SBA employees to certify that they have no conflicts of interest before processing a loan, to disclose any conflicts immediately, and to recuse themselves if a conflict of interest is discovered. It is our responsibility to ensure taxpayer funds are handled appropriately. This bill will provide a safeguard against improper loan approvals and establish a clear basis for prosecution if an employee knowingly approves loans prohibited by conflict of interest rules. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7401, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we must pass H.R. 7401 to strengthen integrity in SBA lending programs by requiring employees involved in loan decisions to certify they have no prohibited conflicts of interest. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 7401 to support transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the administration of SBA loans, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.