[House Hearing, 118 Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] MARKUP OF: BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES 2025 ======================================================================= HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION __________ HEARING HELD FEBRUARY 14, 2024 __________ [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] Small Business Committee Document Number 118-042 Available via the GPO Website: www.govinfo.gov __________ U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 54-879 WASHINGTON : 2024 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS ROGER WILLIAMS, Texas, Chairman BLAINE LUETKEMEYER, Missouri PETE STAUBER, Minnesota DAN MEUSER, Pennsylvania BETH VAN DUYNE, Texas MARIA SALAZAR, Florida TRACEY MANN, Kansas JAKE ELLZEY, Texas MARC MOLINARO, New York MARK ALFORD, Missouri ELI CRANE, Arizona AARON BEAN, Florida WESLEY HUNT, Texas NICK LALOTA, New York CELESTE MALOY, Utah NYDIA VELAZQUEZ, New York, Ranking Member JARED GOLDEN, Maine KWEISI MFUME, Maryland DEAN PHILLIPS, Minnesota GREG LANDSMAN, Ohio MARIE GLUESENKAMP PEREZ, Washington SHRI THANEDAR, Michigan MORGAN MCGARVEY, Kentucky HILLARY SCHOLTEN, Michigan JUDY CHU, California SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas CHRIS PAPPAS, New Hampshire Ben Johnson, Majority Staff Director Melissa Jung, Minority Staff Director C O N T E N T S OPENING STATEMENTS Page Hon. Roger Williams.............................................. 1 Hon. Nydia Velazquez............................................. 2 APPENDIX Additional Material for the Record: FY 2025 Budget Views and Estimates........................... 4 Minority Views............................................... 13 MARKUP OF: BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES 2025 ---------- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2024 House of Representatives, Committee on Small Business, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:54 a.m., in Room 2360, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Roger Williams [chairman of the Committee] presiding. Present: Representatives Williams, Luetkemeyer, Stauber, Meuser, Van Duyne, Salazar, Mann, Ellzey, Molinaro, Alford, Crane, Bean, Hunt, LaLota, Maloy, Velazquez, Golden, Mfume, Phillips, Landman, McGarvey, Gluesenkamp Perez, Scholten, Thanedar, Chu, Davids, and Pappas. Chairman WILLIAMS. Before we get started, I want to recognize Congresswoman Maloy from the great State of Utah to say the Pledge of Allegiance and a short prayer. Ms. MALOY. Prayer first. Our Father in heaven, we thank thee for the opportunity we have to [audio malfunction]. Please rise for the Pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Chairman WILLIAMS. Good morning. This Committee will come together in order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a recess of the Committee at any time. Today's first order of business is to consider the views and estimates on the priorities of the Committee on Small Business for fiscal year 2025. Then we will briefly adjourn to reset the room for a full Committee hearing, which will take place immediately following this meeting. I now recognize myself for an opening statement. It is no secret to anyone that small businesses are the engines of our economy, and we rely on them heavily. In my opinion, a key component of the American dream is the ability to start your own business, to take a risk, work hard, and be rewarded for that hard work. It is this Committee's job to ensure the SBA's programs are working efficiently and effectively to the benefit of all of our small businesses, and to ensure there is a positive ROI, return on investment, for the American taxpayer. The budget views and estimates presented today for this upcoming fiscal year note the SBA faces a significant number of challenges. We as a Committee commit to conducting oversight over systematic failures in the SBA and to promote legislative change that will ensure small businesses have access to the capital assistance they need to succeed. With that, I yield to distinguished Ranking Member, Ms. Velazquez, for 5 minutes for any remarks she may wish to make on the budget views and estimates. Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this markup today on the Committee's views and estimates of the Small Business Administration. Our nation's 33 million small businesses are the heart and soul of our nation. They employ 46 percent of our nation's workers, creating good paying jobs in our communities. They get more money circulating the local economy, lifting up neighborhoods, restaurants, and retail shops. And they increase the tax base, leading to community improvements, like better schools, roads, and greenspaces. But more work needs to be done, and I am committed to working with Chairman Williams to make important budgetary decisions for the SBA programs. The submission of this document to the Budget Committee is an important aspect of the Committee's work, and I am sure my colleagues will agree that it would have been better to wait until we pass a full and complete budget for our current fiscal year of 2024. It would also be incredibly helpful to wait for the President to submit his proposed budget for fiscal year 2025, so we can appropriately react to those requests. Having the agency's up to date information and projections would enhance our recommendations to the Budget Committee. While not ideal timing, I appreciate the bipartisanship to find agreement on improving programs and oversight at the Small Business Administration. We agree with much of the majority's views. For example, recommending that SBA take steps to improve its capital access, procurement, and entrepreneurial development programs is prudent governance. federal funding for SBA's entrepreneurial development programs to provide free or low-cost counseling and training to more than a million entrepreneurs each year is an area we both remain committed to. I look forward to working with the Chairman to reauthorize this program. We also agree that SBA procurement programs maximize small business participation in the federal marketplace, which in turn boosts competition, lower prices, and expands our nation's supplier base. Robust funding is imperative if we want to provide this program with the personnel and resources needed to adequately meet their intent. Despite much consensus, there are still areas we differ, which is perfectly normal. For instance, it is a Democratic priority to do more to provide working families and entrepreneurs with resources like childcare, give second chances to returning citizens who were previously incarcerated, and provide robust oversight funding to our OIG to ensure we are holding fraudsters accountable. And finally, we do not dispute that agencies need to follow the process to reduce regulatory burdens for small firms, but we oppose a blanket rejection of regulations that safeguard health, safety, and environment. Instead, we must proceed with thoughtful deliberation to tailor regulation for small businesses and provide compliance assistance. I thank the Chairman again for holding this markup and look forward to working together in a bipartisan way to further foster entrepreneurship. Thank you, and I yield back. Chairman WILLIAMS. The lady yields back. And are there any other Members who wish to be recognized for a statement on the views and estimates on the priorities of the Committee for fiscal year 2025? Seeing none, the Committee now moves to consideration of the views and estimates. A copy of the proposed views and estimates has been distributed to Members in advance. Without objection, the views and estimates are considered read and open for amendment. Does any Member seek recognition for the purpose of offering an amendment? Seeing no amendments, the question is on adopting the views and estimates on the priorities on the Committee for fiscal year 2025. All those in favor, say aye. All those opposed, say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and the views and estimates are agreed to. If there is no further business, this concludes today's markup. Without objection, the staff is authorized to make technical and confirming changes, and Members have until February 29 to submit the additional supplemental dissenting and minority views. I would like to thank everyone for participating today. Without objection, the Committee stands adjourned. Members, please stay seated. We will bring in the witnesses for today's hearing, which will start momentarily. [Whereupon, at 10:00 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.] A P P E N D I X [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT] [all]