[House Hearing, 113 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
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MEETING
before the
COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
UNITED STATES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
MEETING HELD
JANUARY 23, 2013
__________
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Small Business Committee Document Number 113-001
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS
SAM GRAVES, Missouri, Chairman
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio
STEVE KING, Iowa
MIKE COFFMAN, Colorado
BLAINE LUETKEMEYER, Missouri
MICK MULVANEY, South Carolina
SCOTT TIPTON, Colorado
JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER, Washington
RICHARD HANNA, New York
TIM HUELSKAMP, Kansas
DAVID SCHWEIKERT, Arizona
KERRY BENTIVOLIO, Michigan
CHRIS COLLINS, New York
TOM RICE, South Carolina
NYDIA VELAZQUEZ, New York, Ranking Member
YVETTE CLARKE, New York
JUDY CHU, California
JANICE HAHN, California
DONALD PAYNE, Jr., New Jersey
GRACE MENG, New York
BRAD SCHNEIDER, Illinois
RON BARBER, Arizona
ANN McLANE KUSTER, New Hampshire
PATRICK MURPHY, Florida
Lori Salley, Staff Director
Paul Sass, Deputy Staff Director
Barry Pineles, Chief Counsel
Michael Day, Minority Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
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OPENING STATEMENTS
Page
Hon. Sam Graves.................................................. 1
Hon. Nydia Velazquez............................................. 2
APPENDIX
Committee Oversight Plan for the 113th Congress.................. 7
Committee Rules and Procedures for the 113th Congress............ 14
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
House of Representatives,
Committee on Small Business,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 1:40 p.m., in Room
2360, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Sam Graves [Chairman
of the Committee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Graves, Chabot, Coffman,
Luetkemeyer, Mulvaney, Tipton, Hanna, Huelskamp, Schweikert,
Bentivolio, Collins, Rice, Velazquez, Clarke, Payne, Meng,
Schneider, and Murphy.
Chairman Graves. We have a quorum, so we will call this
hearing to order.
I would like to welcome everybody to the Small Business
Committee organizational meeting. And I want to welcome all
returning Members and some new Members, obviously, of the
Committee. I know you are very excited to dive in and get to
work.
Before introducing the Republican Members, I would like to
take a moment to thank Ranking Member Velazquez for her
dedication and hard work, obviously, on behalf of all small
businesses.
Ranking Member Velazquez, I want to continue that cordial
working environment that we established in the 112th Congress
and before that, for that matter, too.
There are five new Republican Members on the committee and
one former member who has obviously seen the light and come
back to us, and I would like to introduce those Members.
Mr. Huelskamp is a rancher from Kansas with a Ph.D. from
American University.
We have Mr. Schweikert, who has a long history of public
service in Arizona, in addition to being a small-business
owner.
Our returning member that I mentioned earlier is a fellow
Missourian, Mr. Luetkemeyer, who is a farmer, and he has been
in the banking and insurance industry.
Three of the new Members are freshmen: Mr. Bentivolio, a
rancher from Michigan; Mr. Collins, who is a small-business
owner and Erie County executive; and Mr. Rice, who started his
own tax law firm in Myrtle Beach and served on the Horry County
Council.
And I expect that the experience that we have in a lot of
our Members as small-business owners is going to be very
significant and add a lot of value to the committee as we work
to develop policies which will enable small businesses to
expand and create jobs.
I also would like to welcome back the Members who served on
the committee during the 112th Congress: Mr. Chabot from Ohio;
Mr. King from Iowa; Mr. Coffman from Colorado; Mr. Mulvaney
from South Carolina; Mr. Tipton from Colorado; Ms. Herrera
Beutler from Washington; and Mr. Hanna from New York.
And I now yield to Ranking Member Velazquez for
introduction of her Members.
Ms. Velazquez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And I just would like to thank you for the work that we
have done in the past. I am looking forward to work with you.
As I have mentioned, and I have said it repeatedly, there is no
Republican or Democratic approach when it comes to dealing with
small-business needs. And I am looking forward to having a
productive legislative session.
We have, Mr. Chairman, an exceptional roster of Democratic
Members joining the committee this Congress. They hail from
across the country and bring a diverse set of experiences that
will prove helpful as the committee moves forward.
Returning Members such as Representative Yvette Clarke from
New York. She is a fellow New Yorker and Brooklyn native, and I
am proud to have her returning to the committee. In previous
Congresses, she has been an important voice on the committee
for female and minority entrepreneurs.
Also returning, Ms. Judy Chu from California. Last
Congress, she served as the ranking Democrat of the Contracting
and Workforce Subcommittee. In that role, she has helped
spearhead many of the Committee's efforts to improve the
procurement process for small businesses.
Representative Janice Hahn from California, also returning
to the committee. She has been a champion of green technology.
She has already been an important voice on the Committee, and I
am pleased to welcome her back.
New Members: Representative Donald Payne, Jr., from New
Jersey. Mr. Payne comes from Newark, New Jersey. This is his
first term on the Committee. As a former city council member, I
am sure he has been involved in local economic development
issues, and I look forward to hearing about his experiences.
Ms. Grace Meng from New York, our next addition to the
Committee, is not only coming from New York but she is a dear
friend. Grace Meng joins us from New York's Sixth Congressional
District, which is next to my district and located in Queens.
While in the State Assembly, Ms. Meng made helping small-
business owners achieve their American dream a top priority,
and I am pleased that she is joining us.
Mr. Brad Schneider from Illinois joins us, from outside
Chicago, Illinois. As someone who previously consulted for
family-owned businesses, I am sure that he will be an asset to
the Committee, and I look forward to hearing his views.
Also joining us, Representative Ron Barber from Arizona. He
comes from Tucson, Arizona. He himself is a small-business
owner. Together, he and his wife run Toy Traders/Stork's Nest,
which specializes in selling and trading used toys. I am sure
his real work experience will benefit the Committee.
And we have Representative Ann McLane Kuster from New
Hampshire. Like many Committee Members, she, too, has a
background starting and running her own business.
And joining us also is Mr. Patrick Murphy from Florida.
Having spent time both in the accounting field and in running
his family's construction business, I am certain he, too, will
bring valuable experience to the Committee.
I am pleased to see our returning Members of the Committee,
as well as our new additions. Welcome to all of you, and I
thank you for being here.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Graves. Thank you, Ranking Member.
Although we do have some policy differences, I firmly
believe that there are many issues on which we are going to
find a lot of common ground that is going to help small
businesses by eliminating unnecessary programs and regulations,
reducing redundancies in government, and, by far, ensuring that
the Small Business Administration carries out policies that are
dictated by Congress rather than devising its own that a lot of
times are expensive, untested experiments to assist
entrepreneurs.
I believe that the rules package and the oversight plan
under consideration today is going to lay the groundwork for
finding those areas that we have in common while maintaining
the highest levels of civility when we discuss our differences.
And with that, I will yield to Ranking Member Velazquez for
her opening statement.
Ms. Velazquez. Thank you, Chairman Graves.
As our Nation's economic recovery continues, this should be
a busy and productive time for the Committee. We all know the
vital role entrepreneurs play in the broader economy. In that
regard, the work of this Committee in fostering an environment
where small businesses can flourish is critical. Small
businesses remain a cornerstone of our economy, and we will do
whatever it takes to support them.
Generating nearly two-thirds of net new jobs over the last
15 years, small firms are the innovators and drivers of
economic progress. During tough economic times,
entrepreneurship is also important in giving dislocated workers
opportunities to go into business for themselves and support
their families.
As we move forward, Mr. Chairman, we must make sure that
small businesses are given the resources they need to prosper.
And I look forward to continuing our efforts on behalf of small
entrepreneurs during the 113th Congress.
I yield back.
Chairman Graves. We will move into the rules package. And I
want to thank the minority and majority staffs for their hard
work and cooperation in putting this package together. And I
will highlight some of the changes in the rules that I think
are going to provide some greater transparency.
The rules package for the 112th Congress created a lot of
transparency and protected the rights of the minority. And in
order to maintain that transparency and cohesiveness, the rules
package for the 113th Congress does not diverge from the rules
that were used in the 112th Congress except for two ways: The
rules reduce the number of testimony copies required by the
witnesses. And the second thing is the size of the
subcommittees is going to shrink to six Republican and four
Democratic Members. However, we will still maintain the ability
of any member to attend any subcommittee hearing as long as
they just request to do so.
And now I would recognize Ranking Member Velazquez for any
remarks on the rules.
Ms. Velazquez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Our committee rules determine how the committee operates.
More importantly, by laying out a fair process, they help
ensure that all points of view are considered.
On this Committee, we have Members all across the country,
representing our largest cities, rural areas, small towns, and
everything in between. By taking an inclusive approach, the
Committee benefits from hearing the different perspectives of
all Members, regardless of party affiliation or ideology.
Ultimately, this results in not just a fairer process, but also
a better, stronger legislative product.
A Committee that is run openly and fairly is a Committee
that works. It is my hope that the rules we consider today will
make that happen. Through their adoption, we will kick off the
new Congress with a sense of comity and bipartisanship, which I
hope to see sustained moving forward.
I yield back.
Chairman Graves. Are there any other Members who wish to be
recognized for a statement on the rules package?
Seeing none, the Committee now moves to consideration of
the rules package.
The clerk will please read the title of the document.
The Clerk. ``Rules and Procedures Adopted by the Committee
on Small Business, United States House of Representatives,
113th Congress.''
Chairman Graves. I would ask unanimous consent that the
rules package be considered as read and open for amendment in
its entirety.
Does any Member seek recognition for the purpose of
offering an amendment?
Seeing none, the question is on adopting the rules.
All those in favor, say ``aye.''
All those opposed, ``no.''
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The rules
for the Small Business Committee in the 113th Congress are
adopted. And the staff is authorized to make any technical and
grammatical changes.
Now we will move to the oversight plan, which is the second
order of business. The plan represents the agenda for the
committee during the 113th Congress. And I want to thank
Ranking Member Velazquez again for her input into the oversight
plan.
I believe the plan adopted in the 112th Congress was
comprehensive, and it enabled the Committee to focus on
ensuring that the government does not hinder the ability of
small businesses to create jobs. And as a result, the oversight
plan prepared for the 113th Congress is similar to the one
adopted in the 112th.
Despite its overall similarity, there are a few key
additions to the plan which we are considering today. The
primary additions are oversight of legislation enacted in the
112th Congress that affects small businesses, including changes
to the Small Business Innovative Research Program, government
contracting programs overseen by the SBA, and improved capital
access for entrepreneurs associated with the implementation of
the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act.
At this point, I would yield to Ranking Member Velazquez
for any comments she might have.
Ms. Velazquez. Well, I would like to commend the chair for
producing a thoughtful document.
The plan calls for greater oversight of the Small Business
Administration and, in particular, its contracting and lending
initiatives. In the past, this Committee has vigorously
investigated fraud in the SBA's contracting programs. We know
that when unscrupulous actors misuse these initiatives,
legitimate small businesses lose out on Federal procurement
contracting. In that regard, it is vital that the Committee
continue exposing fraud, waste, and abuse in these initiatives.
In recent years, the Committee has been vigilant in
examining the SBA disaster assistance efforts. Thanks to our
work, Congress passed and the SBA is implementing reforms to
improve these programs. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, I hope
we keep a close eye on how well these programs function.
The oversight plan delineates several programs for review
and possible termination. Our past work has revealed that there
are agency programs that are duplicative and an unwise use of
taxpayers' dollars. It has always been a part of our core
responsibility to carefully examine such instances and consider
alternative options as well as their elimination. This is
central to why I have always advocated for a 2-year
authorization period for the Small Business Administration and
its programs. Congress should be regularly seeking feedback
from agencies and evaluating what is working and what is not.
Collaborating with my colleagues on these matters and
making the SBA more efficient must remain a top priority for
this panel. This Committee has often served as a voice for
entrepreneurs on Capitol Hill during these larger policy
debates, and it is my hope that we will continue playing that
vital role.
Again, I commend the chairman on the development of this
oversight plan. And I yield back.
Chairman Graves. Thanks, Nydia.
Are there any other Members who wish to be heard on the
oversight plan?
Seeing none, the Committee now moves for the consideration
of the oversight plan.
The clerk will please read the title of the document.
The Clerk. ``Oversight Plan of the Committee on Small
Business for the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress.''
Chairman Graves. I would ask unanimous consent that the
oversight plan be considered as read and open for amendment in
its entirety.
Does any Member seek recognition for the purpose of
offering an amendment?
Seeing no amendments, the question is on adopting the
oversight package.
All those in favor, say ``aye.''
All those opposed, ``no.''
In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The
oversight plan for the Small Business Committee in the 113th
Congress is adopted. Committee staff is authorized to make any
technical and grammatical changes to the plan.
I would like to thank everybody for being here today and
look forward to working with you.
And with that, the meeting of the Committee on Small
Business is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 1:53 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
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