January 8, 2019
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
On behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council, the Chamber supports seven bills that are scheduled for consideration by the House that would promote small business growth and development:
H.R. 116, the “Investing in Main Street Act,” which would help small businesses access the capital they need to start and grow.
H.R. 128, the “Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act,” which would enhance the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy’s ability to advocate for free trade, critically important for American small businesses.
H.R. 190, the Expanding Contracting Opportunities for Small Business Act, which would provide greater oversight and accountability for sole-source contracts designed to help small business.
H.R. 206, the “Encouraging Small Business Innovators Act,” which would broaden opportunities for small businesses that utilize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
H.R. 226, the “Clarity on Small Business Participation in Category Management Act,” which would help end contract bundling practices in federal procurement that harm small businesses.
H.R. 227, the “Incentivizing Fairness in Subcontracting Act,” which would bolster small business subcontracting opportunities in the federal marketplace.
H.R. 246, the “Stimulating Innovation through Procurement Act,” which would provide better inter-agency coordination for small businesses seeking opportunities through the SBIR and STTR programs.
I am Christel Slaughter, Ph.D., CEO of SSA Consultants based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the Chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Council.Over 99% of private sector businesses in the United States are defined as small.1Similarly, the vast majority of Chamber member companies are small businesses and the Small Business Council works to ensure their views are considered as part of the Chamber’s policy-making process.
Small business confidence continues to be at record highs, according to the MetLife & U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index.2The Small Business Council believes that bipartisan passage of bills like these will help sustain small business confidence and bolster Main Street employers’ ability to grow, hire, and re-invest in their communities.
We appreciate you bringing this legislation to the floor and look forward to working with you to create anenvironment that supports the creation and growth of small businesses in America’s free enterprise system.
Sincerely,
Christel Slaughter, PhD
CEO
SSA Consultants
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1Frequently Asked Questions,Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration (August 2018), viewable at: https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/advocacy/Frequently-Asked-Questi....
2 MetLife & U.S. Chamber of Commerce Index, viewable at:https://www.uschamber.com/sbindex/.
