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Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), the Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 1, the Republican Tax Scam bill: “As I’ve said before, this bill takes a wrecking ball to our middle class. Small business owners have always been the core of this nation’s middle class and they will also suffer… Read more »

As local businesses and homeowners across Puerto Rico, Houston and Florida continue the long road to recovery, House Committee on Small Business Ranking Member Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) is working to break down barriers to federal assistance. After Superstorm Sandy, federal law prevented small firms who took out a disaster loan from receiving Community Development Block Grant… Read more »

Measure Would Incentivize Rapid, Private Sector Emergency Loans  Today, Small Business Committee Ranking Member Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) unveiled a new initiative to encourage private lenders to assist small business disaster recovery. After Hurricanes Irma, Harvey and Maria devastated local economies, Velázquez’s bill, the Small Business Emergency… Read more »

In a hearing today in front of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy, and Trade, Democrats took aim at one of the most pressing issues facing small firms—access to capital. Through a unique public-private partnership, the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program has helped thousands of high-growth businesses by providing over $100 billion of investment… Read more »

As Republicans in Congress unveiled their tax plan today, Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) released a report showing the plan’s failure to consider the needs of America’s small firms. In the report, Velázquez argues that tax reform ought to provide simplicity and modernization to increase compliance and spur job creation. Pulling from years of collective… Read more »

Yesterday, House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) sent a letter which emphasizes the importance of awarding federal contracts to small firms within disaster areas. The letter was sent to the administrators of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Unfortunately, hurricanes cause enormous economic… Read more »

Today, House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) sent a letter calling on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to outline the concrete actions they are taking to help the thousands of Puerto Rican small businesses recovering from Hurricane Maria.  Reports from the Island estimate that due to the storm, 5,000 of Puerto Rico’s small… Read more »

In response to the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) announcement to hire a Procurement Analyst in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) released the following statement:              “I commend SBA for the decision to recruit a full-time procurement analyst in San Juan, serving the capacity of… Read more »

Today, Democrats of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and the Workforce convened in front of a key panel to examine damaging shortcomings out of federal Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). Reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) have exposed that for an initiative designed to increase small business procurement, OSDBUs have… Read more »

Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), the top Democrat on the House Small Business Committee, released the following statement in support of the White House’s decision to nominate Hannibal “Mike” Ware to serve as the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Inspector General:               “Mr. Ware, SBA’s current… Read more »