Washington, DC – Today, Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabel Guzman testified before the House Small Business Committee on agency priorities and the agency’s FY 2025 budget justification during a full committee oversight hearing. During the hearing, Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) highlighted small businesses' progress under the Biden administration, examined the agenc... Read More »
Washington, DC— Today, House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) released a report exploring the impact of the increasing popularity of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on America’s small content creators. GenAI threatens the livelihoods of small creators, given the technology’s ability to generate content faster and cheaper than creative professionals and t... Read More »
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, issued the following statement after the Labor Department released its February jobs report showing that nonfarm payroll employment increased by 275,000: “Last night, President Biden detailed our country’s incredible economic progress under his leadership. The February jobs report adds f... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) introduced a bill to establish a student loan debt forgiveness and deferment program for entrepreneurs. The Supporting America’s Young Entrepreneurs Act of 2024 seeks to lower one of the most prominent barriers to starting a business, outstanding student loan debt. “Today, debt is weighing down young p... Read More »
Washington, DC - Today, the House passed eight bipartisan small business bills, including legislation to boost contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses, protect the integrity of the Women-owned Small Business (WOSB) federal contracting program, and codify the Office of Native American Affairs at the Small Business Administration. H.R. 7105, The WOSB Certification and Opportunity ... Read More »
Washington D.C.— Today, the House Small Business Committee held a hearing examining the impact of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations on American small businesses. During the hearing, Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) discussed the ability of EPA rules to both strengthen environmental safeguards and promote economic growth. “Smart, well-crafted regulations can spur innovation ... Read More »
Washington D.C.— Today, the House Small Business Committee held a hearing examining Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards and their impact on small businesses. During the hearing, Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) highlighted the need for Congress to carefully evaluate and implement changes to size standards to avoid unintended consequences for small firms. “This committee has ... Read More »
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you to our witnesses for traveling here today. The demands on a small business owner’s time are already immense. I appreciate that you are using some of your valuable time to help this committee address these important issues. How the Small Business Administration defines “small” can have an enormous impact on the success of an individual small business, as well ... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, issued the following statement after the Labor Department released its January jobs report showing that nonfarm payroll employment increased by 353,000: “The January jobs report is just further evidence that our nation’s economic recovery from COVID is leading the world. Under President B... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, applauded the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) release of federal contracting data disaggregated by race. “Federal contracting programs are intended to level the playing field for small businesses, with some specifically designed to provide assistance for minority-business ... Read More »
Washington, DC - Today, the House Small Business Committee passed nine bipartisan small business bills to increase opportunities for small firms in government contracting, support Native American entrepreneurs, support independent childcare businesses, and fight fraud in Small Business Administration (SBA) programs. “The bills passed today make important improvements to the contracting programs at... Read More »
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this important hearing. Every American deserves the opportunity to take a chance on themselves and contribute to society as productive entrepreneurs. This is the fundamental promise of the American Dream: that any person in this country can work hard, take risks, and be hopefully find success. Yet, Americans with disabilities, like other underprivileged groups,... Read More »
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As both Chair and Ranking Member of this committee, ensuring small businesses have access to credit and investment opportunities has always been one of my top priorities. Under the leadership of President Biden, small business growth has proved resilient. Since he took office, 16 million Americans have filed to start new businesses, the strongest stretch on record. But whi... Read More »
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is no doubt that small businesses are often the victims of crime all across the country. Whether it is small retailers being victims of shoplifting, the local restaurant traumatized by hate crimes, or the countless businesses on the frontlines of our nation’s devastating gun violence epidemic, the impact of crime on small firms can take many forms. These acts can tak... Read More »
Washington, D.C.— Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, issued the following statement after the Labor Department released its December jobs report showing that nonfarm payroll employment increased by 216,000: “2023 was a great year for American workers as the December jobs report brings the total number of jobs created last year to 2.7 millio... Read More »