Maximizing Small Business Competition Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 4332, the Maximizing Small Business Competition Act of 2016. Purchasing more than $400 billion in goods and services annually, the U.S. Government remains a consistent and reliable client for all businesses.

The Small Business Act requires that small businesses have a fair opportunity to compete for Federal contracts. To help facilitate awards to small firms, the act created a position of procurement center representatives, or PCRs. PCRs are placed throughout the country to monitor agencies' major buying activities, with the main goal of increasing the small business share of Federal procurement awards and ensuring that a fair portion of awards go to small businesses of all types.

These representatives are tasked with various duties, including initiating and recommending small businesses set-aside contracts. If the PCR feels that a contract or a portion of a contract can be set aside, he or she can file an appeal to an agency. However, due to decisions made internally at SBA, PCRs are no longer required to review proposed solicitations that already include a small business set-aside. Thus, there would be no opportunity for them to file an appeal. As a result, an agency can get away with setting aside the bare minimum for small businesses without having a solicitation reviewed by the PCR, which deprives many small businesses of potential opportunities.

This has been particularly harmful with larger contracts that have been bundled or consolidated. For example, at the General Services Administration, we have seen large contracts worth billions of dollars not receive PCR review. A review could have opened up more of the contracts to small businesses.

The Maximizing Small Business Competition Act of 2016, introduced by Mr. Kelly of Mississippi, seeks to remedy the problem created by the SBA's decision to limit PCR reviews.

The bill would allow PCRs to review contracts regardless of whether the contract already includes a set-aside or partial set-asides for small businesses.

We cannot accept the bare minimum from agencies regarding contracting opportunities for small businesses. If PCRs see that an agency can include more small firms, they should be allowed to appeal the agency.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I ask my fellow Members to support this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, PCRs are the first line of offense and defense when ensuring small businesses get their fair share of Federal contracts.

It is troubling that SBA has limited the ability of these professionals to oversee contracts. This decision could result in small firms not receiving the maximum contracting opportunities.

Currently, if a contracting officer sets aside 5 percent of the contract for service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses, PCRs are not reviewing these applications. A review could find that more could be set aside for these small businesses or perhaps other small-business groups.

This bill ensures that PCRs are seeking out additional opportunities for small business and not relying on contracting officers to guarantee that these businesses are afforded their fair share of prime contracts.

Mr. Speaker, once again I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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