Clarity on Small Business Participation in Category Management Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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I rise in support of H.R. 6382, the Clarity on Small Business Participation in Category Management Act of 2018.

Our committee has long acknowledged small businesses' critical role in the $500 billion a year Federal marketplace. When small firms are awarded Federal contracts, the result is a win-win.

While category management is billed as the strategy to get agencies the lowest price, we have heard the contrary in our committee, in that more contracts are being consolidated out of the reach of small businesses.

By requiring that contracting activity under this new regime be reported in the annual goaling report from agencies to Congress, today's bill protects the industrial base by creating a mechanism for much needed accountability.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 6382, and commend Congresswoman Adams for her work to provide accountability to the category management regime.

I urge Members to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Adams), who is the sponsor of the bill and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations.

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Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Adams) for introducing this important piece of legislation to provide much needed oversight of small business participation in the streamlined acquisition strategy known as category management.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all the Members to support this important piece of legislation.

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