Rep. Antonio Delgado Introduces First Bill as a Member of Congress, Bipartisan Proposal to Support Veteran Families

Today, Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY) introduced his first bill as a Member of Congress. The bipartisan Service-Disabled Veterans Small Business Continuation Act -- led by Delgado as well as Committee on Small Business Ranking Member Steve Chabot (R-OH), Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), and Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) -- would provide the surviving spouse of a service-disabled veteran with federal contracting preference as a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

"With veterans and their families sacrificing so much for our rights and freedoms, it is our solemn obligation as a nation to ensure their health and well-being," said Rep. Delgado. "I am proud that the first bill I am introducing as a Member of Congress will help veteran families by extending additional benefits to the surviving spouses of deceased veterans across the country, including at home in Upstate New York."

"As Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business, I am pleased to honor the sacrifices of our nation's veterans," Ranking Member Chabot said. "The Service-Disabled Veterans Small Business Continuation Act does just that. By allowing the spouses of deceased service-disabled veterans to retain their status as a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, they will remain competitive in the federal contracting market. After the years of service their family members provide to our country in the military, veterans' spouses have earned the reliability this bill provides to them and their businesses. I thank my colleagues, Congressmen Bergman, Correa, and Delgado, for working with me on this legislation."

Current law allows surviving spouses of 100% service-disabled veteran business owners to continue receiving preferences for contracts with the VA, but the benefit does not extend to the spouses of veterans with a disability less than 100%. The bipartisan bill introduced today will extend the benefit to these spouses for three years, helping ensure their businesses are not upended after the death of their veteran spouse.

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