Doe and Sba Research Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. LaLOTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Williams for yielding and for his leadership on the Small Business Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of my bill, the bipartisan DOE and SBA Research Act.

The DOE and SBA Research Act would simply require the Small Business Administration and America's 17 national labs to collaborate to ensure that small businesses are better utilized within the Department of Energy procurement process.

The Department of Energy is one of the largest procurers of small business goods and services in the government. Through the DOE's national laboratories, small businesses can play a critical role in executing the DOE's mission.

My district, which is home to one of these laboratories, Brookhaven National Lab, which is leading the way by prioritizing working with small businesses, specifically BNL and Suffolk County small businesses have created a mutually beneficial relationship based upon cooperative research and technical assistance.

Despite good intentions throughout the Federal system, far too often small businesses have been made to endure tremendous frustrations related to Federal contracting because the Federal contracting process is incredibly complex and bureaucratic and plagued with many inconsistencies and nuances.

Some programs, such as the Small Business Innovation Research program, operate differently in each agency. This means a small business utilizing the same program may have to meet significantly different requirements from one agency to the next.

My bill, the DOE and SBA Research Act, seeks to remedy this problem.

A small business' work with the Federal Government can be a frustrating maze, and this bipartisan bill will help bring existing resources and opportunities to innovative and successful small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support the DOE and SBA Research Act.

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