Successful Entrepreneurship for Reservists and Veterans Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair and ranking member for their leadership. I appreciate what we are able to do on the Small Business Committee for Main Street America.

I rise today, Mr. Speaker, because as a Member of Congress, it is our duty and responsibility to protect and support our Nation's veterans.

Back in 2023, it was my distinct pleasure to have Commander Taylor Burks of Missouri's Fourth Congressional District testify at a Small Business Committee hearing on veteran entrepreneurship. He is now serving a deployment in the Indo-PACOM, so we wish him well.

We learned not only about the unique skill set that veterans can bring to small businesses but also about the obstacles that veterans face many times when trying to open small businesses and live out the American Dream.

It was imperative for Members to hear how the committee and the Small Business Administration can better serve those who served this great Nation.

As a result, my colleague Representative Sharice Davids and I introduced the Successful Entrepreneurship for Reservists and Veterans, or the SERV Act.

This bipartisan legislation, which passed through the Small Business Committee unanimously last Congress, will help veteran small business owners and entrepreneurs succeed by studying the barriers faced when starting a business.

This bill will commission a report on the outreach and promotion of existing veteran-focused small business programs to make sure that veterans can access all the available resources, the capital, and the counseling that they need to succeed.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation also mandates the Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development to devise an outreach and promotion strategy for programs available to veterans transitioning into the business world.

When veterans' service to our country ends, they should not face additional difficulties in accessing capital and resources. With transparency and increased reporting, we can better ensure that they get the support that they need and the support that they deserve. I am proud to co-lead the SERV Act with Representatives Davids and Conaway.

This bill, Mr. Speaker, is a win for our districts, our veterans, and our great Nation, the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation.

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