Capping Excessive Awarding of Sblc Entrants Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Ms. MORRISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss H.R. 2987, the CEASE Act, which would place a statutory moratorium on the number of Small Business Lending Company licenses that can be issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

What does this bill do? It will cap the number of SBA 7(a) nonbank lenders who can give loans to America's small businesses, a reasonable endeavor that could have generated bipartisan support had there been any effort by the majority to engage in a thoughtful discussion with us.

Since there was no such engagement, this bill does nothing to protect the hugely successful Community Advantage program. Community Advantage Small Business Lending Companies provide loans to small businesses located in underserved and rural communities, to new businesses, and to veteran-owned small businesses.

For far too long, far too many people in our country have not been able to access capital and participate in the American Dream of starting a business, creating jobs, and growing our economy. The Small Business Administration plays a critical role in providing capital to our small businesses. The Community Advantage program has a demonstrated track record of helping entrepreneurs who face higher barriers to accessing capital grow and scale their businesses.

This is exactly what we should be doing: opening more doors for more Americans to start a business, create jobs in their community, and strengthen their local economy.

My question to my Republican colleagues is: Without providing protections for Community Advantage Small Business Lending Companies in the text of this bill, are you suggesting we eliminate this crucial program? Why would you threaten to remove a way for veteran-owned small businesses to access capital? What is your message to American entrepreneurs looking to access that first loan that could help turn their best ideas into a new small business?

Mr. Speaker, let's just take a step back here. Right now, small businesses across the country are ringing the alarm bells saying that the tariff wars are going to put them out of business in a matter of weeks or months.

Just this past week, we heard from Minnesota's Small Business Person of the Year, given the award by the Trump administration, who said she has 6 weeks until she goes out of business.

These are successful small businesses, small businesses that were thriving, growing, expanding until President Trump started this completely unnecessary, completely chaotic trade war by setting exorbitant tariffs as high as 145 percent, changing policies haphazardly, at times literally by the hour. No one can run a business with that level of uncertainty, and our small businesses are getting hit the hardest.

They can't plan for the future. They don't have the luxury of time. The threat is here right now. They certainly don't have the resources to personally lobby the President like the massive tech companies who got exemptions did. President Trump's so-called tariff policy is literally killing our small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, Congress has the power to stop it. Article I of the Constitution says Congress has the power to levy tariffs, but what is the Republican majority doing?

They are ceding all their power to this President and completely disregarding their constitutional duty and the outcries from small business owners who are warning us they will have to close their doors in a matter of weeks if this tariff war doesn't end.

Mr. Speaker, the three bills the Republicans are choosing to bring to the floor this week have nothing to do with the existential threat that these tariffs are posing to our Nation's small businesses. The lack of courage to stand up for our Nation's small businesses, and to stand by and watch their downfall, is shameful. We should be passing legislation to end this tariff war and save our small businesses.

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