Extension of Sbir and Sttr Authority
Floor Speech
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Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Williams, my good friend from Texas, as well, for yielding.
The Small Business Innovation Research, SBIR, and Small Business Technology Transfer, STTR, programs are the Federal Government's largest source of funding for small businesses focused on early-stage technology development and commercialization.
They offer small businesses an opportunity to participate in Federal research and development, facilitating the transition of federally funded R&D into innovative products and services. For this reason, these programs are often referred to as America's seed fund, as they invest in research and emerging technology ideas that may be too risky for private sector funding.
These SBIR and STTR programs are funded from set-asides of the extramural research budgets at Federal agencies, providing billions of dollars in awards every year. This substantial investment by taxpayers necessitates diligent oversight by Congress to ensure that these programs are operating efficiently and are protected from theft and abuse by our adversaries, such as the Chinese Communist Party.
The reauthorization Congress passed in 2022 for these programs addressed some vulnerabilities, but more work needs to be done. Both the Small Business Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committees are dedicated to addressing these issues and ensuring that taxpayer funds support American small businesses rather than being funneled to foreign adversaries.
While we continue our work, it is critical that we do not allow this vital program to expire. Therefore, we have introduced this 1-year extension of SBIR and STTR programs and encourage all Members to vote ``yes'' on this bill.
I look very much forward to working with Chairman Williams, Ranking Member Velazquez, Chairwoman Ernst, Ranking Member Markey, and Ranking Member Lofgren to get a full reauthorization completed and through Congress as soon as possible.
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