Sba It Modernization Reporting Act

Floor Speech

I rise today in support of my bill, the SBA IT Modernization Reporting Act, and I thank the chairman for his support. I also thank Representative Jack for joining me in introducing this bill, which will go a long way to help SBA modernize its IT infrastructure and improve its services to small businesses.

Billions of dollars in Federal contracts are awarded to small businesses every year, and the SBA plays a vital role in promoting small business participation; however, over the years the SBA's outdated and inefficient IT systems have made it harder for entrepreneurs to access the resources they need.

After repeated unsuccessful attempts to develop and deploy a platform that would be a one-stop-shop for contracting certifications, the committee requested the GAO review the SBA's efforts to figure out why they failed. The report identified the critical gaps in the SBA's modernization efforts from risk management to cybersecurity and budgeting.

My bill directly addresses these issues by requiring the SBA administrator to implement the 11 recommendations in the GAO report, mandating a clear plan of action and ensuring Congress is kept in the loop. This means better oversight, better execution, and most importantly, better services by the SBA for all small businesses.

An efficient and fully operational IT platform is critical for the SBA to conduct the certifications that allow for so many small businesses to participate in the Federal marketplace. The SBA IT Modernization Reporting Act will ensure that the SBA addresses the root causes that lead IT projects to fall behind schedule, increasing costs, or outright fail.

I am grateful for the partnership of Representative Jack to introduce this commonsense, bipartisan legislation which shows that modernizing how the SBA works is not a partisan issue. Together, we can ensure that the SBA is prepared to meet the evolving needs of small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill to ensure we give the SBA the modern tools it needs to support the success of America's small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I close by once again thanking my colleague Representative Jack for partnering with me on this important legislation.

By bolstering SBA's IT infrastructure, we can improve services to small businesses and open up doors to thousands of new entrants in the Federal marketplace. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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