Office of Rural Affairs Enhancement Act
Floor Speech
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this commonsense legislation to enhance the Office of Rural Affairs at the SBA. I commend Representatives Goodlander, Wied, and Golden for their commitment to making this office operate more effectively for rural small businesses.
Rural small businesses are powerful drivers of economic growth across the United States, fueling the agricultural, tourism, manufacturing, and energy sectors.
Unfortunately, they receive disproportionately fewer SBA loans and resources than their urban counterparts and face greater challenges, including access to affordable capital, unreliable internet access, and access to talent.
Created in 1990, the Office of Rural Affairs at the SBA could play a key role in helping small businesses overcome these challenges. However, throughout its existence, the office has either been dormant or the collateral duty of a regional administrator.
In 2020, an acting SBA director was named, and in 2021, the SBA appointed a permanent, full-time career deputy director to stand up the office. This bill would elevate the role of director to an assistant administrator, ensure that assistant administrator meets certain qualifications, and requires the office to host webinars and outreach events.
With clear lines of communication and the outreach that will come from the office, small businesses will be able to access resources that should be readily available to them.
I will, once again, thank Ms. Goodlander, Mr. Wied, and Mr. Golden for their bipartisan efforts on behalf of America's rural small businesses.
Goodlander).
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Mr. CISNEROS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.
Mr. Speaker, I will, once again, thank my colleagues, Ms. Goodlander, Mr. Wied, and Mr. Golden, for their bipartisan efforts to pass this legislation.
By strengthening the Office of Rural Affairs, we can ensure all small businesses have adequate access to the resources at their disposal.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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