Ai for Main Street Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. ALFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of our AI for Main Street Act.

I thank Chairman Williams for his leadership. I also thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Foremost, I recognize both Ranking Member Velazquez for her leadership and Congresswoman Hillary Scholten for working with me to bring this important bill forward.

A lot of people are talking about AI these days. Will it overtake America? Will it put businessowners and workers out of business? This bill is designed to get ahead of that and to make sure that does not happen. In fact, it will increase businesses in America.

This committee exists for one simple reason, and that is to champion Main Street and the small businesses that line our town squares, that power our farms, support our hospitals, and employ nearly half of the American workforce. Right now, Main Street stands at the doorstep of a major transformation because the AI revolution is not just coming. It is already here.

Whether it is managing inventory, scheduling workers, marketing products, improving cybersecurity, or streamlining paperwork, artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming how business gets done in America.

If small businesses do not have the tools and guidance to adapt to that, if they are fearful of it, they risk getting left behind. They will get left behind by larger competitors with bigger budgets and in- house tech teams. By the way, they are also using AI. That is exactly what this bill addresses.

The AI for Main Street Act directs Small Business Development Centers, SBDCs, to provide counseling, training, and outreach to help small businesses safely evaluate and adopt artificial intelligence tools.

These centers already serve as trusted boots-on-the-ground advisers in communities across the country, such as the University of Missouri- Columbia and Sedalia and other places where these SBDCs are providing real help, real boots on the ground.

Madam Speaker, entrepreneurs rely on them for practical guidance and real-world help that works for their businesses. This bill builds on existing efforts like America's SBDC AI U program and ensures that AI support is consistent, accessible, and nationwide. It is not just in major metro areas but in rural towns, manufacturing hubs, and agricultural communities like those I represent in Missouri's Fourth Congressional District.

Just as importantly, this bill emphasizes responsible adoption. We want small business owners to understand not only what AI can do but how to use it securely, safely, ethically, and effectively.

This is not about replacing people. It is about empowering people. It is about giving a family-owned business the same opportunity to compete and grow and innovate as a Fortune 500 company.

I am proud of this legislation and how it advanced out of committee with strong bipartisan support. I appreciate the strong backing from our colleagues on both sides of the aisle who recognize that innovation and small business growth should never be partisan issues.

At the end of the day, when Main Street succeeds, America succeeds. The AI for Main Street Act helps ensure that our entrepreneurs are not spectators in the next wave of innovation but our small business owners are leaders in this revolution.

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