Providing for Further Consideration of H.R. 4310, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013
Floor Speech
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Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the rule, House Resolution 661, which allows for full and fair debate on the National Defense Authorization Act.
Given that the Federal Government spends over half a trillion dollars each year through contracts, the Federal procurement market is incredibly important to small businesses. Improving small business opportunities for Federal contractors is a triple play. Small businesses win more contracts, workers win more jobs, and taxpayers win because small businesses bring competition, innovation, and lower prices to save the government money.
H.R. 4310 ensures that small businesses have greater opportunities to compete. It increases the small business goal from 23 percent to 25 percent, which could mean up to $11 billion in new small business contracts. It improves the quality of the Federal contracting workforce. It cracks down on deceptive entities hiding behind small businesses, making it easier to catch fraud and abuse. It simplifies the rules for small businesses, and it addresses the top complaint I hear more than anything else, which is unjustifiable contract bundling.
These reforms reflect the work of the Small Business Committee, which held 10 hearings and two markups on these issues, and the Armed Services Committee's own efforts to do better by small contractors. Over 20 trade associations have offered their support to the changes.
I want to thank Chairman McKeon, Ranking Member Smith, Mr. Shuster, Mr. Larson and their staffs for the assistance of bringing these provisions to the floor.
While the House is seeking ways to expand opportunities for small businesses, the administration issued a statement opposing the bill's modest increase in small business goals in the bill's bundling provisions that make it easier for small businesses to compete.
Ironically, this opposition came the same day that the administration issued a report seeking ways to move America's small businesses forward. The best way to move small business forward is to give them opportunities to succeed. Supporting this significant legislation will create jobs, save taxpayer dollars, and put small businesses back to work.
I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the pro-jobs, pro-competition, and commonsense reforms in this bill.
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