WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Springfield) today voted in favor of H.R. 1873, the Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act.  The bill was approved 409-13. 

"Small businesses are the backbone of the Oregon economy and our national economy.  They are the primary drivers of job creation, innovation, and economic growth.  Expanding federal contracting opportunities for small businesses is a huge win for main street businesses that create jobs here at home and have roots in local communities," said DeFazio.

H.R. 1873 makes several changes to federal contacting procedures to benefit small businesses.  The bill will:

(1) Increase the government-wide small business procurement goal to 30% from the current level of 23%;

(2) Require each federal agency to submit to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Congress a detailed plan for meeting this contracting goal;

(3) Extend small business contracting goals to overseas contracts;

(4) Limit the ability of federal agencies to bundle several small projects into a single contract too large for a small business to win;

(5) Improve SBA outreach to ensure small businesses registered to do bushiness with the federal government are notified about contracting opportunities;

(6) Improve SBA oversight to ensure that larger companies are not qualifying as small businesses and taking away contracting opportunities for truly small businesses; and

(7) Create a 5% procurement goal for the federal government to contract with environmentally friendly ("green") small businesses.

"Small businesses fuel big ideas.  Some of America's largest companies were originally started in the garage of an entrepreneur.  I am committed to supporting federal policies that promote the establishment and growth of small businesses," continued DeFazio.