Press Release

Cummings Votes to Expand Small Business, Strengthen Community Development

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), a member of the Joint Economic Committee, joined his colleagues in a vote of 334-80 to pass H.R. 3867, the Small Business Contracting Improvements Act, which amends key sections of the Small Business Act to allow for a more competitive procurement marketplace by expanding opportunities for small businesses.
 
“Small business is a big business in America, creating half of our gross domestic product and driving our entire economy,” Congressman Cummings said. “This legislation takes steps to assist small business participation and prevent fraud, encouraging small businesses to flourish—particularly in distressed areas.
 
Key highlights of the bill include:

• Expanding contracting opportunities for small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, who currently only receive a fraction of their contracting goal
• Adopting a roadmap to provide information, advice, and training to veterans and creating penalties for businesses misrepresenting themselves with service-disabled veteran classifications
• Strengthening opportunities for women entrepreneurs by requiring the Small Business Administration to immediately implement a procurement program that has been stalled for nearly seven years, costing women tens of billions of dollars in contracting opportunities

Additionally, the legislation strengthens the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting program, which provides federal contracting opportunities for qualified small businesses in distressed areas and requires that contracts be performed within a reasonable distance of the particular area the contract is to benefit. It also revises the qualification requirements and modernizes the 8(a) program, which offers a broad scope of assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged firms.
 
“The Small Business Contracting Improvements Act takes one more step toward restoring the American Dream for our families by creating a chance for prosperity for all Americans—including women and veterans,” Congressman Cummings said. “In the process of expanding opportunities for small business and eliminating fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars, it strengthens our community development, offering a positive benefit for everyone.”

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