Wosb Accountability Act

Floor Speech

In recent years, both SBA and Congress have directed changes to the small business contracting programs to increase accountability and ensure proper use. The WOSB Accountability Act will continue this work by moving the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program to full SBA certification.

This bill is important to ensure that the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program works as intended, assists the companies as intended, and, ultimately, levels the playing field for women-owned firms competing for government contracts as intended.

The data shows that women are starting and running new small businesses, generating revenue and jobs in their communities, and growing in increasingly diverse industries, but fewer and fewer are signing up to work with the government. Again, many more are leaving.

Women-owned small businesses continue to make up a strikingly small share of Federal contracts, and the government continues to fail to meet the 5 percent goal of contracting dollars that Congress set three decades ago.

Better leveraging the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program to recruit and retain more small firms strengthens the entire industrial base, promotes competition, and drives innovation.

Mr. Speaker, passing this bill today will do that.

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Mr. McGARVEY. Velazquez), the distinguished ranking member of the Small Business Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaLota) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams) for their work on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I close by thanking the ranking member from New York (Ms. Velazquez) for her leadership on this bill and her many years of work to create, strengthen, and enhance the Women-Owned Small Business program. I am pleased to support this bill and encourage all of my colleagues to do the same.

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