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Mr. PATRONIS. Madam Speaker, I thank the lead of this bill, the gentleman from California (Mr. Tran), for his work on this bill.
I appreciate the opportunity to serve as co-lead on this legislation. The SBA's 504 program helps small businesses to grow, create jobs, and invest in their communities. Since this program uses taxpayer-backed loans, it is important that we properly review and manage risk.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 5788 makes a simple fix. It requires risk assessments for the 504 loan program, just like we already do with other major SBA loan programs. This helps to close the gap and improves oversight.
Transparency matters. When we clearly understand how a program is working, we can protect taxpayer dollars and make sure the program stays strong.
This bill helps us to ensure that we are responsible with taxpayer money while continuing to support small businesses.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5788.
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