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“FAIRNESS TO VETERANS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT ACT OF 2015” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1645 on Nov. 18, 2015.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
FAIRNESS TO VETERANS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT ACT OF 2015
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speech of
HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
of minnesota
in the house of representatives
Monday, November 16, 2015
Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Fairness to Veterans for Infrastructure Investment Act of 2015 (H.R. 1694).
H.R. 1694 as drafted would undermine the Department of Transportation's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program to promote women- and minority-owned small businesses and provide them with the opportunity to compete for federal highway construction contracts in an equitable manner. H.R. 1694 would force women- and minority-owned small businesses into the same pool of competition with veteran-owned small businesses to the detriment of everyone the DBE program was intended to help.
The best way to help our veteran-owned small businesses is to establish a separate and specific program to achieve the aim of ensuring veteran-owned businesses receive fair consideration for federal highway contracts. That is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 3997, which would create a Veteran-owned Business Enterprise program within the Department of Transportation. This program would guarantee that at least 10 percent of federal highway contracts go to veteran-owned small businesses. It would maximize assistance to both veteran-owned and women- and minority-owned small businesses, and would not force competition between them.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the Fairness to Veterans for Infrastructure Investment Act of 2015 (H.R. 1694).
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