Chabot Statement on House Approval of the RISE after Disaster Act

Statement

Small Business Committee Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH) made the following statement after the U.S. House approved the Recovery Improvements for Small Entities After Disaster Act of 2015 (RISE After Disaster Act), sending the measure to President Obama's desk for his signature:

"When disasters strike, the last thing a small business needs is to have their recovery assistance delayed by unnecessary red tape and bureaucratic incompetence. This bipartisan legislation represents an important victory for good government and accountability, ensuring that our small businesses and the jobs they create are not lost in the wake of a disaster."

Chabot noted that after Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, many Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster relief funds were needlessly delayed, arriving so late that families and businesses suffered additional, unnecessary financial losses.

The Ohio lawmaker also pointed to two recent investigations by the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Inspector General which uncovered significant delays in SBA's processing times for disaster recovery assistance loans and serious operational problems within the program.

Source