Bill to Help Veteran-Owned Businesses

Statement

I recently introduced legislation to ensure that the Department of Defense meets its obligation to contract with small businesses owned and controlled by service-connected disabled veterans.

As a nation, we owe an immense debt of gratitude to the men and women who serve in our armed forces. In that spirit, we must do all we can to ensure that disabled veterans' businesses have every opportunity to succeed.

Federal agencies have a government-wide goal that three percent of all federal contracts should be filled by service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). Unfortunately this contracting goal often goes unmet at many agencies.

My bill, H.R. 3438, will ensure that the Department of Defense meets its obligation to America's veterans by requiring the agency to award three percent of its contracts to SDVOSBs.

It is unthinkable that an agency like the Department of Defense would not always fill its quota of hiring businesses owned and controlled by disabled veterans. This bill will ensure that disabled veterans' businesses are not an afterthought in the government contracting process.

The current state of affairs is unacceptable!

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