Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023, legislation I was proud to introduce with my colleagues, Chair Roger Williams of Texas; Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky; and Jake Ellzey, also from Texas.

This bipartisan bill codifies the existing Boots to Business Program at the Small Business Administration, which provides business training programs for veterans and their families. Innovation and entrepreneurship are critical to a healthy, growing economy.

Today, the United States is enjoying a renaissance in entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurs not only start new businesses, they bring new ideas and new inventions to life. They create new industries and disrupt existing ones. The companies they build not only create new jobs, but are pillars in our local communities.

A recent Forbes article noted that 16 percent of the U.S. workforce are engaged in entrepreneurial pursuits, up almost 30 percent since the start of the pandemic, and 40 percent of those are women.

Furthermore, our Nation's economy relies on small business and entrepreneurship. U.S. small businesses generate approximately 44 percent of our total economic activity each year; they employ almost half of all working Americans and produce almost two-thirds of new jobs.

So who are these people fueling our economic vitality? A broad review of the business literature describing the traits of successful entrepreneurs show some common themes. These include: creativity and desire to innovate; the ability to collaborate and build strong teams; a willingness to take measured risks; decisiveness; versatility; adaptability; persistence; resilience; and grit.

This list also fairly describes the men and women who serve our Nation in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force. Success in our military requires the very same traits that are considered key success factors in business.

Our military is made up of the best and the brightest our country has to offer. They reflect who we are as a Nation and encompass the full diversity of our people. Their success in their service depends on the same types of leadership talent that will make them capable business leaders in the future. They quickly solve problems, they innovate, and they take uncertain situations and find ways to get things done.

What the Boots to Business Program does so well is help translate the lessons and skills cultivated during military service into the skills necessary for success in civilian life.

Since 2013, the Boots to Business Program has elevated the potential of our Nation's veterans by offering free, multiweek, in-depth courses to over 150,000 existing servicemembers and their spouses. The Boots to Business curriculum covers the fundamentals of starting a business, teaching participants such important skills as market research, organizational design, and financial management.

Our bill, the Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023, will formally codify the Boots to Business Program into law, ensuring existing and future servicemembers can reliably take advantage of this valuable opportunity for years to come.

This bill will fuel small-business-driven growth well into the future by creating a pipeline of skilled and hardworking entrepreneurs. It means we can continue to give back to the men and women who selflessly risked their lives in our service while also investing in our economic future by building a driven and skilled entrepreneur force from our Nation's most ambitious and achieving leaders.

I am pleased and grateful for the strong bipartisan support this bill has received in committee. I once again thank Chair Williams and Ranking Member Velazquez for helping to bring this bill forward, and I thank the Speaker for bringing this important legislation to the House floor today.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023.

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