GOP Rep. Pete Stauber’s invoice to assist small companies within the orbit of federal contracts and subcontracting quietly sailed by way of the U.S. Home final month with vast bipartisan assist.
The laws, often called the Strengthening Subcontracting for Small Companies Act, was launched by Stauber in Could and handed the Home roughly a month later in a 411-11 vote.
“You aren’t getting a lot [more] bipartisan than that,” Stauber mentioned of the vote.
The invoice’s Home passage represented a low-key second of success for the second time period Minnesota Republican, given Democrats’ management of the Home and Senate, as he appears to win a 3rd time period on this fall’s midterm elections. The laws has been despatched over to the Senate, the place it hasn’t gotten a vote.
Whereas the textual content of the invoice is comparatively quick, Stauber mentioned “it will make actual and vital impacts on small companies which can be searching for these alternatives within the federal procurement market.”
Stauber, who serves on the Home Small Enterprise Committee, mentioned the measure would “assist small companies by growing their entry to federal contracts.”
The invoice can be being touted by Maryland Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume, vice chair of the Home panel. His workplace mentioned in a information launch the laws makes it crucial for “federal companies to contemplate previous therapy of small enterprise subcontractors by giant prime contractors when figuring out whether or not to award future contracts to these prime contractors.”
“This invoice is a crucial piece of laws and can guarantee our nation’s valued small companies are protected once they work with giant federal contractors,” Mfume mentioned within the June assertion. “At a time when small companies are liable to being pushed out of the federal procurement area, it’s crucial we unite throughout the aisle to face up for small enterprise considerations.”
Stauber additionally famous the invoice’s timing, when inflation continues to be a serious concern for small companies and shoppers alike.
“It represents a possibility for small enterprise,” Stauber mentioned of the invoice. “And it reveals the American individuals that there is a variety of bipartisan work that may be achieved in our nation’s capital.”
Two Democrats have filed to run towards Stauber on this yr’s midterm cycle together with DFL state Rep. Jen Schultz, who has the occasion endorsement.
“I assist this minor change to the Small Enterprise Act, which was really useful by the U.S. Authorities Accountability Workplace, however it’s embarrassing that my opponent touts this as a serious legislative accomplishment over the past two phrases,” Schultz mentioned in an e-mail.
Stauber simply gained re-election in 2020 after a nearer contest in 2018, however is now operating below the altered Eighth Congressional District strains led to by the redistricting course of. Stauber can be dealing with a minor major problem on the Republican aspect.
