Latest news with #HouseSmallBusinessCommittee
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beacon's CEO Delivers Congressional Testimony on Fostering U.S. Innovation
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ML Mackey, CEO of Beacon, recently provided testimony to the House Small Business Committee on the importance of galvanizing the SBIR/STTR Programs which provide a continuous pathway to Federal R&D funds for the smaller high-tech innovators across the country. Mackey's testimony was informed by her leadership role as CEO and Co-founder of Beacon, a digital innovator in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Her thought leadership is also informed by her experience on the Executive Committee of the National Defense Industrial Association's (NDIA) Board, as well as serving as a member of both the SBA's Invention, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee and the National Academies of Sciences Army Science & Technology Roundtable. Her expertise lends critical industry insight into the technology development process and provides actionable recommendations for supporting the efforts of these programs. Mackey's recommendations largely focused on cementing the reauthorization of the SBIR/STTR programs, increasing support for participants to transition technologies developed in the programs to commercialization, and the diligence necessary to oversee program implementation and increase agency accountability. Beacon has transitioned SBIR investment into digital products deployed across the DoD, including on 200+ U.S. Navy ships and multiple shore-based locations worldwide. Given this success with Federal innovation funding, Mackey spoke to the importance of deliberate and efficient inclusion of contributions from smaller high-tech innovators' to national security. Speaking to the Committee members, Mackey said, "Attracting and retaining new entrants that can rapidly deliver innovative technologies and capabilities to the warfighter is a critical element to building a modern, diverse, and resilient U.S. DIB. These technologies can also provide the decisive advantage needed to deter or win a fight. Your work to defend deliberate and efficient approaches to include small business high-tech innovators in the U.S. DIB is a valuable proposition for the government and a direct enabler of innovation and growth." The hearing, titled "Fostering American Innovation: Insights into SBIR/STTR Programs" was held in Washington, D.C. on February 26, 2025, at 10 am EST. The aim of the hearing was to assess how the SBIR/STTR Programs enable commercial innovators while protecting national security interests. CONTACT: marketing@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Beacon Interactive Systems
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House panel asks Trump's small business chief to provide info on alleged Biden-era electioneering project
EXCLUSIVE: The House Small Business Committee will ask Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler for Biden-era data it says the previous administration consistently "stonewalled" throughout a probe into alleged swing-state electioneering. Chairman Roger Williams, R-Texas, and the panel have been pressing the SBA since they first uncovered cooperation between the agency and the state of Michigan under former President Joe Biden's Executive Order 14019: Promoting Access to Voting. The letter was sent in coordination with the House Administration Committee and Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis. The House Small Business Committee prefaced its letter by saying Williams is pleased to hear Loeffler committed to rescinding the formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) forged with the Great Lakes State – but went on to ask for detailed documentation of the SBA's work before she was confirmed. The committee alleged the former SBA leadership used the MOU to involve themselves in partisan voter registration efforts in target precincts like Saginaw and Detroit, rather than simply aiding voters across the board. Lawmakers Slam Sba 'Stonewalling' Over Michigan Voter Memo As Electioneering Claims Surface Read On The Fox News App In the heat of the conflict between the Biden SBA and the Small Business Committee, Williams filed what he told Fox News Digital was a "rare" subpoena for information from the SBA. The government watchdog Oversight Project, of the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation, also launched a separate lawsuit last year in regard to the alleged electioneering behavior. A year-end report first obtained by Fox News Digital, found Biden's executive order to be an "improper use of executive authority" and that SBA actions in accordance with it thereby "pose unnecessary risks to the integrity of U.S. elections." "Either intentionally or negligently, the SBA has failed to refute concerns of this MOU's partisan nature," the report added. In that effect, Williams is now asking Loeffler for the travel schedules of Biden-era officials, communications including interoffice instant-messenger among SBA personnel in regard to Biden's order, and all communications with the state of Michigan. The panel is also asking for an explicitly unredacted copy of implementation plans in regard to the MOU, as well as any evidence "sufficient to show whether the SBA engaged in any activity relating to voter access or voter registration before the MOU's March 19, 2024 announcement." House Committee Demands Biden Agency Reveal Staff Travel Histories Amid Electioneering Claims The committee also continues to seek travel schedules and related documents for a dozen SBA staff members, including Isabel Casillas Guzman, Dilawar Syed, Arthur Plews and Jennifer Kim. Representatives for the Biden-era SBA repeatedly denied any "stonewalling." In a statement on its work with SBA, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said she was proud to work with the agency "for this first-in-the-nation effort connecting Michigan's small business community with the tools and information they need to play an even greater active role in our democracy." "For nearly two years, the SBA has cooperated with the committee's inquiry, testifying at multiple hearings, providing the committee staff with briefings, making agency officials available for transcribed interviews, and producing thousands of pages of documents responsive to their inquiry," a spokesperson said, calling the allegations "baseless." Fox News Digital reached out to committee ranking member Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., for comment on Wednesday's letter as well. "Last year's Republican-led investigation into the SBA's MOU with Michigan was a complete waste of time; the webpage for the partnership never registered a single voter," Velazquez told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. "This letter is more of the same. Committee Republicans should instead be investigating the impact that job and program cuts at SBA will have on American entrepreneurs and the fact that small business uncertainty is at its highest level since 1973." Previously, Velazquez said that until the current controversy, the committee had long "prided itself in bipartisan cooperation to help American entrepreneurs" but that Williams' caucus' behavior "rejected those principles." In December, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., praised the work of the committee and its interim report, saying it rightly exposed "not only the improper use of executive authority but also significant concerns about actions taken by an agency that may jeopardize the integrity of U.S. elections."Original article source: House panel asks Trump's small business chief to provide info on alleged Biden-era electioneering project
Fox News
19-03-2025
- Business
- Fox News
House panel asks Trump's small business chief to provide info on alleged Biden-era electioneering project
EXCLUSIVE: The House Small Business Committee will ask Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler for Biden-era data it says the previous administration consistently "stonewalled" throughout a probe into alleged swing-state electioneering. Chairman Roger Williams, R-Texas, and the panel have been pressing the SBA since they first uncovered cooperation between the agency and the state of Michigan under former President Joe Biden's Executive Order 14019: Promoting Access to Voting. The committee prefaced its letter by saying Williams is pleased to hear Loeffler committed to rescinding the formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) forged with the Great Lakes State – but went on to ask for detailed documentation of the SBA's work before she was confirmed. The committee alleged the former SBA leadership used the MOU to involve themselves in partisan voter registration efforts in target precincts like Saginaw and Detroit, rather than simply aiding voters across the board. In the heat of the conflict between the Biden SBA and the Small Business Committee, Williams filed what he told Fox News Digital was a "rare" subpoena for information from the SBA. The government watchdog Oversight Project, of the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation, also launched a separate lawsuit last year in regard to the alleged electioneering behavior. A year-end report first obtained by Fox News Digital, found Biden's executive order to be an "improper use of executive authority" and that SBA actions in accordance with it thereby "pose unnecessary risks to the integrity of U.S. elections." "Either intentionally or negligently, the SBA has failed to refute concerns of this MOU's partisan nature," the report added. In that effect, Williams is now asking Loeffler for the travel schedules of Biden-era officials, communications including interoffice instant-messenger among SBA personnel in regard to Biden's order, and all communications with the state of Michigan. The panel is also asking for an explicitly unredacted copy of implementation plans in regard to the MOU, as well as any evidence "sufficient to show whether the SBA engaged in any activity relating to voter access or voter registration before the MOU's March 19, 2024 announcement." The committee also continues to seek travel schedules and related documents for a dozen SBA staff members, including Isabel Casillas Guzman, Dilawar Syed, Arthur Plews and Jennifer Kim. Representatives for the Biden-era SBA repeatedly denied any "stonewalling." In a statement on its work with SBA, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said she was proud to work with the agency "for this first-in-the-nation effort connecting Michigan's small business community with the tools and information they need to play an even greater active role in our democracy." "For nearly two years, the SBA has cooperated with the committee's inquiry, testifying at multiple hearings, providing the committee staff with briefings, making agency officials available for transcribed interviews, and producing thousands of pages of documents responsive to their inquiry," a spokesperson said, calling the allegations "baseless." Fox News Digital reached out to committee ranking member Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., for comment on Wednesday's letter as well. Previously, Velazquez said that until the current controversy, the committee had long "prided itself in bipartisan cooperation to help American entrepreneurs." "Unfortunately, with [these] subpoenas, Republicans have rejected these principles to pursue a partisan inquiry," Velazquez said at the time. In December, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., praised the work of the committee and its interim report, saying it rightly exposed "not only the improper use of executive authority but also significant concerns about actions taken by an agency that may jeopardize the integrity of U.S. elections."
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House committee hearing to examine Trump's impact on small businesses
Alexandria Owens House Committee hearing to examine Trump's impact on small businesses | Morning in America The House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing to examine how President Trump's re-election has created a surge in optimism from small businesses and how the committee and the Trump Administration… House committee hearing to examine Trump's impact on small businesses | Morning in America The House Committee on Small Business will look into ways President Donald Trump's reelection has affected small businesses and how the committee and the Trump administration can reduce the challenges of overbearing government, excessive regulations and high inflation. Rep. Tony Wied, R-Wis., says most small-business owners believe Trump's policies will better the economy and help small businesses thrive. #smallbusiness #Trump #tariffs
