Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure Holds Hearing on Expanding Opportunities for Small Business Contractors

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY), Chair of the Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure, held a hearing titled "Leveling the Playing Field: Fostering Opportunities for Small Business Contractors" to discuss how to expand opportunities and remove barriers for small businesses to compete for government contracts.

"Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, yet Washington's red tape too often locks them out of federal contracts," said Rep. LaLota. "Hearing from business leaders, including from my own district, helps Congress shape policies that unleash the full potential of America's small businesses, strengthen our industrial base, and deliver better results for taxpayers. That's why I've led the charge with the Plain Language in Contracting Act - to cut through bureaucracy, open doors for small firms, and ensure taxpayers get the innovation and value they deserve."

---

Watch the full hearing here.

Below are some key excerpts from today's hearing:

Chairman LaLota: "You alluded to this in your opening testimony-you're going to tell us some of the tough things you have been through and how sometimes the government has made things a little more difficult for you. Can you tell us, sir, a little bit about the application process for some of these contracts and some of the roadblocks you've suffered through throughout your many decades of experience trying to earn those contracts, sir?" Mr. Anumolu: "In 38 years, when we see a contract coming with two thousand pages, even before we read: this is the 'end marker' for somebody. That is a bad word we use in our lingo in the company. That is set for somebody else, somebody's there, you know. So, we don't even try to beat it. That should not be our feeling when we are willing to spend our valuable time, night and day. There are many contracts that have come. All the surveys and intellectual contracts, I request that the contracting officers try to level the field with simple language, as your legislation is coming from both the Chairman. If you do it, fifty percent more businesses will be there, more competition, and we can beat big business."

Chairman Williams: "On this committee, we have repeatedly heard that government contracts and solicitations are often overly complex, making them difficult for many businesses to respond to successfully. We see the pile there at the chairman's desk. As Chairman LaLota has stated, less than three percent of the contracts from the Department of Defense were written in plain language. So, Mr. Ramos, to you, what steps has your firm taken to understand and respond to overly complex solicitations? And, if contract solicitations were written in plain language, would this encourage small businesses like yours to compete more for government contracts?" Mr. Ramos: "Yes, sir. We almost have a full in-house lawyer at this point. That is required. We engage with our general counsel, who is a third party today, on a very regular basis on a number of issues related to federal contracting. That has been critical. That has also included training for our personnel so that we can become better experts. But this is an art at figuring out federal contracts, and I will say that if you figure out that art, then you have an entrenched competitive advantage in order to continue going after contracts. So, if we can simplify the language, then more small businesses will have an opportunity to compete."

###