House Small Business and Science Committee React to Imminent Lapse of SBIR/STTR Programs

Washington, D.C. - House Committee on Small Business Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX), Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Brian Babin (R-TX), and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) issued the following statement as the SBIR and STTR programs are set to expire at midnight:

"We are disappointed that the Senate failed to extend the SBIR and STTR programs. For more than forty years, these initiatives have kept small businesses at the forefront of innovation, strengthened our national defense, and delivered immense returns for taxpayers. A lapse creates uncertainty for innovators and risks slowing progress at a time when global competition is intensifying.

The House came together across party lines to pass a one-year extension that would provide certainty to Main Street while Congress worked toward a strong, long-term reauthorization. Without it, research could be delayed, innovation diminished, and America's competitive edge on the world stage eroded.

While both chambers continue to work toward reforms and long-term reauthorization, we urge the Senate to move swiftly on a temporary extension of the programs. This ensures America's small businesses can continue advancing breakthroughs and keeping the United States ahead of its competitors."

###