Title: Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the importance of including small business concerns, especially minority-owned small business concerns, in any efforts to leverage the Defense Production Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
This concurrent resolution urges the President to give preference to small businesses—especially those that are minority owned—and ensure their participation in specified efforts to respond to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 18 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 18

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the importance of including 
   small business concerns, especially minority-owned small business 
  concerns, in any efforts to leverage the Defense Production Act in 
                   response to the COVID-19 pandemic.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 24, 2021

   Ms. Velazquez (for herself and Mr. Mfume) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Financial 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the importance of including 
   small business concerns, especially minority-owned small business 
  concerns, in any efforts to leverage the Defense Production Act in 
                   response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whereas, on January 21, 2021, the President announced a national strategy and 
        signed an Executive order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas a cornerstone of the President's national strategy and Executive order 
        includes exercising his authority under the Defense Production Act of 
        1950 (50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.) to increase production of critical medical 
        supplies, including testing supplies, vaccination supplies, and personal 
        protective equipment (``PPE'');
Whereas small businesses are bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, as 
        shown by the fact that from January 2020 through December 31, 2020, the 
        number of open small businesses decreased by 29.7 percent;
Whereas minority-owned small businesses, in particular, have been 
        disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas a National Bureau of Economic Research study found that during the first 
        two months of the pandemic, 41 percent of small businesses owned by 
        African Americans and 32 percent of small businesses owned by Hispanics 
        were forced to close their doors, compared to 22 percent of small 
        businesses overall;
Whereas small businesses are resilient and proven innovators, and several have 
        pivoted to manufacturing medical supplies, including PPE, in order to 
        fill the gaps and retain their workforce; and
Whereas sections 108 and 701 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 
        4518; 4551) establish a preference for small business concerns, and in 
        particular, section 701 states that ``Small business concerns shall be 
        given the maximum practicable opportunity to participate as contractors, 
        and subcontractors at various tiers, in all programs to maintain and 
        strengthen the Nation's industrial base and technology base undertaken 
        pursuant to this Act.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the President should ensure small 
business concerns, especially minority-owned small business concerns, 
are included in any efforts to leverage the Defense Production Act of 
1950 (50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by 
according preferences to small business concerns as directed under 
sections 108 and 701 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 
4518; 4551).
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