Organizational Meeting for the 119th Congress

Committee Organizing for 119th CongressHouse Small Business · January 22, 2025 · 119th Congress
The House Committee on Small Business held its organizational meeting for the 119th Congress, opening with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer before the chair called the session to order. Begins at ▶ 0:20:06
Transcript
Highlights

Title

House Small Business Committee organizes for the 119th Congress

Purpose

The House Committee on Small Business held its organizational meeting for the 119th Congress, opening with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer before the chair called the session to order. Members introduced new and returning colleagues on both sides, approved the committee's subcommittee chairs and ranking members, adopted the committee's rules of procedure (including a new electronic-voting provision), and adopted the committee's authorization and oversight plan for the Congress. Begins at▶ 0:20:06

Who spoke

• Committee Chair (majority, north Texas; name not stated in transcript)▶ 0:20:06: Led the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer▶ 0:20:06, gaveled the committee to order▶ 0:21:51, introduced the new and returning majority members▶ 0:22:21–▶ 0:23:53, announced the five majority subcommittee chairs▶ 0:28:26, moved adoption of subcommittee leadership rosters▶ 0:29:58, the committee rules with a new electronic-voting provision▶ 0:30:28▶ 0:30:59, and the authorization and oversight plan focused on cutting regulatory burdens on small businesses▶ 0:33:31, and closed the meeting▶ 0:36:34.

• Ranking Member Velásquez (D-NY)▶ 0:23:53: Welcomed members and conveyed sympathies to "the chairman and his family"▶ 0:24:24, introduced the new and returning Democratic members▶ 0:24:54–▶ 0:28:26, named the minority's subcommittee ranking members▶ 0:28:57–▶ 0:29:58, endorsed the committee rules as preserving bipartisan collaboration▶ 0:30:59, and highlighted the oversight plan's focus on SBA accountability, lending, contracting, and continued bipartisan work combating PPP and COVID-EIDL fraud▶ 0:34:32.

Key moments

• Chair opened the 119th Congress organizational meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer before formally gaveling in▶ 0:20:06▶ 0:21:51.

• New majority members introduced: Reps. Brad Finstad (R-MN), a Wisconsin member, Rob Bresnahan (R-PA), Brian Jack (R-GA), Troy Downing (R-MT), a Northern Mariana Islands delegate, and Derek Schmidt (R-KS)▶ 0:22:21.

• New Democratic members introduced: Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Dr. Kelly Morrison (D-MN), George Latimer (D-NY), Derek Tran (D-CA), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD), Dr. Herb Conaway (D-NJ), and Maggie Goodlander (D-NH)▶ 0:24:54.

• Velásquez opened by conveying the committee's sympathies "to the chairman and his family" at a difficult time▶ 0:23:53▶ 0:24:24.

• Subcommittee chairs and ranking members were approved by voice vote without objection▶ 0:29:58.

• Committee rules for the 119th Congress were adopted largely unchanged from the prior Congress, with the most significant update allowing members to vote electronically▶ 0:30:59▶ 0:31:59.

• The chair's authorization and oversight plan emphasized reducing regulatory burden on small businesses and reviewing SBA programs and agency rulemaking▶ 0:33:31▶ 0:34:02.

• Velásquez said the negotiated oversight plan targets fraud, waste, and abuse in SBA programs, citing prior bipartisan work on PPP and COVID-EIDL fraud▶ 0:34:32▶ 0:35:02.

• The authorization and oversight plan was adopted without objection, to be submitted to the Committee on House Administration ahead of the March 1 statutory deadline▶ 0:36:03▶ 0:36:34.

Metadata

CommitteeHouse Small Business
Chamber / CongressHouse · 119th Congress
DateJanuary 22, 2025
TypeMeeting
Witnesses
(none listed in event metadata)
Videoyoutube
Transcript39 caption blocks · 2,471 words · 0:37:59 runtime
EventCongress.gov 117831