U.S. trade officials will hear testimony from tech, apparel, wine and other industries on the Trump administration’s proposed retaliatory tariffs, which could include 100 percent tariffs on $2.4 billion worth of French products. This action is a response to France’s digital services tax on American tech firms.

This week, the House passed Capturing All Small Businesses Act of 2019 (H.R. 5130), a bill that modifies the methods for calculating the employee-based size standard by the SBA for small businesses and the Unlocking Opportunities for Small Businesses Act (H.R. 5146), a bill that allows small businesses to leverage past performance experience obtained as part of joint ventures and subcontracts to develop a record of performance and earn more contracts.

 

Floor Proceedings

 

House: In Session

Senate: In Session

 

Committee Proceedings

 

House Committee on Small Business

  • On January 15th, the Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Enhancing Patent Diversity for America’s Innovators.”

 

House Committee on Financial Services

  • On January 14th, the Full Committee will hold a hearing titled, “On the Brink of Homelessness: How the Affordable Housing Crisis and the Gentrification of America Is Leaving Families Vulnerable.”
  • On January 14th, the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions will hold a hearing titled, “The Community Reinvestment Act: Reviewing Who Wins and Who Loses with Comptroller Otting’s Proposal.”
  • On January 29th, the Full Committee will hold a hearing titled, “The Community Reinvestment Act: Is the OCC Undermining the Law’s Purpose and Intent?”
  • On January 30th, the Full Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Rent-A-Bank Schemes and New Debt Traps: Assessing Efforts to Evade State Consumer Protections and Interest Rate Caps.”
  • On January 30th, the Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance will hold a hearing titled, “Examining the Availability of Insurance for Nonprofits.”
  • On January 31st, the Task Force on Financial Technology will hold a hearing titled, “Is Cash Still King? Reviewing the Rise of Mobile Payments.”

 

Bills of Interest

  • Senator Susan Collin (R-ME) introduced S.3155, a bill to establish a rural postsecondary and economic development grant program