ICYMI: Reps. Davids (D-KS), Alford (R-MO) Tout Passage of their Bipartisan Bill to Help Veteran Business Owners Succeed
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Representatives Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) and Mark Alford’s (R-MO-04) SERV Act with overwhelming bipartisan support. The bill would help veteran small business owners and entrepreneurs succeed by studying the barriers faced when starting a business and boosting the outreach and promotion of existing veteran-focused small business programs to ensure they can access all available resources, capital, and credit. Davids, whose mother served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, originally introduced the legislation in 2019, when it first passed the House with broad bipartisan support.
While military experience provides transferable entrepreneurial training and skills, the number of veterans starting their own businesses has decreased drastically over the last few decades. Today, only 4.5 percent of the more than 3.6 million veterans who have served since September 11, 2001 have launched a company. In contrast, the number of World War II and Korean War veterans who went on to operate a business was 50 and 40 percent, respectively. Reasons for this decline include challenges accessing credit, transitioning to civilian life, and overcoming stigmas around physical disabilities and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Davids and Alford’s efforts to support veteran business owners made headlines across the region:
Kansas City Star: “KS Democrat and MO Republican team up to pass bill to help veterans start businesses”
“On Tuesday night, the House unanimously passed a bill sponsored by Alford and Rep. Sharice Davids, a Kansas Democrat, that did just that.
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‘The problem is a lot of times people don’t know about it, veterans don’t know,’ Davids said. ‘And so, we’re like, the effort here is to just make sure that we’re bringing all of those resources, the information about the resources to light and making sure that there’s kind of like a one stop shop almost for people to be able to find that stuff.’
This is the first bill Davids, who is in her third term, and Alford, who is in his first term, have teamed up on. But they said other bills, including one focused on agriculture, are in the works. Both also serve on the House Agriculture Committee together.”
KSHB: “Alford, Davids lead bipartisan support for SERV Act in Washington, D.C.”
“The elected leaders said the vote shows there is unity and cooperation in Washington, D.C. — a city often under a cloud of partisan dysfunction.
‘There are times when republicans and democrats are able to come together and work on really good legislation,’ Davids said during a Zoom interview while sitting in the same room as Alford.
Both members of congress represent the greater Kansas City area. They also serve on the House Committee on Agriculture together.
‘It was a very special moment, I think, not just for Sharice and I, but also for veterans and for the American people,’ Alford said.”
KCUR: “LISTEN: A Missouri Republican and Kansas Democrat team up to help veterans become business owners”
“In effort to understand the decline in small business ventures by former service members, U.S. Reps. Sharice Davids (D-Kansas) and Mark Alford (R-Missouri), both members of the House Small Business Committee, co-sponsored the Successful Entrepreneurship for Reservists and Veterans Act (SERV Act).
The legislation passed the U.S. House on Tuesday night.
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‘We'll have almost like a one-stop shop situation for our veterans. So that they're not having to look in five different places for these resources,’ said Davids.
Davids previously introduced the SERV Act in 2019. The bill passed through the House with bipartisan support but did not pass the Senate.”
“Veterans who serve our country need jobs when they come back home. Now, two lawmakers from the Kansas City area are working across the aisle to make it easier for veteran small business owners to be successful. Kansas Democrat Sharice Davids’ mother served for 20 years. She and Missouri Republican Mark Alford are putting a bipartisan effort behind the SERV Act.
‘When it comes to our veteran communities, these guys, I mean, they’ve got grit. They’ve got leadership skills,’ [said Davids].
‘If we can help one veteran start one business, then we’ve succeeded,’ [said Alford].”
Kansas Reflector: “Davids, Alford lead bipartisan effort for bill aimed at helping veterans launch small businesses”
“‘Veterans possess many of the entrepreneurial skills needed to start and run a successful small business, but we must do a better job of helping them transition from service to business,’ Davids said. ‘The SERV Act not only honors our veterans … it empowers our veterans to embark on a new chapter as entrepreneurs and small business owners.’
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‘The Small Business Administration has many different programs aimed at helping veteran entrepreneurs, but these programs are only useful if veterans know about them,’ Davids said.
In July, Alford and Davids reintroduced the SERV Act originally offered by Davids in 2019. It cleared the House at that time, but not the Senate.
Congressional hearings in 2023 put a spotlight on the argument SBA could do more to assist veterans interested in operating a business, Alford said.
‘One of the biggest barriers for entrepreneurs, especially for our veterans, is accessing capital,’ he said. ‘It is a critical component when starting a business and one of the biggest challenges throughout a small business’s lifespan.’”
KWCH:
“Some members of Congress are working to help veteran small business owners succeed. It comes as roughly 25 percent of veterans report difficulties transitioning back to civilian life. Now both Kansas Representative Sharice Davids and Missouri Republican Mark Alford are putting bipartisan effort behind the SERV Act. The Act aims to streamline capital and counseling to veteran entrepreneurs.
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The SERV Act passed the House in 2019. Now Davids and Alford are pushing to get the bill passed into law.”