April 22, 2016

Dear Friend,

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actions in the house

Kelly Legislation Passes the House

On Tuesday, the House passed H.R. 4332, the Maximizing Small Business Competition Act, which is the first bill I introduced in Congress. The goal of this legislation is to level the playing field and ensure small businesses have the tools they need to navigate and compete in the federal marketplace. With this legislation, we are making sure that opportunities exist for all small businesses.

Background:

• Clarifies the role of procurement center representatives (PCRs) with respect to reviewing solicitations for a contract.
• The current Administration issued regulations that keep PCRs from reviewing some classes of contracts, which has led to hundreds of small businesses losing the opportunity to compete.
• This bill ensures that contracts across the government are structured in a way that maximizes opportunities for small businesses.

To watch my remarks on the House floor, please select the video linked below:

REIN IN THE IRS

The House adopted legislation, with my support, to rein in the IRS by limiting its ability to act without Congressional approval or appropriation. Current law allows the IRS to collect user fees for a variety of programs and services and then spend the money on functions the agency supports (think: diverting money from taxpayer services to implement the Affordable Care Act).

The IRS Oversight While Eliminating Spending (OWES) Act requires that all IRS user fees collected be deposited into the general fund of the Department of Treasury, and therefore be subject to Congressional appropriations. It makes it difficult for Congress to withhold funding from a rogue agency if they generate their own funds through collecting fees. This is an important first step to ensuring elected officials, who are accountable to the people, are making decisions instead of unelected bureaucrats.

STAY IN TOUCH

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Thanks for reading,

Rep. Trent Kelly (MS-01)
Member of Congress