Finkenauer, youngest woman ever to sponsor bill that clears House

WASHINGTON — A bill co-sponsored by Iowa Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer passed the U.S. House last week.

“My bill helps small businesses compete for government contracts and research grants and gives them the opportunity to grow and innovate,” Finkenauer said during remarks on the House floor.

It’s the first bill authored by a first-year member of congress to win passage through the House this year. Finkenauer, a Democrat from Dubuque whose district includes Worth and Mitchell counties in our immediate listening area, turned 30 in December and she is now the youngest woman in history to sponsor a bill that’s cleared the House.

“Too often small businesses, especially rural ones, get locked out of the competition for government contracts and grants,” Finkenauer said. “This bill ensures that agency procurement officers will be more directly involved in this process, helping small businesses pursue research that lets them compete for these opportunities.”

A Republican congressman from Utah was Finkenauer’s co-sponsor on the legislation. It targets the federal government’s Small Business Innovative Research program and the Small Business Technology Transfer program.

The programs provide support as well as money to small businesses for federal research, with the goal of making the focus of that research a commercial enterprise.