KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday night co-led by Kansas democrat Sharice Davids and republicans Mark Alford of Missouri and Nick LaLota of New York.
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.
The Successful Entrepreneurship for Reservists and Veterans Act, commonly known as the SERV Act, helps eliminate barriers to business development resources for veterans.
Specifically, the bill tells the government to analyze how deployment and other military duties impact veterans’ credit.
It also requires a task force within the Small Business Administration to develop an action plan to better promote programs available to veterans. The Government Accountability Office will have to report annually to Congress about the program.
“[The bill] brings awareness of the programs that the Small Business Administration already has, so they can help other people trying to become part of the fabric of America,” Alford said.
The House passed the SERV Act in 2019, but never left the Senate. Davids believes this year’s bill has a better chance of passing the Senate and getting to the president’s desk so he can ultimately sign it into law.
She said this bill does a better job explaining how assistance to veterans benefits urban and rural communities. She also believes the bipartisan show of support will help carry the legislation.
“We’ll be reaching out to senators to try to make sure that they understand how how much bipartisan momentum there is behind this piece of legislation,” Davids said.
The 2019 version also received bipartisan support in the House, with 421 yes notes, and only three no votes.
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