JUST PASSED: Ernst Measure Preventing China, Russia from Exploiting US Small Business Programs

WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, had her measure to prevent China and Russia from exploiting Small Business Administration (SBA) programs pass the Senate. With the Senate considering legislation related to competitiveness with China, Ernst led an effort to require SBA programs—specifically the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs—to make security reforms in order to prevent Chinese and Russian shell companies from accessing national security-related technology from them.