Suffolk Reporter

Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Suffolk County), Chairman of the Small Business Committee Contracting and Infrastructure Subcommittee, convened a hearing titled “Leveling the Playing Field: Examining the Landscape of Veteran-Owned Small Businesses.” The session focused on veterans' entrepreneurial spirit, their contributions to the American economy, and the challenges they face as small business owners.

“Main Street’s small business owners play a crucial role in increasing competition, innovation, and stimulating our economy. Yet small business owners have been systematically squeezed out of federal contracting for decades, including those owned by Veterans. Unfortunately, this decline in small business contracting comes as no surprise as the Biden-Harris Administration steers our economy and national security in the wrong direction,” said LaLota. “Veterans should have abundant opportunities in this space as they bring unique skill sets to the marketplace. Washington’s leaders must work together to address the alarming decline in the number of small businesses receiving federal contracts, having been cut in half over the past 10 years, with the number of small businesses entering the federal contracting system decreasing by nearly 60 percent in the same period.”

Earlier this year, LaLota secured passage of his bipartisan Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act. This bill would amend the Small Business Act to require training for agencies on increasing contracts awarded to Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses.

LaLota welcomed Mr. Stephen Hayduk of Long Island to testify at today’s hearing. Mr. Hayduk is the Founder and Owner of Hayduk Engineering, LLC, based in Ronkonkoma, New York. A Vietnam Veteran, Mr. Hayduk used the GI Bill to attend college, earning an Associate Degree from Suffolk County Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology.