Rep. Davids rejoins small biz committee amid leadership party switch in U.S. House

In her return to Congress after re-election in November, Sharice Davids will serve as a voice for Kansas on three major drivers of the state’s economy, particularly in the newly-redrawn Kansas Third district, the congresswoman’s office said Tuesday.

Late Monday night, U.S. Rep. Davids, D-Kansas, was granted a waiver to again serve on the House Small Business Committee — this time, within a Congress where Republicans hold a narrow majority and leadership positions on committees.

She previously was appointed to serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure and House Agriculture committees. (Members are typically limited to service on two committees and four subcommittees, with some exceptions, according to House rules.)

“Small businesses are the heart of our communities, and we have an especially vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Kansas Third. I look forward to continuing to work across the aisle to give small business owners the tools they need to thrive,” said Davids. “Along with my roles on the Transportation and Infrastructure and Agriculture committees, my goal is to support Kansas’ economy and bring our community’s successes and concerns to Washington.”

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids visiting Upper Crust Pie Bakery in downtown Overland Park in July 2021

Davids regularly met with startups, manufacturers, innovators, entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Third District during her first term, routinely holding “Main Street Strolls” to highlight the local business community and bring attention to the issues they face.

She welcomed Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman to Kansas’ Third District twice during the previous Congress, her office noted.

The Small Business Committee, on which Davids has served since 2019, oversees the Small Business Administration, examines the effectiveness of its programs, and assesses the impact of economic trends on small businesses.

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Sharice Davids tours KCKCC’s Automation Engineering Technology Program in March; photo courtesy of Sharice Davids’ Office

During her tenure on the committee, Davids created major disaster response programs that kept thousands of businesses afloat in the pandemic, passed bipartisan legislation tackling abuse of those programs, introduced and advanced bipartisan bills supporting women- and veteran-owned businesses, and last Congress she chaired the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access.

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Along with her position on the House Agriculture and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees, Davids will have a hand in major legislation this session, her office said.

The Agriculture Committee will consider the Farm Bill, which determines federal agriculture and nutrition policy impacting Kansas families both urban and rural. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee plans to take up the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization, which will address changing airspace demands and technologies, including the FAA system failure that recently came under scrutiny by Davids and her colleagues.