Well , I'll get this started . Uh , my
name's Roger Williams . I , uh , serve
in the US Congress district 25 . I've
served representing Fort Hood for the
last 12 years . It's a great honor . Uh ,
I'm also the chairman of the Small
Business Committee and in the US
Congress . Uh , and , uh , glad to be
here and glad to welcome , uh ,
Secretary Guzman , who is chair of the
S B A and , uh , uh , here to Texas and
she's a Texan . So she's kind of home
right now . But , uh , we have been
here today to , uh , talk to veterans
about our boots and business , uh ,
initiative that we have , uh , for
soldiers that are transitioning , want
to get into business . Uh , the S B A
plays a huge part in , in that if they
choose to do that . Uh , and we were
here and got to see , uh , some of the
classroom initiatives they have going
on . Uh , and they've got great ideas
on what they wanna do . Uh , which to
me shows us the greatness of this
country , uh , where young people and
anybody can decide they want to start a
business and they can take a risk and
get a reward . And uh we've heard from
them today and they've heard from uh
Secretary Guzman and myself about how
uh the opportunities are out there .
And just so all of , you know , how ,
how , how the secretary and I relate ,
uh she's in the , in , in the , in , in
the Biden administration appointed by
the president . I'm in Congress ,
elected by the people and our
committees work together . Uh And I
think , as I said today , I hope and I
think that this is a good example of
how Washington can get things done in a
bipartisan way uh that which , which
we're doing today . So uh we'll be glad
to answer your questions . But first of
all , introduce uh Secretary Guzman .
It's good to have you in a great place
for Hood . Thank you so much . Thank
you , Chairman Congressman Williams .
It's a pleasure to be here at Fort Hood .
Obviously , the S B A that's focused on
the American dream of business
ownership wants to make sure that
that's accessible to all and especially
our military service members . Our
boots to business program is one of the
great examples of how we can transition
uh these uh these great service men and
women to a life of entrepreneurship .
They have the incredible grit and
determination as the chairman and I saw
today and talking to these bright
future , hopeful entrepreneurs and the
S B is about helping them giving them
the funding that they need and the
technical assistance and uh learn how
to grow their revenues in the
marketplace . So it's been an honor to ,
to be here and learn a little bit more
about the great work Fort Hood is doing ,
you know , since boots to business
started in 2013 , they've trained over
1800 of their military service members
in this program , you know , creating
and contributing to our great economy .
So it's really speaks to the great
partnership the Department of Defense
has with the S B A and the Veterans
administration to ensure that we have
that pathway in the federal government .
Well , I'll just add one thing before
we get started to this legislation that
is going through , uh , going through
the steps . It's bipartisan and I feel
that when it gets to the president's
desk , he'll sign it to you because
it's , it's good for our veterans and
it's good for our country . Uh , make
sure we get everybody working because
the great asset we have with these kids
and so forth . So we're excited about ,
about working with them . So , I guess
with that being said , we'd be glad to
take any of your questions . Let's be
at the arms of the Fort Hood . Could
you guys tell us a little bit about why
you chose to come to Fort Hood
specifically to look at the business
program ? Well , I mean , this is , uh ,
of course , the largest military base ,
we're really excited to be here , the ,
you know , army in particular uh is a
strong , uh you know , has a strong
representation within our boots to
business program . So we're glad to be
here to make sure that we emphasize how
important it is that many of them take
this next step and jump into
entrepreneurship if that's their dream
and their pathway and that uh that
there are tools and resources to help
get there either immediately or , or
along the way as they build towards
developing their business plan and
financing it , et cetera . So we're ,
uh you know , it's really important
that we continue across the country uh
to support our veterans . And this is
just one of the shining examples of uh
of an installation , a military
installation that's committed to making
sure that there are pathways in
transition that are meaningful to the
military service members . Well , and
also Fort Hood have a reputation of
supplying the workforce . I , I'm , I'm
a , I'm a business owner , small
business owner for 50 years up Fort
Worth and Weatherford , but Fort Fort
Hood uh has a reputation supplying
great workforces . We've got , we've
had job fairs down here . People know
this and how can you not want to come
to the place ? That's the great place ,
right ? You gotta come to the great
place . So we're glad you , you , you
guys chose to come here and showcase
the great things that we have going at
uh for and the manpower . We have ,
Adam , she is 25 . What do you want ?
People who've never heard of this
program to know about it and how they
can get involved ? Uh Well , what I
would add if I could , uh Mr Chairman ,
that , you know , we have of course
boots to business that's available to
current military service members on
installations . But it's also reboot ,
uh , business to business , uh , boots
to business . Reboot where any of our
veterans out there can come back and
get the technical assistance they need
to figure out how to launch their
business . And , uh , the S B A also
has veterans , business outreach
centers . Uh We have a certification
program if you want to do business with
the federal government government ,
that's specifically for our veterans .
Uh , and just know that , uh , the S B
A is really committed to making sure
that all of our veterans out there can
get the support they need and all of
our entrepreneurs , of course , we have
uh , programs available to anyone
aspiring , uh , who just recently
started up or is one of those business
owners that's looking to grow , uh ,
and continue to sustain . So , uh , go
to S B A dot gov and get some support .
Well , it's broad based too because the
S B A can help . I mean , we were with
some veterans today , right ? And , you
know , is they all told us what they
want to do . Some were landscaper ,
some were child care auto automotive
repair . A hot shot . I mean , you name
it and there wasn't , there wasn't a
career that they want and , and , and ,
and get themselves involved in that the
S B A can't help them with . So that
was the message that we're here to ,
we're here to help . Uh , Josh Bowing
with News 10 . Is there ever , is it
ever too early or too late for someone
to reach out to ? Which is
not at all ? I mean , for our , for our
veterans , our , our current military
service members of course , can take
advantage being on an installation of
some of our great programs . Uh , but
in addition , in the community , we
continue to have a presence . In fact ,
uh , we are looking to expand our
veterans business outreach centers to
continue to grow this great program so
that veterans out there have
opportunity to , to come in with people
who know what they've experienced ,
know the skill sets that they already
come to the table with having served in
our great military . And so we , you
know , we're continuing to try to offer
people no matter what stage they are in
their business , no matter what their
background , no matter where they're
from , we want to make sure we can
support them . That's the purpose of
this federal program . Yeah , it's
never too late to start a business . I
can tell you as an entrepreneur myself .
Uh , it's all about today and there's
so many opportunities out there right
now , uh , when you look at , uh , how
the world has changed so much , there's
new careers , but there's also standard
careers . We talked a lot about
plumbers , welders , carpenters , we
need these people all the time and we
don't , we can never have too many of
them . And frankly , in whether it be
in Texas or anywhere else in America ,
uh , the , the , the loop of , uh ,
entrepreneurship and , uh , and economy
is not completed without those kind of
positions . A lot of people want to do
that too . So it's never too late to
get started . Never .
Well , it's , it's , it's , it's , it's ,
uh , about our and allows them
to , uh , uh , be aware of businesses
that , uh , they could , they , they
could associate themselves and get out
and be , and be part of to , to create
their own business . It just opens up
opportunities . It says that , you know ,
the S B A is there to help . It opens
the door . It's bipartisan legislation ,
as I said , which we don't have a lot
in Washington right now , but I think
it'll go through both houses . I think
the president will sign it . It would
have happened last year but we ran out
of time , uh , and so forth . So it ,
it's , it's back , it's back in the
system . But , but , but it , it , it
tells our veterans that there , there's
assistance out there . Uh , there's
help out there . No question is too ,
no question . Is too hard . The S B A
and those around can make that happen
and help you . No , we can give it to
you . Ok .
I got one more question , one more . Um
You guys touched on it a little bit .
Could you talk about the impact that
this program has had so far as this ,
well , nationwide , over 180,000
members of the armed service have gone
through this incredible program . Our
veterans are large contributors to our
economy , creating jobs as so many of
our entrepreneurs out there . Um Over
two million veteran businesses around
the country in all industries . Uh We
want to make sure uh obviously , we
continue to serve them and level up uh
and adapt to the marketplace just like
they've had to uh in the last few years
and , and continuously provide these
programs and the capital that they need
to , to launch , survive and thrive
into the future . And I think one thing
that everybody needs to know ,
especially you all is that uh 50% over
50% of the workforce and over 50% of
the payroll is small businesses , is
one of these people we're talking to
today that will begin that begin that
journey . And those today , but half
payroll , half the workforce generated
by small business in this country .
That's why it's so important . We keep
filling the , the , the , the supply so
we don't run out and , and these are
people that are , you know , two and
three and four employees and that's
what , that's what makes our country
great . Again , these people are
willing to take risk if they get reward
and that's what America is about .
That's the greatness of our country and
that's what we're continuing to remind
them . And you guys are doing a great
job . I think we're doing a great job
and together it's gonna be more jobs ,
ok ? And so thank you all for being
here today . Thank you . Thank you .