Foxx Opening Remarks on H.R. 4312, 4305, 2965, 1049, 1069, and 1005
As prepared for delivery:
Good afternoon, the Committee will come to order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare a recess at any time.
Before we begin today’s meeting, I want to take a moment to honor the life of Sarah Beckstrom, a member of the West Virginia National Guard, who tragically lost her life on the eve of Thanksgiving.
Sarah was only 20 years old, and many remember her as someone who possessed a heart of gold, and as someone who was as caring as she was forgiving.
We also offer our prayers to Andrew Wolfe, another member of the West Virginia National Guard, who remains in the hospital in critical condition.
What happened last week was an unspeakable tragedy. Regardless of one’s political beliefs, I hope we can all agree that this targeted act of evil has no place in the United States.
The families of Sarah and Andrew are experiencing unimaginable pain right now and my thoughts and prayers go out to them in this dark time.
Today, the Rules Committee is convening to consider six separate measures: H.R. 1005, H.R. 1049, H.R. 1069, H.R. 2965, H.R. 4305, and H.R. 4312.
H.R. 1005, H.R. 1049, and H.R. 1069, all from the Committee on Education and Workforce, relate to deterring the Chinese government from infiltrating and manipulating America’s education system.
The Chinese government’s attempts to exert undue influence in American classrooms is well-documented.
All of us understand that malign foreign influence in America’s classrooms poses a serious threat that cannot be ignored.
This is a particularly pressing issue for the nation, and I am sure Chairman Walberg will lay out the facts as to why these pieces of legislation are very much needed.
H.R. 2965, the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act of 2025, would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure that, beginning in fiscal year 2026, any regulatory changes issued by the agency would not increase compliance costs for small businesses for that fiscal year.
In addition, H.R. 2965 would require the SBA to report the costs of regulations issued by other federal agencies that have an impact on small businesses. This legislation would further cement the SBA’s core mission of promoting the interests of small businesses to enhance competition in the private marketplace.
H.R. 4305, the DUMP Red Tape Act, would direct the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the SBA to establish and maintain an easily accessible Red Tape Hotline.
The purpose of this hotline is to receive notifications from small businesses relating to the burden of complying with a rule, guidance, policy statement, or other agency activity.
This added layer of transparency and accessibility for small businesses will surely yield positive outcomes and allow for substantive feedback from the agency’s stakeholders.
Finally, we’ll turn to H.R. 4312, the SCORE Act, legislation that creates a national framework that supports student-athletes and recenters the educational mission of college athletics.
Without clear federal standards, college athletic programs and athletes face a chaotic patchwork of state laws, legal uncertainty, and growing threats to traditional sports programs.
This legislation works to restore order by:
- Reaffirming the student-first model;
- Shielding athletes from being exploited by bad actors;
- Requiring universities to provide health, academic, and career support to student athletes;
- Establishing clear regulatory authority and enforcement mechanisms; and
- Improving transparency and accountability to protect athletes and universities better than currently.
We have another full docket this week at the Rules Committee and I’m sure the discussions we will have today will be as lively as they are informative.
With that, I now yield to the Ranking Member, Mr. McGovern, for any comments that he wishes to make.
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