Panetta bill to expand business opportunities for vets

MILITARY VETERANS who own small businesses and have government contracts will benefit from a U.S. House of Representatives bill co-authored by Democratic Congressman Jimmy Panetta, according to the politician.

On Monday, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 2781, requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that veteran-owned businesses are better represented in contracts awarded by the Government Services Administration. The bill also applies to veterans who have service-related injuries.

Panetta, a United States Navy Reserve officer who served in Afghanistan, said the bill — which is officially called the "Ensuring Veteran Enterprise Participation in Strategic Sourcing Act" — is a solution that's fair to veteran entrepreneurs.

"Throughout the United States, there are many quality veteran and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses that sell office and janitorial supplies or provide building maintenance services," Panetta said on the House floor Monday. "Those businesses and the government would mutually benefit if the businesses seeking federal contracts were given a fair chance to compete."

The legislation directs Veterans Affairs to verify that the GSA is connecting with small businesses owned by veterans before they make a final decision on a contract for goods and services.

The bill is expected to affect a relatively small number of veteran-owned businesses since it only applies to those who contract with the government.

Panetta told The Pine Cone Wednesday that Florida Republican Congressman Neal Dunn, a surgeon who served in the U.S. Army, brought the bill to him. The two struck up a friendship after meeting at an orientation for new representatives.

"This is the kind of [bipartisan] relationships that need to be fostered in Washington D.C., Panetta said.

Transgender troops

Also on Wednesday, Panetta commented on President Donald Trump's sudden announcement that transgender people would no longer be allowed to serve in the military because of the "tremendous medical costs and disruption."

Panetta not only called Trump's comments "disparaging and discriminatory," he also criticized the president for making the proclamation via Twitter, saying it is a way of "governing by edict."

Some Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri, had proposed overturning an Obama Administration provision allowing transgender troops to undergo sex change surgery and hormone treatment at the expense of taxpayers.

However, Panetta defended the Obama policy, saying that he believed people seeking sex change surgery should have a right to such care at taxpayers' expense if they are in the military. "

When you have people who wear the uniform and are ready to serve, they should have the medical treatment they deserve," he said.

It is unknown how many transgender people serve in the armed forces.