Tester Celebrates Legal Victory for Veterans and Small Businesses
After filing court brief, Senator says U.S. Supreme Court decision holds VA accountable
(U.S. Senate) - After signing an Amicus Brief in favor of a veteran-owned small business (VOSB), Senator Jon Tester is applauding the U.S. Supreme Court's decision that states the Department of Veterans Affairs must award more federal contracts to VOSBs.
"In enacting the 2006 Veterans Act," Tester and his colleagues wrote in an Amicus Brief submitted to the Court, "Congress wanted the VA to ‘set the example for the rest of the Federal Government' by maximizing the contracts awarded to VOSBs in recognition of veterans' considerable sacrifices to this country."
In 2006, Congress passed the Veterans Act making it mandatory for the VA to award more of its federal contracts to veteran-owned businesses.
However, Kingdomware Technologies Inc. sued the VA alleging that the agency was not following the law when it awarded a contract to a non-veteran owned business over Kingdomware, a VOSB, in early 2012. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court agreed, ruling in favor of Kingdomware Technologies and requiring the VA to significantly increase the number of contracts it awards to veteran-owned small businesses.
"The VA is supposed to help our service members through the difficult transition back to civilian life," Tester said, Montana's only member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. "But instead they were ignoring the law and hurting both veterans and small businesses in the process. I'm glad that the Court made sure that justice was served."
Tester's Amicus Brief can be read here, and the Supreme Court's decision can be read here.
