Republican Congressman Roger Williams, the vice-ranking member of the House Small Business Committee, announced his candidacy for the committee chairmanship Thursday, pledging to “bring government back to the people” and “get government out of small business’s life.”
Williams, who represents the sprawling 25th Congressional District that stretches from Fort Worth to Austin, made the announcement during an extensive live interview with Maria Bartiromo on the Fox Business Network. He told Bartiromo that chairing the Small Business Committee is the perfect role for him after 51 years as a car dealer employing hundreds of people in Texas.
Williams is in line for the committee chairmanship because Republicans won control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the Nov. 8 midterm elections. Democrats, who had held the majority in both houses of Congress, retained control of the Senate.
Williams said the chairmanship would help him and his Republican colleagues address the crippling concerns of small businesses in the current economy, including inflation, supply chain logjams and worker shortages. He said small businesses have been penalized by the “heavy-handed policies of the Biden administration.”
As the Fox interview drew to a close, Williams said this “is a great time to be in America … the future’s ahead of us. I’m excited about being in the majority … we’re gonna give hope to small business owners, we’re gonna give hope to those who want to start a business … we’re gonna make things happen and America is gonna become number one in the world again ….”
Here is Williams’ formal statement declaring his candidacy for chairman of the House Small Business Committee:
“For over 50 years, I’ve dedicated my life to building and growing a business. Our family business employs hundreds of people in Texas, so I don’t just read about the challenges facing Main Street, I live them firsthand. I’m a team player who values input from my colleagues and always places the greater good above all else. Democrats have derailed the important mission of the House Small Business Committee and I believe only a small business owner can right the ship. As Chairman, I will provide the leadership and clear direction required to drive free-market policies and conduct proper oversight of this administration. I’m ready to fight for our Nation’s job creators and ensure that capitalism endures and small businesses can compete.”
Williams’ reference to being “a team player” was well-founded. A native of the Fort Worth area, he was an All-Southwest Conference baseball player at Texas Christian University and was named to TCU’s All-Decade Team for the 1960s.
After graduating from college, Williams was drafted by the Atlanta Braves and played in their farm system for many years before launching a career as a small business owner and serving as TCU’s head baseball coach.
His love of sports followed Williams to the U.S. Capitol, where he serves as chair of the bipartisan Congressional Baseball Caucus and the College Football Caucus. He is also coach and manager of the Republican Congressional Baseball Team.
Before being elected to Congress in 2012, Williams was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry serve as Texas Secretary of State and helped usher in unprecedented economic growth to the state. He also served as the state’s Chief Liaison for the Texas Border and Mexican Affairs.
In addition to his position as vice-ranking member of the Small Business Committee, Williams is a member of the House Financial Services Committee.