Wagner Legislation to Support Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs Overwhelmingly Passes House

December 1, 2025 Press Release Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed her Developing and Empowering our Aspiring Leaders (DEAL) Act: “My bipartisan DEAL Act will ensure the United States remains the most entrepreneurial country in the world, where the next great companies are founded and funded.  Small businesses are the engine of our American economy, and the entrepreneurs leading these companies are building something new, taking real risks, and driving growth in communities across the nation. Too often, they can’t get a fair shot at investment due to an extreme geographic imbalance in our capital markets that funnels money to just a handful of coastal cities, bypassing entire regions that are home to aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs. “I introduced the DEAL Act as a targeted, forward-looking effort to modernize outdated rules and channel investment to where it is needed most, especially our local economies right here in the greater St. Louis region and across the Midwest and South.  This vital legislation ensures our policies are helping capital move efficiently and effectively—not just to the coasts, but to brilliant businessmen and women across America, empowering those taking risks to build something new and helping good ideas grow into great companies.”