A bill in Congress that would grant $138,000 to the Valley Economic Alliance in Sherman Oaks to provide small business technical assistance to Valley companies has advanced to a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.The funding was requested by Rep. Brad Sherman, whose district stretches from Calabasas to Universal City and north to Granada Hills. Technical assistance programs help entrepreneurs with marketing skills, financial management, employee management and access to capital, depending on the company’s needs.“Small businesses are critical to the economy of the San Fernando Valley and the technical assistance program will help local small business to create jobs and advance the post-COVID recovery,” Sherman said in a statement.In a press release, Sherman’s office said the assistance services would be “designed to retain jobs in the San Fernando Valley region” by increasing the businesses’ “resilience and growth.”