Ranking Member Markey, Committee Democrats Call for SBA Administrator Loeffler to Appear Before Congress

Congress is denied an opportunity to question Trump administration about proposed 67 percent cut to SBA budget, concerning audit findings

Letter (PDF)

(Washington, June 3) - Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) was joined by every Democratic member of the Senate Small Business Committee calling on Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler to appear before the Committee to answer for the Trump administration's cruel attacks on American small businesses, entrepreneurs, and workers. Administrator Loeffler is the only member of President Trump's cabinet who has not agreed to testify before Congress this year and has not appeared before the Senate Small Business Committee in over a year.

The Committee members' letter comes as the Trump administration plans to make deep cuts to SBA funding and bipartisan programs. The President's budget proposes a 67% cut to the SBA budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027. The destructive proposal includes a 94% cut to counseling and training services that support small businesses, eliminating 15 of the 16 entrepreneurial development programs that provide essential services for nearly 1 million American small businesses per year.

The letter also comes just two weeks after SBA's independent audit from KPMG cited nearly two dozen findings of non-compliance and the SBA Inspector General released a report finding that the agency fell below the acceptable baseline for information security protocols in nine of the ten domains being measured.

In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, "The budget proposal would, if enacted, do away with the vast majority of resources currently available for new and growing small businesses. Included among the 15 programs proposed for elimination are the broadly popular Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers, and the SCORE program. These programs provide essential services to nearly one million small businesses per year, including historically underserved entrepreneurs such as women and minorities. Under this proposal, SBA would essentially close its doors to new and aspiring business owners looking for help and, in doing so, abandon one of its basic missions."

The lawmakers continued, "The duty of Congress to conduct oversight is a critical safeguard against executive overreach and ensures that programs are effective and taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. The members of the committee have a right to know what is happening at SBA, and require detailed, thorough responses to our questions. Especially when the President's official policy is to eliminate two thirds of the agency, our committee must be given the opportunity to evaluate the choices you are making to ensure that SBA is meeting the needs of America's 36 million small business effectively."

Ranking Member Markey is fighting back against the Trump administration's reckless economic policies and corruption. In April, Ranking Member Markey called on the Trump administration to rescind its planned cuts and "stop [Trump's] reckless assault on the American economy." Ranking Member Markey recently spotlighted Trump's most recent corrupt actions, including Trump's taxpayer-funded $1.8 billion slush fund for MAGA loyalists and January 6^th insurrectionists, his recently uncovered stock trades of at least $220 million, and his recent agreement with his own Justice Department to protect himself, his family members, and his corporate cronies from investigation.