(Washington, May 16) - Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today led all Democrats on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee in writing to U.S. Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler, rejecting the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget proposal and calling on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to immediately release entrepreneurial development program funding owed to counseling and training providers. The President’s FY 2026 budget calls for the elimination of the vast majority of SBA’s entrepreneurial development programs, including programs specifically targeted towards women and veteran entrepreneurs. SBA is currently blocking funding Congress has already appropriated for these programs.
The lawmakers write, “We are now five months into the second Trump presidency and it is unacceptable that the Trump SBA is incapable of properly managing its congressionally mandated responsibilities. Congress holds the power of the purse, and the executive branch must comply with the law, including duly enacted appropriations acts. SBA’s continued delays and cancellation of congressionally mandated spending not only goes against congressional intent but jeopardizes the viability of small businesses across the country.”
SBA’s entrepreneurial development programs provide free or low-cost counseling and training to America’s 34 million small businesses, with specific assistance targeting veterans, women, and other underserved entrepreneurs. In Fiscal Year 2024 alone, SBA counseled and trained more than 744,000 small businesses, supported the creation of 33,240 new businesses, and supported over one million jobs. SBA’s resource partners, which include Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Women’s Business Centers (WBCs), SCORE, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs), have long had bipartisan support and provide critical, cost-effective assistance that catalyzes local economic growth.
Additionally, President Trump’s proposed budget for FY 2026 cuts $167 million dollars from SBA’s entrepreneurial development programs and $111 million from the agency’s budget for the cost of staff and other administrative expenses. The proposed budget would eliminate 15 entrepreneurial development programs, which would mean the closure of more than 150 WBCs, 250 SCORE chapters, and 31 VBOCs.
To better understand SBA’s budget plans and the extent to which entrepreneurial development program funding has been delayed or mismanaged, the lawmakers request written responses to the following questions no later than May 30:
- With the elimination of all but one of its entrepreneurial development programs under President Trump’s proposed budget, what is SBA’s plan to provide quality counseling and training to America’s 34 million small businesses?
- Why does the Administration believe that women and veteran entrepreneurs do not merit specialized assistance given the unique challenges they face?
- Why has SBA failed to distribute appropriated funding to its entrepreneurial development programs, specifically the SBDC, WBC, VBOC, and SCORE programs
- Please identify every payment, by program, to SBA’s entrepreneurial development programs that are currently past due.
- Please provide a detailed timeline for disbursement, by program, of the delayed payments identified in response to the previous question.
Earlier in May, Ranking Member Markey condemned President Trump’s proposed budget cuts, highlighting the devastating impact that eliminating entrepreneurial development programs would have on America’s small businesses that are already suffering from the Trump Tariffs. “After Trump, Elon Musk, and SBA Administrator Loeffler hit small businesses with cuts, chaos, and corruption during the Administration’s first 100 days, the last thing small business owners need now is more pain on Main Street,” said Ranking Member Markey. “Congress must act and reject Trump’s budget proposal.”
