SBA Critiqued as Nonresponsive and Slow to Answer Questions

In separate letters, members of Congress wrote to Small Business Administration Administrator Isabella Guzman, saying the SBA response to questions from small business owners has been nonresponsive and slow.

Last week, Representatives Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) forwarded letters to Guzman. McHenry and Luetmeyer forwarded letters they’d received from constituents who own small businesses or are lenders.

SBA Criticized for Slow Response to Business Owners, Lenders

The general content of the letters was that the SBA was effectively communicating or responding to businesses and lenders in a timely way.

In the letter that accompanied the forwarded letters, McHenry and Luetkemeyer wrote:

“During the pandemic, small businesses across the country turned to the SBA and their programs for relief to keep their doors open and workers employed. Unfortunately, business owners have been met with uncertainty stemming from delayed approvals, lack of communication, and nonexistent transparency.”

“Small businesses and their workers across the country are urgently waiting for answers. They simply do not have the luxury to wait months. Many of these programs are temporary, therefore delayed responses will not suffice. We urge you to take immediate action to review outstanding inquiries from all Members of Congress and increase communication with their offices, small businesses, and the lenders that assist them.”

Formal Letter from 13 Republicans

Also in October, a group of 13 Republicans wrote Guzman to criticize Mark Madrid, Associate Administrator for the SBA Office of Entrepreneurial Development.

Madrid had appeared before Congress October 6 to testify about the SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development. He was asked if “either the corporate tax rate or personal income tax rate would help or hurt small businesses.”

Madrid answered that he was “not in a position to answer that.”

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This article, "SBA Critiqued as Nonresponsive and Slow to Answer Questions" was first published on Small Business Trends