Rep. Latimer Pushes Small Business Administrator on Closing Regional Offices, Ending Support for Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, DC – Today Congressman George Latimer (NY-16) attended the House Small Business Committee hearing with Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler. Rep. Latimer pushed her on several topics relevant to New York.
“I asked the Administrator questions I have heard directly from local Chambers of Commerce and small business owners, and she couldn’t provide me with any clarity,” said Rep. Latimer. “Small business owners regularly ask me about current tariffs rates, and I asked if SBA will include that information on its website. I was given a non-answer. If I can’t get a question answered in a Congressional hearing, how is a small business expected to get clarity on all of these moving parts? Non-answers and obfuscation don’t work for small business owners who are worried about their bottom line and facing an uncertain economy.”
Rep. Latimer pushed Administrator Loeffler on punishing so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions” by relocating regional offices in Manhattan and Newark to Long Island. Administrator Loeffler could not provide the number of staff a Long Island regional office would have and whether it would be comparable to the staff at the closed offices. Rep. Latimer also requested that SBA include more information on its website about how President Trump’s inconsistent and illogical tariffs could affect small businesses in real time. And he asked Administrator Loeffler whether women-owned or minority-owned small businesses will still receive support from the Trump Administration given the Administration’s policies to end inclusion, equity and diversity programs.