Velázquez Leads Democrats in Demand for Answers on SBA’s Sudden Regional Office Relocations (March 21, 2025)

Summary

On March 21, 2025, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, led committee members and other House Democrats in sending a letter to the Small Business Administration about the decision to relocate six SBA regional offices. The statement says SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced plans to relocate offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City, and Seattle, with local immigration policy used as justification. The letter calls the move a blatant weaponization of the SBA for political gain. The lawmakers demand regular in-person briefings and request documents including the criteria for the relocations, a list of affected employees, and a cost analysis.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

Velázquez Leads Democrats in Demand for Answers on SBA’s Sudden Regional Office Relocations
Source(print): https://democrats-smallbusiness.house.gov/news/documentprint.aspx?DocumentID=4951

Velázquez Leads Democrats in Demand for Answers on SBA’s Sudden Regional Office Relocations 

 democrats-smallbusiness.house.gov 

 Cmte Small Business (D) 

 Contact: 

 Velázquez Leads Democrats in Demand for Answers on SBA’s Sudden Regional Office Relocations 

 Washington ,
 March 21, 2025 
 -

 WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, led committee members and other House Democrats in sending a letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA), raising serious concerns about the abrupt decision to relocate six SBA regional offices. 
  
On March 6 th , SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced plans to relocate regional offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City, and Seattle, with local immigration policy used as justification. In the letter, the lawmakers decry the move as politically motivated and designed to hurt Democratic cities.  
  
“Your decision to relocate regional offices in six major cities with high concentrations of Democratic residents is a blatant weaponization of the SBA for political gain,” wrote the lawmakers . “To be clear, we firmly believe that our cities should be safe, all acts of violence should be taken seriously, and violent crimes should not be tolerated. But the targeting of these cities is clearly punitive, unjust, and counterproductive.” 
  
In the letter, the lawmakers also highlight the disruption the relocations would have on local economies and small businesses in some of America’s largest cities. 
  
“We are in the midst of troubling and uncertain times, and the Trump administration is sending the economy into a period of slower growth and higher inflation with his tariffs, continued the lawmakers . “Small businesses are paying the price. They need certainty, and your decision to relocate the regional offices only adds to the chaos for millions of small businesses in the metropolitan areas” 
  
The lawmakers are demanding regular in-person briefings from the SBA and have requested key documents, including: 

 The criteria used to justify the office relocations 
 A detailed list of affected employees and their status 
 An explanation of how the move will improve services for small businesses 
 A cost analysis of the relocations and their funding source 
 Plans to maintain SBA services in major economic hubs  
 
 In addition to Ranking Member Velázquez, the letter was signed by Reps. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY). Hillary Scholten (D-MI), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Dr. Kelly Morrison (D-MN), George Latimer (D-NY), Derek Tran (D-CA), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD), Dr. Herb Conaway (D-NJ), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Nikema Williams (D-GA), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). 
  
To read a full version of the letter, click here . 
   
###

File and source

File

4951_2025-03-21_vel-zquez-leads-democrats-in-demand-for-answers-on.txt

Size

3,283 bytes

SHA-256

1f966c4ce89e6bb24ce182eb8e4cc810015ab1f55f351b0384777d77504777e7

Our copy

4951_2025-03-21_vel-zquez-leads-democrats-in-demand-for-answers-on.txt

Original

No public link identified.