"Chairman Rubio Requests Information on SBA Disaster Preparedness in Advance of 2020 Hurricane Season"
Summary
A statement dated May 13, 2020 reporting that U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, wrote to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza about the preparedness of SBA's Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA) for the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season beginning June 1st. The letter, reproduced in full, says projections forecast at least six named hurricanes and that ODA resources are being directed to COVID-19 economic injury lending. It asks what measures ensure ODA can handle COVID-19 loans alongside future disasters and what ODA staffing levels are, including permanent, reservist and outside agency staff. It also asks whether staff are split between physical disaster and economic injury assistance and which Office of Inspector General or Government Accountability Office recommendations the agency has implemented.
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Full text
Title: Chairman Rubio Requests Information on SBA Disaster Preparedness in Advance of 2020 Hurricane Season Date: 2020-05-13 Chairman Rubio Requests Information on SBA Disaster Preparedness in Advance of 2020 Hurricane Season May 13, 2020 Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, urged Jovita Carranza, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), to provide information on the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA) preparedness to respond to potential natural disasters that could arise in the upcoming months in advance of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season beginning on June 1st. “The federal government has a significant role in preparedness, response, and recovery from natural disasters for all Americans impacted, no matter the origins,” Chairman Rubio wrote. “We must ensure that all proper resources will be available and dispersed to the citizens of our nation in a timely manner.” The full text of the letter is below. Dear Administrator Carranza: June 1st marks the beginning of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. Some recent projections forecast an active season, with the potential for at least six named hurricanes. The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Disaster Assistance (ODA) and its loan programs serve as an important lifeline for individuals and small businesses impacted both physically and economically as the result of natural disasters. While SBA ODA resources are currently being directed to assist small businesses that have suffered economic injury due to COVID-19, it is imperative that this work not detract from the Agency’s preparedness to respond to potential natural disasters that could arise in the upcoming months. For this reason, I would request you provide me with answers to the following questions: What measures has the agency taken to ensure that ODA will be properly prepared to meet the demands of the COVID-19 related loans in tandem with those related to future disasters? What are the current staffing levels, including permanent, reservists, and outside agency staff, for ODA to process and disperse disaster loans? Are certain staff assigned to physical disaster assistance vs. economic injury assistance? If so, how many and to which loan programs? Has the agency implemented any recommendations from recent Office of Inspector General and/or Government Accountability Office reports related to natural disasters to improve the disaster loan program? If so, which ones? Thank you for your ongoing efforts to help small business owners affected by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic through the expanded Emergency Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The federal government has a significant role in preparedness, response, and recovery from natural disasters for all Americans impacted, no matter the origins. We must ensure that all proper resources will be available and dispersed to the citizens of our nation in a timely manner. Thank you for your attention on these crucial matters and I look forward to your response. Sincerely, Permalink: https://www.sbc.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2020/5/chairman-rubio-requests-information-on-sba-disaster-preparedness-in-advance-of-2020-hurricane-season
File and source
- File
- 2020-05-13_rubio-requests-informati-to-sba_chairman-rubio-requests-information-on-sba-disaster-pre.txt
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- 3,494 bytes
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- f38fff035c611feb035f069c2fccf79c365bbca4aed9bdc97852117be0ed375f
- Original
- www.sbc.senate.gov