SBA Employees Respond to Government Shutdown with Automated Emails Highlighting Funding Blockage
WASHINGTON – As the government shutdown enters it’s second day, furloughed employees at the U.S. small Business Administration (SBA) are utilizing automated out-of-office replies to inform contacts about the agency’s inability to serve the nation’s 36 million small businesses due to a blocked federal funding bill. The messages directly attribute the shutdown to Senate Democrats’ rejection of a clean funding measure (H.R. 5371).
The shutdown is preventing the SBA from processing approximately $170 million in SBA-guaranteed funding daily,impacting an estimated 320 small businesses each day they remain closed. Led by Administrator Kelly Loeffler, the SBA has also prominently displayed a “Special Announcement” on its website detailing the funding impasse and its consequences for small business owners nationwide.
The automated email responses state that the SBA is unable to respond to inquiries during the shutdown, and explicitly state: ”Senate Democrats voted to block a clean federal funding bill (H.R. 5371), leading to a government shutdown that is preventing the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from serving America’s 36 million small businesses.”
The current stalemate centers on federal funding, with disagreements between parties on the terms of the budget. The SBA’s response highlights the immediate economic impact of the shutdown on small businesses, which rely on the agency’s loan guarantees and support programs. The duration of the shutdown and its ultimate impact on the small business sector remain uncertain pending a resolution in Congress.
