Administration Budget Would Gut SBA, Small Business Support Programs

“The administration’s FY 2027 budget request to Congress includes devastating cuts to critical small business infrastructure. Of most concern is that the budget calls for the U.S. Small Business Administration to receive a 67% reduction in funding from its current level, with particular requests to eliminate SCORE and almost every other program within the SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development, leaving only support for veterans business outreach and nothing more. If these cuts were enacted, it would effectively dismantle the one and only federal agency dedicated to serving the needs of Main Street. The administration’s budget request also calls for steep cuts to or the complete elimination of other vital programs, including Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Development Centers, the Minority Business Development Agency and the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. All of these programs have traditionally enjoyed strong bipartisan support because they have a strong track record of delivering great returns on investment. In fact, all generate more for the U.S. economy than they cost in taxpayer dollars. 

Taken as a whole, the administration's FY27 budget request indicates a lack of understanding of the importance of programs and agencies that are essential to the success of small firms. If Congress were to embrace all or even some of the administration’s requests, it would deal a fatal blow to countless small businesses already struggling with tariffs, high healthcare costs, workforce shortages due to immigration actions and broad economic uncertainty. We call on Congress to reject the administration’s requests and to robustly fund all small businesses support programs so that America’s entrepreneurs have a chance to grow and thrive.”