Kelly Loeffler, the new head of the Small Business Administration, has released a memo outlining her top priorities for SBA.
“My first priority is rebuilding the SBA into an America First engine for free enterprise – by empowering small businesses and fueling economic growth,” Loeffler said in a statement published Monday.
Loeffler’s Day One memo came days after she was confirmed as SBA’s 28th administrator.
Supporting the America First Agenda
To advance the current administration’s America First Agenda, SBA will revamp its Office of International Trade into the Office of Manufacturing and Trade to promote fair trade practices, economic independence and job creation. It will also advance partnerships with other agencies to scale technology startups and innovative manufacturing to promote “Made in America.”
SBA will work closely with the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to drive transparency and accountability and mandate full-time, in-office work for all employees in accordance with a presidential memorandum.
In addition to creating a fraud working group, the agency will name a fraud czar to stop and recover criminally obtained funds on behalf of U.S. taxpayers.
Empowering Small Businesses
SBA will empower the Office of Advocacy to determine and eliminate burdensome regulations; work with DOGE to evaluate multiple digital interfaces; and improve user experience by assessing its technology for cybersecurity, customer satisfaction and response times.
To promote fair competition, the agency returned the 8(a) federal contracting goal for small disadvantaged businesses to its statutory level of 5 percent.
The SBA official said she will facilitate dialogue with small business owners to address challenges, drive growth and innovation and advance the relocation of regional offices out of sanctuary cities.
Addressing Wasteful Spending, Fraud
To address fraud, SBA will request an independent financial audit, assess all options to protect the solvency of loan programs, restart its dormant collections programs and restore its underwriting standards.
The agency will implement a policy banning illegal aliens from receiving SBA assistance and execute measures to restrict hostile foreign nationals from accessing assistance from the agency.
