SBA says disaster teams on the ground in tornado‑hit Missouri; senators press for timely declarations and funds
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Summary
Senator Hawley asked the SBA about disaster loans and assistance to Missouri tornado survivors; Administrator Loeffler said SBA teams are deployed, disaster specialists are active in the field, and described loan types and prior relief delivery in California.
Senator Hawley described extensive tornado damage in Missouri and asked Administrator Loeffler about SBA disaster loans and the agency’s response. Loeffler said SBA is “on the ground” in affected regions, described the agency as a recovery and resilience agency rather than a first‑responder, and said SBA will be part of the recovery effort once disaster declarations are made.
Loeffler told the committee that in fiscal 2025 the agency’s disaster relief funds ran out and said she had acted to ensure that would not recur; she also said SBA had caught about $75,000,000 in attempted disaster‑relief fraud and that the agency had 400 disaster‑assistance specialists in the field.
Key program points cited in the hearing - Eligibility and loan types: Loeffler and Senator Hawley referenced SBA personal property loans (amounts cited on the record as up to $40,000) and SBA real property loans (amounts cited as up to $200,000) for homeowners in declared disaster areas. - On‑the‑ground support: Loeffler said SBA teams were active in the region and that the agency had previously delivered $2,000,000,000 in relief in California within the first 100 days following disasters under the current administration.
Follow up and timeline Senator Hawley emphasized the need for a major disaster declaration to unlock assistance and urged timely FEMA and agency actions; Loeffler said SBA would be “right there alongside” affected constituents and said the agency is coordinating with field staff and regional offices.
Ending note The committee recorded the SBA’s assurances of deployed disaster specialists and requested continued coordination with senators’ offices to ensure timely delivery of recovery loans once declarations are made.