Senator Rosen and others pressed Administrator Loeffler on budget proposals that committee members said would reduce funding for SBA entrepreneurial development and veteran services. Rosen said the president’s budget proposed a $167,000,000 reduction to entrepreneurial development funding and warned that cuts could close resource centers that help veterans and other entrepreneurs.

Administrator Loeffler said the agency would not eliminate Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs) and described a plan to consolidate counseling and training services under Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), with a stated funding floor of $10,000,000 for services to veteran‑owned businesses. Loeffler also described an MOU with the Department of Veterans Affairs intended to share resources and expand outreach.

Why it matters: Senators representing states with concentrated veteran populations and limited local centers said the SBDCs may lack capacity to take on specialized veteran services immediately, raising concerns about gaps during a transition.

Follow-up requests and specifics
- Senator Rosen asked whether consolidating services would make it harder for veterans to access tailored counseling and whether SBDCs had the trained advisors to provide the same level of service; Administrator Loeffler said veterans would not have to wait and cited ongoing Boots to Business and Reboot seminars and an uptick in SBA lending to veterans.
- Loeffler said SBA lending to veterans was “up 26%” in the calendar year; senators requested documentation and timelines for the transition and said they wanted meetings and outreach to ensure continuity in states like Nevada and New Hampshire.

Ending note
Senators asked for follow‑up meetings and documentation from SBA on resource allocation and transition plans; Loeffler agreed to meet with members and state offices.