Guam delegate urges House Small Business Committee to restore local SBA branch after closure
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Summary
Delegate James Moylan told the House Small Business Committee that the April closure of Guam's Small Business Administration branch and transfer of services to Hawaii will harm access to loan and disaster assistance for island businesses, and urged Congress to ensure on‑island SBA services for Pacific territories.
Delegate James Moylan told the House Committee on Small Business during a Member Day hearing that the Small Business Administration’s recent decision to close Guam’s on‑island branch office and transfer responsibility to the SBA district office in Hawaii will diminish access to assistance for island businesses.
“For over 6 decades, since what we call Super Typhoon Karen devastated our island in 1962, the SBA branch office has been the cornerstone in providing disaster loans and grants,” Delegate James Moylan said. Moylan said the office’s closure in April and the transfer of responsibility to the Hawaii SBA office — “more than 3,800 miles and 5 time zones away” — will cause delays and limited accessibility for small businesses in Guam.
Moylan said Guam small businesses rely heavily on direct, on‑the‑ground SBA services because of higher costs of doing business and vulnerability to natural disasters. He told the committee the planned assignment of a procurement center representative to work with the University of Guam Small Business Development Center (SBDC) does not substitute for a fully operational SBA branch office.
“The SBDC is not meant to serve as a substitute for Guam SBA branch office functions that assist Guam businesses,” Moylan said, adding that Pacific territories would be the only U.S. jurisdictions lacking on‑the‑ground SBA district offices if the change stands.
Moylan urged the committee to ensure that every state and territory has continuous access to SBA services, saying the change could undermine federal responsiveness and the local economy during a period of military buildup on the island.
He commended some SBA goals — streamlining spending and reducing fraud, waste and abuse — but said the current plan “falls short in considering the unique challenges of the Pacific Islands.” Moylan closed by asking the committee “to ensure that every state and territory small business communities has the resources they need to thrive.”
The remarks came during the committee’s Member Day hearing; Moylan requested congressional attention but did not present a specific bill or motion during the hearing. No formal committee vote on Guam SBA operations was recorded in the hearing transcript.
