U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Oversight

Separate from the hearings, the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship works to ensure that federal agencies are properly administering programs and carrying out the intent of Congress. Following are letters sent by the Committee to agencies, organizations, and other individuals. Click on the subject to read the letter and the date on the right-side to read the response.

110th Congress

date to regarding response
11/20/08 SBA Letter to the Treasury Department Requesting use of TARP funds for SBA Lending Programs. n/a
11/03/08 SBA Letter to the SBA Requesting Emergency Changes to the Agency's Credit Programs. n/a
10/30/08 SBA Letter to the SBA Requesting Comment Period Extension for Women's Procurement Rule. n/a
09/23/08 SBA Senators Kerry, Snowe, Harkin and Grassley push for low-income loans for disaster victims. 10/14
10/20/08 White House Letter to President Bush urging him to help America's Small Businesses. n/a
09/23/08 SBA Senators Kerry, Snowe, Harkin and Grassley push for low-income loans for disaster victims. 10/14
07/31/08 SBA Requesting, in response to the challenges posed to small businesses by the cost of energy, that the SBA provide a progress report on the implementation of vital energy efficiency programs. n/a
06/12/08 SBA Expressing concern that the SBA's proposed implementation of the women's procurement program fails to adequately address the interests of women owned businesses. 07/30
06/05/08 GAO Requesting that the GAO validate the oversight tools the SBA uses as relates to 7(a) and 504 loan programs. n/a
06/04/08 SBA Chairman Kerry, Sen. Kennedy and Rep. Tierney encourage the SBA to provide disaster loans to those who lost their homes in a large Peabody, MA fire. 06/19
05/12/08 SBA Chairman Kerry and Ranking Member Snowe call on the SBA to restore integrity to the agency's capital access programs, following a second Inspector General report that is critical of the Administration's oversight. 06/03
04/10/08 Department of Defense Letter to Sec. Gates seeking an explanation of how AEY Inc. - accused of selling faulty arms to troops - was erroneously labeled a Small Disadvantaged Business. 05/08
04/10/08 Department of State Letter to Sec. Rice concerning the State Department's labelling of AEY Inc. as a Small Disadvantaged Business. 04/18
04/10/08 SBA Letter to Administrator Preston expressing concern about the SBA's oversight of contracting programs after AEY Inc. was erroneously labelled a Small Disadvantaged Business. 05/30
04/07/08 SBA Calling on the Bush Administration to protect taxpayer investments in government-backed small business loans and reinstate a program that uses lenders to recoup losses from defaulted loans. 05/15
04/03/08 SBA Urging the Small Business Administration to delay publishing a notice in the Federal Register that would interfere with the liquidation of defaulted 504 loans. n/a
03/31/08 SBA Expanding upon and clarifying objections to proposed Women's procurement and federal contracting rules, in response to a number of complaints and comments from women affected by the Set-Aside Program. n/a
03/31/08 SBA Expressing support and presenting questions concerning the launch of a pilot of the Emerging 200 program, which will provide targetted training and funds for emerging companies. 05/19
03/04/08 SBA Sen. Kerry clarifies Congressional intent concerning the funding of the Energy Efficiency and Veteran Assistance and Service programs of Small Business Development Centers. 04/10
02/27/08 SBA Sen. Kerry and Rep. Tsongas express concern about the SBA's rejection of the loan applications of 6 victims of the January fire in Lawrence, MA. n/a
02/22/08 Budget Committee Views and Estimates Letter on SBA's FY 2009 Budget. n/a
02/13/08 SBA Calling on the Bush Administration to outline the steps it will take to help small businesses facing a contracting credit market. n/a
02/12/08 SBA Endorsing recommendations made in an independent audit to improve the deficient information technology security controls at the SBA. n/a
02/11/08 Veterans Corp. Expressing concern that the National Veteran's Business Development Corporation has not yet made a decision concerning its FY '08 grant program, resulting in reduced services at veterans centers. n/a
02/01/08 SBA Expressing deep concerns about the proposed rule to implement the long-delayed Women's set aside procurement program. 02/19
01/30/08 SBA Requesting that the SBA Office of Advocacy assist in efforts to help America's veterans in the area of small business development. n/a
01/24/08 SBA Sens. Kerry and Kennedy as well as Rep. Tsongas urge the Bush Administration to deliver timely disaster loan assistance to victims of the recent fire in Lawrence, Massachusetts. n/a
01/11/08 SBA Expressing concern that the monitoring of SBA employee emails may discourage whistleblowers, and urging the institution of a new policy. 01/24
01/08/08 OMB Urging the Bush Administration to support America's small businesses by increasing funding for the Small Business Administration. n/a
01/02/08 EPA Requesting that the EPA more fully use funds provided to the Energy Star program to aide small businesses seeking energy efficiency. 03/26
12/20/07 GSA Requesting that the GSA postpone implementation of a policy droping office supplies from its Global Supply Stock Program, which would hurt small businesses. 01/11
12/20/07 GAO Asking the GAO to review the consequences to small businesses of the alteration of the Stock Program. n/a
12/19/07 Veterans Corp. Seeking detailed assurance that the Corporation, in light of a law requring that it fund a network of centers, will continue to focus on veterans centers. n/a
12/05/07 SBA Announcing a hearing to hold the administration accountable for promises to implement programs to help small businesses and women entrepreneurs succeed. n/a
11/09/07 Commerce Expressing Desire to Gather More Information on Veteran Small Businesses as Part of the Survey of Business Owners 12/20
11/01/07 SBA Expressing Continued Concerns with the Size Determination Made by the SBA with Regards to a Blackwater Affiliate 12/03
10/30/07 GAO Co-requesting an Investigation Into how the USDA and SBA Have Coordinated to Meet the Needs of Rural Small Businesses n/a
10/26/07 Finance Committee Letter sent to Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Grassley Concerning Blackwater Tax Filings n/a
10/26/07 Blackwater Letter sent to Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater Worldwide, Concerning the Firm's Tax Filings n/a
10/24/07 Finance Committee Outline of the Principles Which Should Guide Tax-based Small Business Health Care Legislation n/a
10/24/07 SBA Request for Explanation of Withholding of Information Concerning Fraudulent Loans Made by Business Loan Center, LLC. 11/06
10/23/07 SBA Request for Administrator Preston to Explain Potential Role of SBA in Blackwater's Possible Tax Evasion 10/24
10/17/07 SBA Request for Timeline on Overdue Implementation of Women's Procurement Program 11/14
09/21/07 Veterans Corp. Request for Information on How the Veterans Corporation Plans to Support the Network of Veterans' Business Development Centers n/a
09/18/07 SBA Request for SBA to Address Concerns Involving Women's Business Opportunities at a Hearing Centers n/a
09/12/07 DHS
SBA		 Request for Delay of Implementation of Employee Verification Rules n/a
08/17/07 SBA Request for SBA to Implement Changes that Benefit Women's Business Centers 09/06
08/13/07 Treasury Request for Information on Treasury's Contracting Policies with Minority Adveritising Firms 09/07
08/13/07 DoD Request for Information on DoD's Contracting Policies with Minority Adveritising Firms n/a
07/23/07 SBA Request for Immediate Disaster Assistance for Uxbridge, Massachusetts Fire n/a
07/06/07 GSA The Impact of Eliminating Office Supplies from the Global Supply Stock Program on Small Businesses 09/06
06/11/07 DoD Request for Reprogramming of Air Force and Army SBIR Funds n/a
06/06/07 SEC Request for Additional Action in Easing Burden of Sarbanes-Oxley Regulations for Small Businesses 06/29
05/15/07 DoD Request for Information on DoD's Contracting Policies with Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses 06/07
05/11/07 n/a Dear Colleague on the Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act of 2007 n/a
05/09/07 SBA Request for SBA IG Investigation into Reported WBC Funding Delays 05/09
05/08/07 SEC
PCAOB		 Sarbanes-Oxley Hearing Follow Up 06/15
05/03/07 SBA Disaster Declaration Request for Counties in Massachusetts Impacted by Severe Flooding 06/04
05/03/07 SBA Call for Immediate Implementation of Women's Procurement Program n/a
04/30/07 DC Mayor Pledge of Support for Small Businesses Impacted by Eastern Market Fire n/a
04/24/07 SBA Request for Information on SBA Implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 n/a
04/03/07 EPA Request for Information on the EPA's Energy Star Program n/a
03/23/07 SBA FY2008 Legislative Package for the SBA 03/30
03/02/07 Approps Request to Include $75 Million for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans in FY2008 Emergency Supplemental n/a
03/02/07 SBA, EPA Request for SBA and EPA Administrators to Testify Before Committee at "Small Business Solutions for Combating Climate Change" Hearing n/a
03/01/07 Budget Committee Views and Estimates Letter on SBA's FY2008 Budget n/a
03/01/07 DoD, DHS, GSA, Army Corps. Urging Agencies to Implement Recommendations from GAO Report regarding Hurricane Katrina Subcontracting Data for Small Businesses 04/06
07/06
02/23/07 SEC
PCAOB		 Request for Extension of Section 404 Implementation for Small Public Companies 04/05
03/07
01/22/07 Approps FY07 Funding Levels for the SBA's Disaster Loan Program n/a
01/21/07 OMB Request for Sufficient Funding for SBA in FY08 Budget 02/27
01/18/07 DoD Request for Status of Navy Small Business Program 03/23