Ranking Member Edward J. Markey has issued a statement highlighting the inclusion of small business priorities in the latest appropriations package. Markey emphasized the importance of supporting entrepreneurs through federal programs, stating, “Small businesses are essential to our economy, and fully funding federal programs that support entrepreneurs everywhere is a must for Main Street.” He added, “I am proud to have worked with my Senate colleagues to secure funding to invest in America’s entrepreneurs and provisions to rein in the Trump administration’s attempts to extinguish programs meant to provide support to women, veterans, and other historically underserved small business owners. We must continue to fight back against Trump’s reckless agenda that puts Main Street last and ensure that federal funding reaches small businesses—not CEO billionaires and big corporations.”
Markey criticized the Small Business Administration (SBA) under President Trump for not following congressional directives and withholding millions in funding from programs designed for small businesses. He noted his efforts with Senate appropriators to strengthen protections on SBA Entrepreneurial Development Program (EDP) funding in the fiscal year 2026 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill. For the first time, all EDP account programs are included in the legislative text of the bill, providing greater legal protection and stronger anti-impoundment measures. The new requirements also direct SBA to spend at least 80% of program funds within their first year of appropriation.
Markey commended Senate appropriators for allocating $2.4 million above his initial request for SBA’s Veteran’s Outreach programs. He said this increase will help ensure service members, veterans, and their families receive necessary counseling and training as they start or grow small businesses.
Last May, Markey urged Senate appropriators to protect SBA’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The FY 2026 FSGG Appropriations bill allocates $1.25 billion for SBA operations, including $330 million dedicated to entrepreneurial development programs—a move Markey described as a bipartisan rejection of President Trump’s proposal to eliminate nearly all such initiatives.
On May 2, Markey publicly opposed proposed cuts in President Trump’s FY 2026 budget that would reduce funding for small business programs by 33%, affecting services aimed at underserved communities, women, and veterans. Later that month, he led Democratic members of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee in calling on SBA Administrator Loeffler to release already approved funds for counseling and training.
The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee plays a role in shaping national fiscal priorities by offering policy options on federal budget components and contributing oversight throughout the congressional budget process. Established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, it operates from Washington D.C., providing nonpartisan analysis through its work with the Congressional Budget Office.
