Ranking Member Edward J. Markey led Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representatives Richard Neal and Jim McGovern in sending a letter on March 6 to General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Edward Forst, seeking information about the continued closure of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Springfield district office.
The closure has raised concerns among Massachusetts lawmakers about access to federal resources for small businesses in western Massachusetts. The lawmakers said they have made several attempts over the past year to get clarity from the Trump administration but have received little information.
In their letter, Markey and his colleagues wrote, “As part of its careless, cruel, and chaotic rampage through the federal government, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) colluded with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to unjustifiably shutter the Springfield, Massachusetts SBA branch office. We have written to and met with SBA numerous times about the Springfield office’s closure and the impact it has had on small businesses in western Massachusetts. In its written responses to our letters and in briefings, SBA has expressed a desire to reopen the Springfield branch office but advised that the decision is the General Services Administration’s (GSA) to make.”
The lawmakers also stated, “One of GSA’s strategic goals is to deliver ‘financially and environmentally sustainable, accessible, and responsive workspace solutions that enable a productive federal workforce.’ Nothing about the closure of the Springfield, Massachusetts SBA branch office has aligned with this strategic goal. Contrary to Administrator Loeffler’s response to our May 28th letter, the closure has resulted in a profound loss of service for small businesses.”
They requested answers by March 19 regarding DOGE's justification for closing the office on June 1, 2025; details on selecting a new site; options vetted since January 20, 2025; reasons for delays in providing lease information; and when a new location might open.
Markey has previously advocated for reopening the Springfield district office. In September and May of last year, he joined Warren, Neal, and McGovern in writing letters urging action from both SBA leadership and GSA officials regarding closures affecting multiple locations across Massachusetts.
The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee supports informed decision-making on national fiscal priorities according to its official website. The committee also offers Congress comprehensive policy options related to federal budget components according to its official website. Lindsey Graham serves as chairman while Jeff Merkley is ranking member according to its official website. The committee contributes through resolutions and reconciliation instructions according to its official website, was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 according to its official website, and provides nonpartisan budgetary analysis via oversight of the Congressional Budget Office according to its official website.
Lawmakers await responses from GSA as local business owners continue facing uncertainty over access to federal support services.
