Economy, Jobs and Trade

Small business loans and programs

68 public statements from 2026 candidates · 6 related bills

§1The range of views

Why this matters: These programs affect whether owners can get the loans and contracts to start or grow a business, and how much the government spends and risks to help them.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

Federal programs, many run by the Small Business Administration (SBA), that help small businesses with loan guarantees, research awards and government contracts set aside for small firms, and who can qualify for them.1,2,3

  1. Expand SBA loans, research awards and contracting help for small businesses
  2. Keep the programs near their current size
  3. Shrink the SBA or close it, leaving small business lending to private lenders

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Expand SBA loans, research awards and contracting help for small businesses (23)

  • Mike McGuire CA-1
    His campaign's rural plan says he would expand Small Business Administration, USDA Rural Development and Economic Development Administration investment in rural Northern California, and make federal loans, grants and technical help easier for small and family-owned businesses to get.4
  • Ami Bera CA-3
    His campaign website says Small Business Administration loan and micro-loan programs should be expanded and small business research tax credits extended for the long term.5
  • Connie Chan CA-11
    Her campaign website says she would increase grants for first-time small business owners and business incubators and require the Small Business Administration to serve immigrant business owners in their languages.6
  • Peter Coe Verbica CA-19
    His 25-point federal plan proposes expanding the Small Business Administration's legal and compliance help for small businesses.7
  • Judy Chu CA-28
    Her campaign website lists among her accomplishments establishing two new Small Business Development Centers in the San Gabriel Valley and reviving the Small Business Administration's 504 loan refinance program.8
  • Mike Levin CA-49
    His campaign website says he signed on to legislation to raise how much banks can invest in Small Business Investment Companies, give small businesses more chances to compete for federal contracts, and reauthorize the Small Business Development Center Program.9
  • Scott Peters CA-50
    His campaign website lists a law he wrote that gives defense contractors credit for hiring small businesses at every level of a project.10
  • Kedner Maxime FL-20
    His campaign website says he will fight to expand SBA lending and micro-lending so that capital reaches the entrepreneurs who need it most.11
  • Alexander Cooke FL-21
    His campaign website says he would work to expand access to SBA-backed capital for entrepreneurs and cut federal red tape on small businesses.12,13
  • Oliver G. Gilbert III FL-24
    His campaign website describes his BUILD Business Act as modernizing the Small Business Administration, including strengthening the SBA 7(a) program by increasing federal guarantees and the SBA 504 program by expanding funding, and creating startup grants and low-interest growth loans.14
  • Sanford Bishop GA-2
    His campaign website says that on the House Appropriations Committee he ensures funding and access for Small Business Administration lending programs, and that he voted for legislation to increase the SBA’s loan guarantee limits for 7(a) and 504/CDC loans.15
  • Nikema Williams GA-5
    Her campaign website says she is fighting to open contracting opportunities, protect SBA programs and expand access to capital for small businesses through the Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program Act.16
  • Caitlyn Gegen GA-9
    Her campaign website says she will fully fund the Small Business Administration, lower interest rates on small business loans and break up consolidation and monopolization in the marketplace.17
  • Jonathan Chavez GA-13
    His platform says he would introduce legislation to expand the Small Business Administration’s 7(a) loan guarantee program with a Main Street Revitalization tier for businesses in suburban economic corridors.18
  • Juliana Stratton IL Senate
    Her campaign website says she would invest in grant programs for small business owners, and her campaign's opportunity blueprint calls for expanding SBA grants for women- and minority-owned businesses, creating federal grants for start-ups, raising SBA loan caps and expanding microloans.19,20
  • Brad A. Meyer IN-9
    His campaign website says he would restore Small Business Administration staffing and funding and expand SBA lending capacity.21,22
  • Charles Booker KY Senate
    His campaign website says he would expand access to affordable credit for small businesses through SBA lending and community lenders, with a focus on rural and underserved areas.23
  • John "Drew" Williams KY-1
    His campaign website proposes grants and loan programs for microbusinesses in underrepresented areas, raising federal small-business contracting goals from 23% to 25% with tiered set-asides, and startup grants for worker- and community-owned co-ops.24
  • Priscilla Gonzalez LA-3
    Her campaign website's Acadia Parish page says she would work to expand federal loan programs, such as those of the Small Business Administration, to provide low-interest loans and financial support to local entrepreneurs and small businesses.25
  • Denise Powell NE-2
    Her campaign website says she would increase funding and support for small businesses in Nebraska.26
  • Aristotle Eliopoulos NJ-8
    Under small business success, it lists expanding access to low-interest business loans, simplifying tax compliance and reducing bureaucratic burdens.27
  • Da'Shone Hughey NJ-8
    The plan lists expanding access to capital, increasing federal contracting opportunities, and supporting businesses owned by minorities, veterans, women, immigrants and families.28
  • James Talarico TX Senate
    His campaign website says he would broaden eligibility for Small Business Administration loan programs and expand support for community lenders.29

Statements that don't match one option (45)

  • Maurice Mercer AL-6
    His campaign website says he would work to reduce unnecessary regulations on small businesses and expand their access to capital.30
  • Chris Jones AR-2
    His campaign website says he would support small businesses and local entrepreneurs through financing, training and access to markets.31
  • Robb Tucker CA-3
    His campaign website says he backs legislation to help rural small businesses quickly get Small Business Administration disaster aid, and calls for less federal paperwork for small businesses.32
  • Michael Masuda CA-5
    His campaign website says he would improve small businesses' access to capital and federal resources and reduce barriers for rural businesses.33
  • Richard Pan CA-6
    His campaign website says he would reduce unnecessary red tape for small businesses, expand their access to affordable capital, and support workforce training and apprenticeship programs.34
  • Lateefah Simon CA-12
    Her campaign website lists among her accomplishments passing three bipartisan House bills aimed at expanding opportunities for small businesses in the East Bay.35
  • Aisha Wahab CA-14
    Her campaign website says she would give small businesses targeted tax relief and credits, cut red tape and expand support for startups and first-time entrepreneurs, especially women-, immigrant- and minority-owned businesses.36,37
  • Ro Khanna CA-17
    His campaign website proposes a $1 billion fund raised by private-sector leaders, matched by $1 billion in federal money, to provide capital to small businesses.38
  • Dave Min CA-47
    His campaign website says he voted for legislation to modernize the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, which offer early-stage funding to entrepreneurs.39
  • Jeff Belle CA-52
    His campaign website says he would reduce red tape, improve access to capital and make federal programs easier for small businesses to use, and supports workforce and apprenticeship programs.40
  • Brittany Pettersen CO-7
    Her campaign website says she would help small businesses by increasing their access to capital.41
  • Gay Valimont FL-1
    Her campaign website says she will work to expand tax incentives and funding for small business owners.42
  • Tyler L. Davis FL-1
    Davis's campaign website supports expanding small businesses' access to capital, reducing regulations on them and simplifying permitting.43
  • LaShonda "L.J." Holloway FL-4
    Her campaign website says small businesses need less red tape, more access to capital and protection from unfair competition by corporations.44
  • Mike Sell FL-4
    His campaign's platform calls for faster SBA loan applications and SBA technical help for worker-owned cooperatives.45
  • James T. Martin FL-21
    His campaign website lists making capital easier to obtain for small and minority-owned businesses among his cost-of-living priorities.46
  • Mario Diaz-Balart FL-26
    His campaign website lists $140 million for Small Business Development Centers and $324 million for the CDFI Fund among the funding he secured.47
  • Maria Elvira Salazar FL-27
    Her campaign website says she supports small businesses by cutting red tape, improving access to capital and increasing competition with larger corporations, and lists among her accomplishments an amendment expanding federal contracting opportunities for small businesses and a law giving small business owners more time to repay COVID-19 relief loans.48
  • Chris Harden GA-11
    His campaign website says he supports expanding access to capital for small businesses and reducing unnecessary barriers for entrepreneurs.49
  • Jasmine Clark GA-13
    Her campaign website’s agenda lists helping small businesses and entrepreneurs grow among her priorities.50
  • Christian Maxwell IL-1
    Her issues page says she will use federal small-business programs, SBA oversight, procurement reform, tax incentives and community-development funding to help local businesses compete, grow and hire.51
  • Melissa L. Bean IL-8
    Her campaign website says she will expand access to affordable capital for small businesses, reduce unnecessary red tape while maintaining strong consumer protections, and support local economic development and entrepreneurship.52
  • Brad Schneider IL-10
    His campaign website says he introduced a bill promoting the interests of smaller businesses in any tax reform effort and a bill to expand public-private efforts to provide startups with help and support.53
  • Megan Wingfield KY-2
    Her campaign website says she supports expanded small business loans for independent auto shops to help them invest in diagnostics and specialty tools.54
  • "Jamie" Davis LA Senate
    His campaign website says he would help small and medium-sized businesses grow with better access to capital, fewer hurdles and a fair chance at federal contracts.55
  • Troy A. Carter Sr. LA-2
    His campaign website says he will support small businesses to create an equitable economy in which everyone can thrive, not just corporations, and its COVID-19 relief plan calls for more forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans and for replacing Small Business Administration loans with grants.56,57
  • Antonio Wilson LA-5
    His campaign website says he will fight for small business support by working to expand access to capital, simplify federal programs and connect entrepreneurs with mentoring and workforce training.58
  • Lindsay "Rubia" Garcia LA-6
    Her campaign website's Issues page says she will work to expand access to capital through the SBA and Community Development Financial Institutions and support economic opportunity zones that serve local residents.59
  • Stephen Wagley LA-6
    His campaign website says he will work to give the district better access to SBA loans, with a focus on rural parishes.60
  • Adrian Boafo MD-5
    His campaign website says he would expand federal small business lending and federal contracting opportunities for minority-owned businesses, and fully fund the Minority Business Development Agency.61
  • Susan M. Collins ME Senate
    Her campaign website says she wrote the Paycheck Protection Program, which gave forgivable loans to small businesses during the pandemic.62
  • Callie Barr MI-1
    Her campaign website says she supports federal investment in small businesses, farmers and infrastructure, and its priorities page names low-cost lending, impact investing and grants, along with training for grant writers, as ways to do it.63,64
  • Peggy Flanagan MN Senate
    Her campaign website says the government should invest in small business loans and make sure small businesses do not pay a higher tax rate than large corporations.65
  • Kelly Morrison MN-3
    Her campaign website says the House passed her bipartisan Rural Small Business Resilience Act, which it says helps small businesses recover from natural disasters.66
  • Josh Smead MO-6
    His campaign website lists keeping the federal Small Business Administration and helping ensure access to it.67
  • Cyril Jefferson NC-6
    His campaign website says he would boost small business growth with Small Business Administration micro-loans and Main Street accelerator funds.68
  • Kimberly Hardy NC-7
    Her campaign website's Priorities page says she would help local entrepreneurs, including veterans, apply for federally backed small business loans.69
  • Jamie Ager NC-11
    His campaign website says he would work to reduce red tape and widen access to loans and grants for small businesses affected by Hurricane Helene.70
  • Alma S. Adams NC-12
    Her campaign website says small businesses need simpler ways to get capital in order to grow.71
  • Lakesha Womack NC-14
    Her issues page says she would widen small businesses' access to capital through community development financial institutions and community-based lenders, give them more chances at federal contracts, back technical assistance and entrepreneurship programs, and ease regulatory barriers she considers unnecessary while keeping protections for workers and consumers.72
  • Maggie Goodlander NH-2
    Her campaign website lists more than a dozen small business bills that passed the House, many of them about Small Business Administration programs, including bills on federal contracting, loan oversight and rural outreach.73
  • Rosie Pino NJ-9
    Her campaign issues page lists easier access to capital for entrepreneurs, along with less red tape for job creators, among her goals for the economy.74
  • LaMonica R. McIver NJ-10
    Her campaign page on jobs and small business says she supports improving small businesses' access to capital through loans, grants and other financial help, and reducing regulatory burdens on them.75
  • Carmen Bucco NJ-10
    His campaign issues page, which describes him as running for a state legislative seat in District 20, says laws, red tape and a lack of funding that does not carry high interest are hurting small and mid-size businesses, and calls for listening to what those businesses are experiencing and finding ways to help them grow.76
  • Teresa Leger Fernandez NM-3
    Her campaign website says she works to support small businesses by cutting red tape and creating access to capital, and lists helping pass the American Rescue Plan among her accomplishments, saying it gave small businesses, venues and restaurants in New Mexico emergency support such as forgivable loans and tax credits.77

§3Related bills

Why this matters: Bills from 2023–2026 that bear on this issue, with how Congress handled them.