Chairman Williams: “Oversight of SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Small Business is holding a hearing titled “Oversight of SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development.”

Chairman Roger Williams’ opening statement as prepared for delivery:

First, I want to thank Associate Administrator Fitzpatrick for joining us today to discuss how the SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development is serving America’s entrepreneurs and how this Committee can better ensure taxpayer dollars are spent effectively and responsibly.

As a small business owner myself, I know firsthand the rewards and challenges of entrepreneurship. Starting and scaling a business requires long hours, difficult decisions, and the resilience to overcome setbacks. Entrepreneurs rarely succeed alone. Along the way, they need trusted guidance, practical tools, and partners who understand the challenges they face.

That is why the Office of Entrepreneurial Development and its nationwide network of resource partners are so important. Through counseling, training, and technical assistance, OED helps entrepreneurs start, grow, and compete.

In 2025, SBA’s resource partner network provided counseling and assistance to hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs, including women owned businesses, rural entrepreneurs, and veterans. This outreach supported businesses that contributed to more than 2 million jobs nationwide.

The Women’s Business Center network is one part of OED’s entrepreneurial outreach. Through the WBC program, OED has been able to support 340,000 jobs and $16 billion in wages. That means every federal dollar invested in the program generates approximately $6 in business revenue and $7.50 in private capital.

Under Administrator Loeffler’s leadership, the SBA has embraced a new era of modernization, so the SBA can meet Main Street where it is today.

To advance this mission, the SBA has recently announced a reorganization designed to bring related functions together, reduce duplication, and strengthen coordination across its programs. We look forward to discussing what this reorganization means for OED’s operation and, more importantly, for the small businesses and entrepreneurs who rely on these programs every day. Together, these changes present an opportunity to serve them with greater clarity, efficiency, and impact.

OED has also led efforts to modernize its grant management. During that process, the Committee heard from numerous grant recipients whose payments were delayed, creating real challenges for those organizations.

The Committee understands SBA’s efforts to modernize and appreciates that payments have since resumed.

We look forward to discussing lessons learned and what safeguards are being put in place to prevent this problem from happening in the future.

Throughout the 119th Congress, this Committee has worked in a bipartisan manner to advance legislation that strengthens key entrepreneurial development initiatives and ensures that America's small businesses have access to the resources they need to succeed.

Today’s hearing is an opportunity to examine both the successes and the challenges facing OED. I look forward to discussing the Administration’s efforts to improve these programs and deliver better value for taxpayers and small businesses alike.

Thank you again for being here today.

I now yield to our Ranking Member from New York, Ms. Velázquez.

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