Stauber and Hagedorn Slam SBA Administrator for Displaying Partisanship and Ignoring Rural Small Businesses During Trip to Minnesota

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) and Congressman Jim Hagedorn (MN-01) led a letter that was also signed onto by Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) and Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (MN-07) to Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman admonishing her for refusing to address the pressing needs of the rural small businesses they represent and failing to invite them to join her during her trip to Minnesota.

Stauber and Hagedorn are both Republican Members of the House Small Business Committee. Their Minnesota Democrat colleagues on the Committee, Congresswoman Angie Craig, and Congressman Dean Phillips, were both invited to join Guzman along with Senator Amy Klobuchar and Mayor Melvin Carter.

Of Guzman's visit to Minnesota, Congressman Stauber stated, "During Governor Walz's unilateral lockdowns, small businesses across Greater Minnesota were among the most impacted and many are still struggling to recover. By failing to meet with Congressman Hagedorn and myself, Administrator Guzman has shown a blatant disregard to the hardships experienced by the rural business owners we represent. The Small Business Administration has an obligation to serve all business owners regardless of whether they live in a red or blue district, making Administrator Guzman's display of partisanship incredibly inappropriate and disappointing. Rural Minnesota matters just as much as the Twin Cities, so Administrator Guzman along with the entire Biden Administration must do better."

Congressman Hagedorn stated, "Administrator Guzman is intentionally politicizing the mission of the SBA during this visit. Small businesses across Minnesota are depending on the SBA for support during this time of economic hardship and recovery, yet the Biden Administration continues to ignore businesses in rural America and makes no effort to communicate with the people in these communities or their representatives. Assistance from the SBA should be open to all entrepreneurs in need irrespective of where they operate their business, and I am disappointed that Administrator Guzman does not view the small business owners in our districts as a priority."

Read their full letter, HERE.

This is not the first time that Administrator Guzman has failed to adequately fulfill the requirements of her position. Stauber and Hagedorn's letter also expresses their concern over the SBA's failure to provide accurate or timely information to small businesses within their district.

Additionally, during Guzman's recent testimony to the House Small Business Committee, Stauber asked her to address the impact that President Biden's proposed corporate tax increases could have on small businesses classified as C-corporations.

Administrator Guzman was not only unaware that there are over one million American small businesses organized as C-corporations, but she failed to answer his question on how tax increases would impact these small businesses.

Watch their full exchange, HERE.

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