Letter Text (PDF)

Boston (May 28, 2025) - Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today led his colleagues Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representatives Richard Neal (MA-01) and Jim McGovern (MA-02) in writing to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler, slamming the closure of the Springfield, Massachusetts, SBA district office, which would leave Western Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley without access to vital SBA services and support.

The Trump administration is continuing its nonsensical war against small businesses, dismantling the infrastructure that supports them, and undermining the foundation of American entrepreneurship. The lawmakers urge Administrator Loeffler to stand up to DOGE, insist it reverse course, and work to keep the Springfield district office fully staffed, open, and operational.

In the letter, the lawmakers write, “The SBA’s Springfield district office is not just a convenience for Western Massachusetts and Pioneer Valley small businesses, it is a lifeline. The district office helps build small business ecosystems by connecting rural, underserved, and emerging markets to federal resources that support local economies. The Springfield district office has served for years as an essential partner for Massachusetts entrepreneurs, offering small businesses critical guidance and expertise on applying for SBA loans and disaster relief programs, among other services. Closing this office will place a tremendous burden on small business owners, forcing them to take time away from their work and drive hours—in some cases a six-hour round trip—to the nearest SBA district office in Boston.”

According to DOGE’s website, it has terminated 10 commercial leases in Massachusetts that house federal offices. Among the terminated leases, effective June 1, is 894 square feet of office space located at 1 Federal Street in Springfield, home to the SBA’s district office.

There are no longer any employees working at the Springfield district office, with the last remaining staff member having left in recent weeks—and no plans exist to relocate the office and hire new employees.

The lawmakers request responses by May 30, 2025, to questions including:

• Who specifically authorized or approved the decision to terminate the lease for the SBA district office located at 1 Federal Street, Springfield, Massachusetts?
• Did DOGE, SBA, or another federal agency or office initiate this decision? Did SBA object to or oppose the lease termination at any point? If so, please provide any documentation or summary of its position.
• How does SBA plan to ensure that small business owners in Western Massachusetts, including rural and underserved areas, retain access to the in-person services previously provided by the Springfield office?
• What accommodations, if any, will be made for small business owners who now face significant travel burdens to access SBA services in Boston or elsewhere? Has SBA considered the economic and logistical hardship the closure imposes on these small business owners?
• Was there any public notice, stakeholder consultation, or opportunity for comment provided prior to the decision to close the Springfield office? If so, when and in what form did the notice or consultation occur? What feedback, if any, did local businesses, elected officials, or community leaders provide?

On March 20, Senators Markey and Warren sent a letter to General Services Administration (GSA) Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian, asking what factors went into GSA’s decision to cancel or not renew 17 leases in Massachusetts, including the Springfield District Office.

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