Staff at a small business management organization in Furlough initiated an automatic email response to hold Democrats accountable for a recent government shutdown. The message noted that the Senate Democrats blocked a clean federal funding bill (HR 5371), which could hinder the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) from supporting around 36 million small businesses.
According to the automatic response, “For every day that Senate Democrats oppose the clean funding bill, approximately 320 small businesses are losing access to $170 million in guaranteed SBA funds.” It appears there’s a push to highlight the impact of the shutdown on small businesses.
Managers at this organization have a mandate to offer counseling and resources to strengthen the economy and support small business growth. However, the White House has warned that thousands could face layoffs before Trump takes action.
The government partially shut down early Wednesday as senators failed to finalize spending contracts for fiscal year 2025. Republicans accused Democrats of intentionally causing the shutdown to push for taxpayer-funded health benefits for illegal immigrants, while Democrats labeled these claims as falsehoods stemming from the Trump administration.
SBA staff continues to assure that services will resume shortly after the shutdown concludes, but in the meantime, many resources are not accessible. The CEO reminded employees of the importance of their roles in supporting small businesses and mentioned that, pending the shutdown, the agency is ready to return to its previous operational status under Trump’s leadership.
Fox News Digital obtained an internal email from the SBA HR department directing employees on how to set up their automatic responses during the shutdown period. Staff were encouraged to adopt the suggested language but weren’t mandated to do so.
Following the shutdown announcement, the SBA, led by former Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler, placed a prominent notice on its website stating that Senate Democrats’ actions led to the disruption in services, affecting millions of small businesses.
Additionally, the email reiterated the necessity of the clean funding bill, emphasizing the number of businesses currently suspended from accessing the aid they need.
