Ranking Member Edward J. Markey led Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representatives Richard Neal and Jim McGovern in sending a letter on March 6 to General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Edward Forst, seeking information about the continued closure of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Springfield district office.
The lawmakers said the closure has affected small businesses in western Massachusetts, and they have not received sufficient information from administration officials regarding the status of the office. They wrote, “As part of its careless, cruel, and chaotic rampage through the federal government, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) colluded with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to unjustifiably shutter the Springfield, Massachusetts SBA branch office. We have written to and met with SBA numerous times about the Springfield office’s closure and the impact it has had on small businesses in western Massachusetts. In its written responses to our letters and in briefings, SBA has expressed a desire to reopen the Springfield branch office but advised that the decision is the General Services Administration’s (GSA) to make.”
The letter also stated, “One of GSA’s strategic goals is to deliver ‘financially and environmentally sustainable, accessible, and responsive workspace solutions that enable a productive federal workforce.’ Nothing about the closure of the Springfield, Massachusetts SBA branch office has aligned with this strategic goal. Contrary to Administrator Loeffler’s response to our May 28th letter, the closure has resulted in a profound loss of service for small businesses.”
The lawmakers requested answers by March 19 regarding DOGE’s justification for closing the office on June 1, 2025; details about selecting a new site; options vetted since January 20, 2025; reasons for delays in providing lease information; and when a new location might open.
Markey has previously advocated for reopening access for small businesses through multiple letters sent alongside Warren, Neal, and McGovern throughout 2025. In March 2025 they asked GSA what factors led to canceling or not renewing leases including that of Springfield.
The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee supports informed decision-making on national fiscal priorities according to its official website. The committee offers Congress comprehensive policy options on federal budget components according to its official website, features Lindsey Graham as chairman and Jeff Merkley as ranking member according to its official website, contributes via resolutions and reconciliation instructions according to its official website, was established through legislation in 1974 according to its official website, and provides nonpartisan budgetary analysis through oversight of the Congressional Budget Office according to its official website.
Broader implications include ongoing scrutiny over how federal agencies manage local resources critical for small business support. Lawmakers are awaiting GSA’s response by March 19.
