Lawmakers request SBA investigation of PPP lenders

Federal Issues Congress Department of Treasury SBA CARES Act Covid-19

On April 23, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez sent letters to the Inspectors General (IG) of the Department of Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA). On the same day, Senators Schumer (D-NY), Brown (D-OH), and Cardin (D-MD) also sent a letter to the SBA IG. The letters requested that the IGs investigate the administration of loan applications for the SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in order to detect any preferential treatment provided by lenders to certain applicants. The letter from Warren and Velazquez cited numbers released by the SBA, which they suggested indicated that smaller businesses have been receiving proportionally less of the PPP funds than much larger businesses. Schumer, Brown and Cardin requested that the SBA IG reply to the letter by May 8 with a recommendation on the SBA rules, regulations, and policies and procedures “to ensure small businesses get the money they need and are being treated fairly” by PPP lenders. Their letter expressed concerns that underserved, rural, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses need financial assistance immediately, and the lack of a previously-existing banking relationship should not place them lower in the lender’s queue preventing them from receiving PPP loans.