Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Grant Menke recently testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. At the invitation of Committee Ranking Member Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Menke testified on behalf of Secretary Mike Naig, who is in India on a trade mission.
The purpose of the hearing was to explore and address disparities, discrepancies and inequities between disaster recovery programs administered by the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition to the overall complexity of these federal programs, one of the most significant issues Iowans have faced is the disparity in accessibility and eligibility between USDA and SBA disaster programs, he said. Since farmers are not eligible for SBA disaster programs, these differences have been especially difficult for farm families.
Menke encouraged alignment of eligibility criteria, loan limits, terms and conditions for SBA and USDA disaster programs to ensure that all affected farmers and farm businesses can access the support they need without unnecessary barriers.
