25. Small Business Administration · Minor · Needs Congress
Increase the Office of Advocacy budget by at least 50 percent
Printed page 752 25. Small Business Administration
“Increase the Office of Advocacy’s budget by at least 50 percent ($4.6 million). This would allow Advocacy to hire approximately 25 attorneys, economists, and scientists and enhance its role in the regulatory process.”
What has happened
- Attempted
The FY2027 President's Budget formally asks Congress for $14,109,000 for the Office of Advocacy and 50 full-time equivalents, against $10,109,000 and 39 FTE. Measured against the roughly $9.2 million appropriation the Mandate wrote against, that is an increase of $4.9 million or 53.5% — above both figures the Quote names. Measured against the FY2026 enacted level it is $4.0 million or 39.6%, and the staffing rise is 11 positions rather than the "approximately 25 attorneys, economists, and scientists" the Quote expects. `attempted` under §3b's symmetric Budget rule: a formal administration request for the increase, not yet enacted.
- SBA FY2027 Congressional Budget Justification — Office of Advocacy FY2027 request $14.109 million, 50 FTE; New Budget Authority table (FY2020 9.120 … FY2026 enacted 10.109, FY2027 request 14.109)
- Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2027, Appendix — Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy ($14,109,000; 50 direct FTE)
- Not started
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 held the Office of Advocacy at $10,109,000 — the same figure Congress enacted for FY2024 and FY2025, and about 10% above the roughly $9.2 million base the Mandate was written against. A flat line, not the increase the ask names.
Research log
What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence
Research notes
- Boundary call, raised for the ticket-26 pass. The request clears the ask on the Mandate’s own baseline (+53.5%, +$4.9m against ~$9.2m) and falls short on the current one (+39.6%, +$4.0m against $10.109m). Leveled attempted on the first reading, because the Quote fixes the target in dollars (“at least 50 percent ($4.6 million)”) from the base it was written against. The alternative reading is not started and is a different rung.
- Enacted history from the SBA’s own table: FY2020 $9.120m, FY2021 $9.190m, FY2022 $9.466m, FY2023 $10.211m, FY2024 $10.109m, FY2025 $10.109m, FY2026 $10.109m enacted.
- FY2027 appropriations had not been enacted as of 2026-09-01, so the ladder stops at attempted.
- Same instrument as #2037’s resources limb.
- Action
- expand
- Object
- SBA Office of Advocacy budget
- ID
- 2044