Help for small business snarled between White House, SBA, and Congress

"We understand that SBA personnel are discouraging Congress from passing that bill because it would pre-empt their own program," Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Mike Olivier said.

The bill, which has bipartisan support from Louisiana's two senators as well as Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., would provide $750 million in bridge loans and grants for all of the states affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

In a hearing last week, Snowe and Kerry said the SBA was blocking their bill.

In a statement, Kerry said Thursday: "We have continued meeting with White House officials, but these negotiations are very one-sided. We keep offering solutions, and they keep saying no. They have an opportunity to provide some real help, and just won't do it."

Apparently the Small Business Administration is more powerful that the President and Congress. Or something else is holding this up. Want to bet that the President's tax cuts for the rich have priority?