WASHINGTON - In the aftermath of floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, oil spills, droughts and other calamities that have occurred since 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than two million disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters for a total of $53.8 billion.

"During the past 62 years the SBA has expanded, updated and improved its disaster assistance operation, making it easier for disaster survivors to rebuild their lives and communities," said SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet.   "These two million loans demonstrate the tremendous impact SBA's disaster assistance program has made in terms of saving local jobs and supporting the long-term economic recovery."

SBA disaster loans are the only form of SBA assistance not limited to small businesses.  The two million loans approved represent the agency's recovery efforts in the aftermath of the costliest disasters in U.S. history.  Those events included:

Hurricane Andrew in 1992 (25,992 loans for $696 million)
The Northridge, California earthquake in 1994 (124,262 loans for $4 billion)
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005 (160,809 loans for $10.9 billion)
Hurricane Sandy in 2012 (36,913 loans for $2.5 billion).

The SBA makes low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and non-farm businesses of all sizes.  Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace damaged real estate.  Individuals may borrow up to $40,000 to cover losses to personal property.

Non-farm businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may apply for up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster damaged business assets and real estate.  Small businesses and non-profits that suffered economic losses as a result of the declared disaster may apply for a working capital loan of up to $2 million.

More information about SBA's disaster assistance program is available at www.sba.gov/disasterassistance.

WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley today said that the Justice Department was already backtracking on an agreed upon recommendation presented by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) about how FBI whistleblower complaints are handled.

In a letter to Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates, Grassley reminded her that the Justice Department had agreed with the GAO recommendation that whistleblowers who had lodged retaliation complaints at the FBI should receive an estimated time frame for returning a decision on the case.

Grassley's letter outlines a case where the department has already reneged on that commitment.   He wrote that as recently as September 21, 2015, Yates' office stated in an email that "given . . . the demands on [Deputy Attorney General Yates'] time are vast and quite unpredictable, it is not practical to require her to provide the parties with an estimated timeframe...."  Grassley wrote in the letter that the Deputy Attorney General office's admitted inability to provide an estimated time frame to the whistleblower raises questions as to whether appeals of whistleblower retaliation cases should be handled by a different entity.

Grassley led a Judiciary Committee hearing on March 4, 2015, to explore whistleblower retaliation at the FBI.  The hearing scrutinized the legal protections for employees that are weaker than any other agency.  The FBI is not subject to the Whistleblower Protection Act and has its own rules governing whistleblower protections.  Employees have no ability to appeal for an independent judgment outside the Justice Department.

A copy of the signed letter can be found here.

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today applauded Whittier Elementary School in Clinton for being named a 2015 Blue Ribbon School. Whittier Elementary was selected based on student performance and progress. Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education, made the announcement this morning and representatives from the school will be invited to attend a ceremony in Washington, D.C. honoring their achievement in November.

"There is nothing more important than providing a world class, 21^st Century education to each and every child in Iowa," said Loebsack. "I would like to congratulate the students at Whittier Elementary School for their hard work, and the faculty, staff and parents for their commitment to ensuring these children receive the high-quality education necessary to compete in a global community."

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honored 335 public and private elementary, middle and high schools this year. The Program honors schools whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement, especially among disadvantaged and minority students.

###

PINE RIDGE, S.D., Sept. 29, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today awarded nearly $20 million through 385 grants to help support the start-up or expansion of rural small businesses.

"These grants will strengthen the economic fabric of our rural small towns and communities by providing capital to small and emerging businesses," Vilsack said today during a visit to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

USDA is awarding the grants through the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program. Recipients may use the funds to provide technical assistance, training and job-creation activities.

The Value Added Agriculture Development Center, based in Pierre, S.D., is receiving a $49,500 grant to teach local businesses in Oglala Lakota County, which is on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, how to commercially process and successfully market buffalo meat.

In April 2015, the Obama Administration designated the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation one of eight new Promise Zones. Promise Zones are high-poverty communities where the federal government partners with local leaders to increase economic activity, improve educational opportunities, leverage private investment, reduce violent crime, enhance public health and address other community-identified priorities.

While Secretary Vilsack was in South Dakota, he highlighted USDA's work to expand economic opportunities for Native Americans and rural residents throughout the state. For example, he announced that the Oglala Sioux Tribe is receiving a $1.85 million grant to construct a storage building and cell for a solid waste landfill.

Other RBDG recipients include Boyne City, Mich., which been selected to receive a $30,000 grant to provide equipment for an incubator kitchen for local foods. The Town of Princess Anne, Md., is receiving a $21,400 grant to buy furnishings and equipment for the historic Washington Hotel.

Funding of each award announced today is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the grant agreement.

USDA's Rural Business Development Grant Program is one of several that support rural economic development. Since the start of the Obama administration, USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service has helped 85,000 rural businesses.

The City of Luverne, Minn., population 4,800, is an example of a small town USDA has helped. Luverne used a $99,000 USDA grant in FY 2013 to establish a revolving loan fund to provide affordable financing for downtown businesses. City leaders wanted to help downtown merchants upgrade their shops and eateries so they could attract more visitors and economic activity. Like many cities across the country, Luverne had lost shoppers to the region's larger towns and big box stores. So far, 13 businesses have been helped as a result of USDA's grant.

President Obama's plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President's leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way - strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities.

#