EXCLUSIVE: With both parties vying to convince voters they have the better answer on the economy, Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler is pointing to $100 billion in support for local employers as proof that Trump’s policies are working.

"We just recorded our second consecutive year of getting $100 billion to Main Street businesses," Loeffler told Fox News Digital, crediting Trump’s tax cuts, deregulation and trade policies.

The economic debate could help determine which party controls Congress, as both parties try to persuade voters their policies will improve household finances and business prospects.

Loeffler said the business owners she meets want to expand but need confidence that Washington will support long-term investment. They most often tell her they need more skilled workers, she said.

"What they can’t tolerate is having Washington say that they’re gonna massively regulate them, massively tax them," she said.

The Small Business Administration said it guaranteed 62,205 loans worth $39.5 billion through its 7(a) and 504 programs in fiscal 2026, its third-highest loan volume on record.

The agency’s $100 billion total also includes private investment, disaster aid and business support.

The SBA said the 43-day government shutdown halted lending through its main loan programs for nearly two months, preventing an estimated $5 billion in financing over the fiscal year.