Federal Executive Branch
Here's a look at documents from the U.S. Executive Branch
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U.S. Central Command: Operation Epic Fury Update
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The U.S. Department of Defense Central Command issued the following statement on March 8, 2026:
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Operation Epic Fury Update
Last night, a U.S. service member passed away from injuries received during the Iranian regime's initial attacks across the Middle East. The service member was seriously wounded at the scene of an attack on U.S. troops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 1.
This is the seventh service member killed in action during Operation Epic Fury. Major combat operations continue. The identity of the fallen warrior will be withheld until 24 hours after
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WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The U.S. Department of Defense Central Command issued the following statement on March 8, 2026:
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Operation Epic Fury Update
Last night, a U.S. service member passed away from injuries received during the Iranian regime's initial attacks across the Middle East. The service member was seriously wounded at the scene of an attack on U.S. troops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 1.
This is the seventh service member killed in action during Operation Epic Fury. Major combat operations continue. The identity of the fallen warrior will be withheld until 24 hours afternext of kin notification.
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Original text here: https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/STATEMENTS/Statements-View/Article/4428143/operation-epic-fury-update/
SEC Commissioner Uyeda Issues Remarks at the 45th Annual Small Business Forum
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following remarks on March 9, 2026, by Commissioner Mark T. Uyeda at the 45th Annual Small Business Forum:
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Good afternoon and welcome to this year's Small Business Forum. Each year, the Forum provides an opportunity to identify areas and topics where the SEC's rulebook can be better adapted for small businesses. According to some sources, "[s]mall businesses employ nearly half of the American workforce and represent 43.5% of America's GDP."[1] They are the cornerstone of the American economy, and the Commission's
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WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following remarks on March 9, 2026, by Commissioner Mark T. Uyeda at the 45th Annual Small Business Forum:
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Good afternoon and welcome to this year's Small Business Forum. Each year, the Forum provides an opportunity to identify areas and topics where the SEC's rulebook can be better adapted for small businesses. According to some sources, "[s]mall businesses employ nearly half of the American workforce and represent 43.5% of America's GDP."[1] They are the cornerstone of the American economy, and the Commission'srules should reflect this importance.
Since the change in Administration in January 2025, the Commission's regulatory priorities have been re-focused on capital-raising policy recommendations, particularly for small businesses. How can we reduce the costs and burdens for small businesses seeking capital, without compromising investor protection?
One issue underpins many small business capital raising topics: eliminating the duplicative qualification processes between federal and state authorities. In 1997, the Commission and state securities regulators acknowledged the need for "[e]fforts by federal and state regulatory authorities to craft a more efficient 'division of labor' with respect to securities offerings...."[2] (emphasis added).
Nearly three decades later, this exercise remains incomplete. This is even more important for small businesses, who may be seeking to raise only a modest amount of capital - such as through a Rule 504 or Regulation A Tier One offering - and might have to qualify in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia in order to use general solicitation. The costs and time delays make such efforts often untenable.
The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996 (NSMIA) [3] preempts state "blue-sky" registration for securities listed on the national securities exchanges--and also offerings under Rule 506(b) under the Securities Act of 1933.[4] The overarching aim of NSMIA was to promote efficiency and capital formation in the financial markets.[5] With regard to duplicative state regulation, NSMIA focused on whether the potential lack of uniformity in state law impacted cost of capital, innovation and technological development in capital markets - including any impacts on small businesses.[6]
Under NSMIA, regulatory predictability was a key concern for all offerings--not merely those subject to preemption. Congress tasked the Commission with studying the extent to which uniformity of state regulatory requirements for securities that are not covered by the NSMIA preemption provisions, which was completed in 1997.[7] But this effort should not have been a "one-and-done."
The interplay between federal and state securities laws should be a matter of continuing study by the Commission. It is both impractical, costly and unrealistic to expect an issuer to register a small securities offering in dozens of states. This is especially true given the lack of uniformity among states. However, states can play an important role in preventing fraud for offerings conducted in their jurisdiction.
Regulators should consider moving beyond a binary approach to preemption. For example, when an offering is qualified in the state of a company's principal place of business, should the offering still be reviewed by multiple other states? Why should not a notice filing in the other states be sufficient? Such a framework could promote more effective oversight among state regulators, reduce the time it takes to fully comply with offering regulations, and maintain effective investor protection.
I look forward to reviewing the Forum's policy recommendations and a read-out of today's sessions. Thank you to the team in the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation for planning this event. I hope that you all enjoy the Forum.
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[1] Small Business Data Center (last visited March 7, 2026) https://www.uschamber.com/small-business/small-business-data-center.
[2] Report on the Uniformity of State Regulatory Requirements for Offerings of Securities That Are Not "Covered Securities" Pursuant to Section 102(b) of the National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996 (October 11, 1997), Executive Summary, available at https://www.sec.gov/news/studies/uniformy.htm (hereinafter, "Uniformity Report").
[3] National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-290, 110 Stat. 3416 (1996) (hereinafter, "NSMIA")
[4] For background, refer to https://www.sec.gov/resources-small-businesses/exempt-offerings/private-placements-rule-506b.
[5] Uniformity Report, at Section II, and NSMIA
[6] Id.
[7] Uniformity Report, at Section IV.A.
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Original text here: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/uyeda-remarks-small-business-forum-030926
SEC Chairman Atkins Issues Remarks at the 45th Annual Small Business Forum
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following remarks on March 9, 2026, by Chairman Paul S. Atkins at the 45th Annual Small Business Forum:
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Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the SEC's forty-fifth Annual Small Business Forum. Warm greetings as well to those of you who are joining us by livestream. And of course, my sincere thanks to the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation for organizing today's program and for its steadfast advocacy on behalf of America's entrepreneurs. Let me also add the customary disclaimer
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WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following remarks on March 9, 2026, by Chairman Paul S. Atkins at the 45th Annual Small Business Forum:
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Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the SEC's forty-fifth Annual Small Business Forum. Warm greetings as well to those of you who are joining us by livestream. And of course, my sincere thanks to the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation for organizing today's program and for its steadfast advocacy on behalf of America's entrepreneurs. Let me also add the customary disclaimerthat the views I express here are my own as Chairman and not necessarily those of the SEC as an institution or of the other Commissioners.
For four and a half decades, this gathering has grown to become one of our most anticipated events, perhaps because it is rooted in the premise that those who write the rules have an obligation to hear from those who operate under them. So, to all of the entrepreneurs here today, thank you for deepening our understanding with your experiences, and for enhancing our rulemaking with your recommendations.
Although today marks my first forum as Chairman, I attended several of them as a Commissioner in the Aughts, when we convened across the country. There is something bracing about meeting small businesses in their own communities. And as we look ahead, I would welcome the opportunity to bring this program back on the road. After all, as capital formation rarely originates in Washington, so we should look beyond city limits on how best to facilitate it.
For now, though, we have a terrific program ahead of us, organized around three panels that I think reflect real friction points in our current framework. Let me say a brief word about each.
Our first panel will focus on how we can better support early-stage entrepreneurs in accessing capital. For context, the Commission last reviewed the exempt offering framework in 2020, when it adopted rule changes intended to open those pathways to small businesses. That framework continues to function well for relatively larger offerings. Yet 84 percent of early-stage businesses struggled to secure capital last year. Access to affordable capital clearly remains a challenge for entrepreneurs. And I have instructed the Commission staff to explore solutions to these barriers that these businesses face so that our rules work as much for the established as for the aspiring.
Our second panel will then turn to the role that smaller funds play in supporting growth-stage companies. Two pieces of proposed legislation in Congress -- the House's INVEST Act and the Senate's Empowering Main Street in America Act--include several policies that are relevant to this space. I especially look forward to hearing our panelists' views on provisions that affect small fund managers and growth-stage companies.
This panel will also examine trends of increased concentration in the venture capital industry. For example, in the first seven months of 2025, roughly forty percent of all venture capital dollars flowed to just ten companies, while the share of deals below $5 million fell to a decade low of forty-nine percent. On the fundraising side, thirty firms accounted for approximately seventy-five percent of the total venture dollars raised in 2024.
Early stage investors are often the first to identify breakthrough innovation and to broaden the pipeline of emerging companies. So smaller, nimble investment firms must continue to have the opportunity to thrive across both industries and regions.
Finally, our third panel will reflect on how to Make IPOs Great Again, especially for small cap companies. One of my highest priorities with respect to the SEC's disclosure rules is to scale the requirements with the company's size and maturity. Balancing disclosure obligations with a company's ability to bear the burdens of compliance is particularly important where Congress has directed the SEC to promulgate a disclosure rule whose costs may have a disproportionate impact on some companies.
For newly public companies, the SEC should consider building upon the "IPO on-ramp" that Congress established in the JOBS Act. For example, allowing companies to remain on the "on-ramp" for a minimum number of years, rather than forcing them off as soon as the first year after the initial offering, could provide companies with greater certainty and incentivize more IPOs, especially among smaller companies.
Raising capital through an IPO should not be a privilege reserved for those few "unicorns." More and more, public investments are concentrated in a handful of companies that are generally in the same one or two industries. Our regulatory framework should provide companies in all stages of their growth and from all industries with the opportunity for an IPO, particularly one that represents a capital raising mechanism for the company, instead of a liquidity event for insiders.
As we pursue each of these priorities, let me close by once again thanking the organizers of today's program--and each of you for participating in it. I would also be remiss not to note that today marks the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations--a fitting occasion to convene a forum dedicated to the proposition that free individuals, unencumbered by unnecessary regulation, can build and innovate in ways that no sovereign hand could prescribe.
For forty-five years, this forum has facilitated the kind of honest discussion on which positive policy outcomes depend. For forty-five years, it has reminded us that durable rules are forged not through imposition but through dialogue--and that they must be not only well-intentioned, but well-informed. So I look forward to a constructive conversation and to the work ahead of us. Thank you.
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Original text here: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/atkins-remarks-small-business-forum-030926
SBA Bans Foreign Nationals From Accessing SBA-Backed Loans
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on March 9, 2026:
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SBA Bans Foreign Nationals from Accessing SBA-backed Loans
Agency reserves federally guaranteed lending for American citizens
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Today, in the effort to prioritize American job creators, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a new policy notice to ban foreign nationals and non-citizens from accessing SBA-guaranteed small business loans. The latest notice, which applies to the agency's Surety Bond and Microloan Programs, builds on the policy change implemented earlier
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WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on March 9, 2026:
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SBA Bans Foreign Nationals from Accessing SBA-backed Loans
Agency reserves federally guaranteed lending for American citizens
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Today, in the effort to prioritize American job creators, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a new policy notice to ban foreign nationals and non-citizens from accessing SBA-guaranteed small business loans. The latest notice, which applies to the agency's Surety Bond and Microloan Programs, builds on the policy change implemented earlierthis month - which made any small business owned in whole or in part by a foreign national ineligible for the agency's flagship 504 and 7(a) loan programs. Small business owners applying for any SBA loan program must be U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals with their principal residence in the United States.
"The Trump SBA is committed to driving economic growth and job creation for American citizens," said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "Last month, we made it clear that SBA would not allow foreign nationals to access our core small business loan programs - and today, we are expanding that policy to include all SBA-guaranteed loans. With our lending authority capped annually by Congress and amid record demand for access to capital, our responsibility is clear: the limited resource of SBA financing must prioritize American citizens who are building businesses and creating jobs here at home."
In Fiscal Year 2025, SBA approved 3,358 loans for small businesses owned in part by a lawful permanent resident (LPR), largely during the Biden Administration - representing 4% of the agency's total 85,000 loans approvals. With a finite lending authority and record demand for capital thanks to President Trump's economic agenda, SBA is prioritizing the agency's guaranteed loan programs for American citizens. The new policy will take effect 30 days after publication.
The latest policy builds on numerous reforms by Administrator Loeffler to put American small business owners first. Last year, the agency implemented citizenship verification across its loan programs to cut off access to loans for illegal aliens. The agency also announced efforts to relocate SBA field offices out of sanctuary cities that do not comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), jeopardizing both the safety of SBA employees and small business owners.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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Original text here: https://www.sba.gov/article/2026/03/09/sba-bans-foreign-nationals-accessing-sba-backed-loans
President Trump Issues Proclamation on U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, 2026
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- President Trump issued the following proclamation on March 9, 2026:
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U.S. HOSTAGE AND WRONGFUL DETAINEE DAY, 2026
This U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, we extend our prayers and support to every American captive forced to spend days, months, or years in harrowing darkness and confinement. To every American unjustly held abroad -- we will not waver in our commitment to bringing you home safely and securely.
Since returning to office, I have worked tirelessly to deliver on my promise to leave no American behind. In just 1 year, we have secured the release of
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WASHINGTON, March 10 -- President Trump issued the following proclamation on March 9, 2026:
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U.S. HOSTAGE AND WRONGFUL DETAINEE DAY, 2026
This U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, we extend our prayers and support to every American captive forced to spend days, months, or years in harrowing darkness and confinement. To every American unjustly held abroad -- we will not waver in our commitment to bringing you home safely and securely.
Since returning to office, I have worked tirelessly to deliver on my promise to leave no American behind. In just 1 year, we have secured the release of101 detained Americans abroad -- a record-breaking achievement. We have successfully brokered a historic peace deal between Israel and Gaza to deliver all remaining hostages to their families and loved ones; secured the release of more than a dozen wrongfully detained Americans from Venezuela following our decisive action against the Maduro regime; and overseen the freedom of hostages from Afghanistan, Russia, and Belarus. No longer will their days be marked by tallies on the wall; instead, they will be marked by long-awaited reunions with family, the freedom to rebuild their lives, and the lasting contributions they will make to their communities and our Nation.
This year especially, we also remember that, 47 years ago, the brutal Iranian regime seized power on the backs of American hostages. Over the course of the nearly five decades since, Iran has routinely and cruelly detained innocent Americans to use as leverage against weak Presidents of the past. Under my leadership, we are finally putting an end to this evil practice.
Despite our tremendous progress, our work on behalf of peace will not be complete until every American being held hostage or wrongfully detained is liberated. My Administration is executing a foreign policy of peace through strength, backed by the mightiest military on earth and an unwavering commitment to defend American lives, safety, and interests. I recently signed an Executive Order to enhance our efforts to protect United States citizens from wrongful detention abroad by expanding our methods to take action against foreign actors who threaten the safety of our citizens. The Secretary of State may now designate any foreign country as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention and impose firm retributions such as sanctions, travel restrictions, and the inadmissibility of foreign nationals into our country. Iran was the first State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention to be designated under this new authority. For as long as I am President, the United States will never yield to our enemies - and when we find them, they will be met with swift justice.
For 250 years, America has stood as a beacon of freedom across the world -- undaunted, unbroken, and unshaken in our commitment to preserving our strength. We will never cease our efforts to defend the dignity of the human person and the enduring promise of liberty for all. Today and every day, we pray for God to place His protecting hand over every brave hostage and wrongful detainee, their loved ones, and our glorious Nation.
The Congress, by Public Law 118-31 approved December 22, 2023, has designated March 9 of each year as "U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 9, 2026, as U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day. On this day, as we fly the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee flag at the White House, I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with relevant programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.
DONALD J. TRUMP
Original text here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/u-s-hostage-and-wrongful-detainee-day-2026/
National Park Service: Buffalo National River Seeks Feedback on Preliminary Management Strategies in the Development of the Draft River Management Plan
WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service issued the following news release:
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Buffalo National River Seeks Feedback on Preliminary Management Strategies in the Development of the Draft River Management Plan
HARRISON, Ark. - Buffalo National River has initiated the development of a River Management Plan to guide the long-term stewardship of the river corridor. This River Management Plan is an update to the 1983 River Use Management Plan and provides a management framework for future decisions that will support a range of river-based recreational opportunities
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WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service issued the following news release:
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Buffalo National River Seeks Feedback on Preliminary Management Strategies in the Development of the Draft River Management Plan
HARRISON, Ark. - Buffalo National River has initiated the development of a River Management Plan to guide the long-term stewardship of the river corridor. This River Management Plan is an update to the 1983 River Use Management Plan and provides a management framework for future decisions that will support a range of river-based recreational opportunitiesand visitor experiences. The goal is to balance resource protection with opportunities for river-based recreation and meaningful visitor experiences, particularly along the river corridor and associated access points.
As part of this process, Buffalo National River is seeking public input during a 30-day public engagement period. The park invites feedback on preliminary management strategies focused on enhancing visitor experiences, managing recreational use, and guiding facility development while honoring the river's distinctive natural and cultural qualities.
The public engagement period will be open from March 9 to April 10, 2026. Public feedback is vital to shaping the draft River Management Plan. It will help the National Park Service (NPS) evaluate ideas, refine strategies, and ensure the plan supports equitable access and sustainable enjoyment of Buffalo National River. Community input will guide thoughtful, proactive solutions that reflect shared values and uphold the NPS mission to preserve this nationally significant resource.
For those interested in learning more about the project, staff from Buffalo National River will host open-house style public meetings at several locations throughout the area as well as one virtual meeting. The NPS will have posters for viewing and will seek feedback during that time. Please join park staff at one of three in-person meetings or at the virtual meeting (all times are Central Daylight Time).
Drop-in Public Meetings
March 16, 2026, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Krooked Kreek Volunteer Fire Department
8454 Firehouse Lane
Marble Falls, Arkansas 72602
March 17, 2026, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Yellville High School Gym (Panther Pavilion)
1124 North Panther Avenue
Yellville, Arkansas 72687
March 19, 2026, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Dr. Charles D. Daniel Civic Center
515 Zack Road
Marshall, Arkansas 72650
Virtual Meeting
March 31, 2026, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Join the Teams meeting using this link.
Comments may be submitted online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/BUFFrmp by clicking "Open for Comment." Comments may also be submitted by mail if postmarked by April 10, 2026, to the address below.
Superintendent
402 N. Walnut Street, Suite 136
Harrison, AR 72601
For additional information about the planning process, please check the park's planning website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/BUFFrmp
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Original text here: https://www.nps.gov/buff/learn/news/buffalo-national-river-seeks-feedback-on-preliminary-management-strategies-in-the-development-of-the-draft-river-management-plan.htm
Wholesale Steel Distributors Settle Paycheck Protection Program False Claims
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, March 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia posted the following news release on March 9, 2026:
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Wholesale steel distributors settle Paycheck Protection Program false claims
RICHMOND, Va. - Seven Allied Crawford corporations who are wholesale steel distributors incorporated in seven separate states, including Virginia (Allied Companies), have agreed to pay $3,316,973.98 to settle civil False Claims Act (FCA) allegations arising from the submission of statements on their applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, specifically,
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ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, March 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia posted the following news release on March 9, 2026:
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Wholesale steel distributors settle Paycheck Protection Program false claims
RICHMOND, Va. - Seven Allied Crawford corporations who are wholesale steel distributors incorporated in seven separate states, including Virginia (Allied Companies), have agreed to pay $3,316,973.98 to settle civil False Claims Act (FCA) allegations arising from the submission of statements on their applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, specifically,that each of the Allied Companies falsely certified it was eligible to receive the loans.
The United States alleged that the Allied Companies received PPP loans of more than $2.7 million, which later were forgiven, after submitting statements on loan applications falsely certifying eligibility, and again on applications for forgiveness of the loans between February 2021 and October 2021.
The settlement began with a lawsuit, United States ex rel. GNGH2, Inc. v. Allied Crawford (Petersburg), Inc., filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims presented to the federal government and share in a portion of the government's recovery. The whistleblower will receive a ten-percent share of the settlement. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McIntosh.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia (http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae). Case records may be found on PACER (https://pacer.uscourts.gov/) under case number 3:25-cv-200.
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The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/wholesale-steel-distributors-settle-paycheck-protection-program-false-claims
