An $80 million appropriation to cover the cost of issuing SBA guaranteed loans was removed from the congressional budget two years ago. While SBA 7a guaranteed loans continue to be made, the eliminated appropriation has mean loan caps, and higher fees place on lenders and borrowers, Keith Loria writes for the “Westchester County Business Journal.” Nonetheless, the number of 7a loans initiated in Connecticut has hit 1,500, bettering the previous annual high of 1,200, helped by the SBA Express program, which offers much smaller loans so they can get processed more quickly.