The Small Business Administration's flagship 7(a) lending program is likely to resume operating this week after briefly putting new guarantees on hold. Record demand had pushed the program to its $18.75 billion funding limit before both chambers of Congress voted to add nearly $5 billion in additional funding authority. The weeklong shutdown could underscore the program's bipartisan support — or give its critics more ammunition to argue that it is too vulnerable to politics. Under 7(a), the SBA provides guarantees of up to 85% on small-business commercial loans. This year is looking to be the most successful in the history of the program, with gross loan guarantees poised to break the $20 billion threshold in fiscal 2015.