WASHINGTON —Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.) today issued the following statement after the committee advanced the nomination of Isabella Casillas Guzman to be U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator on a bipartisan vote of 15-5:

“During her confirmation hearing earlier this month, Isabel Guzman showed that her experience working on small business policy at the federal and state level has prepared her to lead SBA’s ongoing effort to support America’s small businesses through the pandemic and recovery. Mrs. Guzman’s testimony also made clear that she is committed to administering SBA’s COVID-19 relief programs and traditional loan programs equitably to ensure that small businesses in underbanked and underserved communities are not left behind or underfunded. I look forward to Mrs. Guzman’s swift confirmation by the full Senate, so SBA has permanent leadership during the remainder of the pandemic, and the economic recovery that lies ahead.”

Guzman’s nomination has broad support in the small business community, earning endorsements from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Black Chambers, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses, Small Business Majority, and many other national and state small business advocacy organizations.

The committee held a hearing on Guzman’s nomination on February 3.

A video of today’s business meeting is available here.