March 16, 2021

Duckworth Votes To Confirm SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, today voted to confirm Isabel Guzman as Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Guzman was confirmed with a 81-17 vote.

“Isabel Guzman’s proven leadership and personal experience as a small business owner will be assets to President Biden’s Administration as they work to help our nation’s small businesses reach the other side of this pandemic,” said Duckworth. “Under the American Rescue Plan, help is already making its way to hard-hit small businesses in Illinois and across America who have struggled to keep their doors open, and I look forward to working with Administrator Guzman to ensure all small businesses—including minority-owned, women-owned and Veteran-owned—have the resources and funding they need to not only survive, but to thrive during this pandemic and beyond.”

Duckworth and Durbin announced significant wins for Illinois in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which included emergency relief to small businesses. Duckworth met with Guzman in January to discuss their shared priorities and how they can work together to support small businesses, expand the Microloan program and improve the Paycheck Protection Program.

Duckworth has long supported SBA’s Microloan program and key provisions of her Microloan Program Expansion Act were included in the bipartisan COVID-19 relief deal and omnibus agreement. The final agreement included Duckworth-led proposals to provide the SBA Microloan Program with $50 million for technical assistance to small businesses, and funds that will leverage $64 million in direct, low-cost loans for small businesses struggling to weather the current economic crisis.

Duckworth also cosponsored legislation calling for a second round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and expanded eligibility for nonprofits. The final agreement included more than $284 billion to replenish the PPP for both first and second round forgivable loans, expansions in eligibility for nonprofits and funding directly dedicated live venues, movie theaters and cultural institutions.

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