[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 16, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1538-S1539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                 Nomination of Isabella Casillas Guzman

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise to voice my strong support for 
Isabella Guzman's nomination to serve as Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration.
  Our Nation passed the 1-year mark of COVID-19's being declared a 
national emergency last Saturday, March 13, and, thankfully, the 
American people can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. 
Already, more than 20 percent of all Americans have received at least 
one COVID-19 vaccine dose, with an average of more than 2.39 million 
additional doses being administered each day. We can see the light at 
the end of the tunnel, but we are not there yet.
  The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated American small businesses, and 
the worst effects have been felt by the most vulnerable small 
businesses, especially those in Black, Latino, Native, and rural 
communities, so the SBA must continue to be a lifeline in the coming 
months. That is why it is important that we confirm Ms. Guzman's 
nomination, so she can provide the permanent, steady leadership the SBA 
needs right now.
  When we passed the CARES Act, Congress tasked the SBA with one of the 
most important aspects of our COVID-19 relief effort. We knew we had to 
support our small businesses because the public health restrictions on 
public gatherings, which have saved thousands of lives and kept our 
communities safe, have been especially challenging for small 
businesses. We had to help small businesses so that, when we get out of 
this pandemic, when our economy returns, our small businesses will 
emerge in a position to help our economy recover and continue to grow.
  The CARES Act included $377 billion in funds for small businesses and 
created the Paycheck Protection Program, the EIDL advance program, and 
the small business debt relief program to help small businesses that 
had traditional SBA loans, like the 7(a) and 504. In April, we passed 
legislation to replenish the PPP, EIDL, and the EIDL advance grant 
program with $370 billion in additional funds. Then, in December, we 
passed the bipartisan Economic Aid Act to provide another $325 billion 
to support small businesses, allow for second round PPP loans, and 
create the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program. In total last year, 
Congress appropriated more than $1 trillion to the SBA for COVID-19 
relief programs.
  Since the passage of the CARES Act, the SBA has approved more than 
7.5 million PPP loans worth more than $687 billion and more than 3.7 
million EIDL loans worth more than $200 billion. These loans and grants 
have saved millions of jobs and prevented millions of small businesses 
from closing their doors.
  I want to thank the SBA personnel who have worked long hours, 
including nights and weekends, to implement these critical programs.
  SBA still has a lot of work left to do. As I mentioned, the December 
bill created the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program, which we 
expect the SBA to open in the coming weeks.
  SBA also has to open a new $28.6 billion grant program for 
restaurants and bars, which was created by the historic American Rescue 
Plan.

[[Page S1539]]

  The plan appropriated an additional $50 billion in economic relief 
for small businesses, including $15 billion to targeted EIDL advance 
grants, an additional $7.25 billion to PPP, and $1.25 billion for 
shuttered venue grants.
  The plan also required SBA to launch a Community Navigator Pilot 
Program, which is designed to help small businesses in underserved and 
underbanked communities access the COVID-19 relief resources available 
to them. These programs will be key to our economic recovery.
  That brings me to Mrs. Guzman's nomination. Mrs. Guzman has decades 
of experience working with, supporting, and founding small businesses, 
which have prepared her to lead the SBA during this moment.
  Most recently, Mrs. Guzman was the State of California's director of 
the Office of Small Business Advocate, where she oversaw implementation 
of the State's COVID-19 Relief Grant Program.
  Mrs. Guzman also helped lead SBA during the Obama administration, 
serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for 3 years, 
from 2014 through 2017.
  During her nomination hearing last month, Mrs. Guzman demonstrated 
her commitment to ensuring that SBA's relief programs, as well as its 
traditional loan programs, are implemented equitably and that they help 
small businesses in Black, Latino, Native, rural, and other underserved 
communities overcome the historic barriers they face.
  She is committed to ensuring the Agency has the right systems, 
technology, and operating procedures in place to advance the mission 
and reach all of our small businesses.
  And she is committed to ``ensure funds get into the hands of small 
businesses who have been hurt the most by the pandemic and the economic 
crisis through no fault of their own.''
  As we learned during the pandemic, SBA has a key role to play in our 
Nation's effort to fight systems of inequality that prevent many 
entrepreneurs in underserved and underbanked communities from starting 
and growing successful businesses.
  Mrs. Guzman will be an advocate for small businesses in these 
communities within the administration, and she will be a strong partner 
to us in Congress as we build better capacity to support small 
businesses through the coming economic recovery.
  Mrs. Guzman's commitment to equity and her deep knowledge of the 
needs of small businesses and the best policies to help them are why 
she received bipartisan praise during her nomination hearing and was 
advanced by the committee by a bipartisan vote.
  Mrs. Guzman has earned broad support from the small business 
community. Her nomination has been endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of 
Commerce, U.S. Hispanic Chamber, the U.S. Black Chamber, the National 
Small Business Association, the Small Business Majority, the National 
Federation of Independent Businesses, and many other small business 
advocacy groups.
  SBA needs an Administrator who can hit the ground running, and I am 
confident Mrs. Guzman is exactly the right person for the job.
  I urge my colleagues who have spoken with small business owners who 
still need support from the SBA--and I am sure everyone has--to join me 
and vote to confirm Mrs. Guzman as the SBA Administrator.
  I yield the floor.