[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 16, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1539-S1540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                 Nomination of Isabella Casillas Guzman

  Ms. ROSEN. Madam President, I stand here today in support of Isabel 
Guzman's nomination to serve as SBA Administrator.
  This pandemic has been challenging for our communities, and it has 
been especially devastating for our small businesses. We urgently need 
a leader who is experienced and prepared for the work ahead, someone 
who will hit the ground running to revive and restore our small 
businesses and bring back jobs, and Isabel Guzman is exactly the right 
person for this task.
  Having previously served in the U.S. Small Business Administration, 
Mrs. Guzman knows the Agency well. She understands the struggles that 
small businesses and workers face, not just during this pandemic but 
also their day-to-day needs. She will use the Agency's tools to support 
small businesses, and she will fight fiercely on their behalf.
  Ninety-nine percent of Nevada businesses are small businesses. This 
is a diverse community that embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of our 
State, and over the last year they have faced obstacle after obstacle. 
Thousands of Nevada business owners have called my office for help.
  These small business owners are--well, they are people. They are 
people who have poured their hard-earned money into starting 
businesses. They

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are people who have dedicated their lives to building a business from 
the ground up. They are people whose shops and stores and services--
well, they are cornerstones for our communities. And now, through no 
fault of their own, these small business owners are left wondering if 
their businesses are going to make it.
  Last week, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law. 
This is a major win for small businesses across the country. It 
includes targeted support for Black, Latino, AAPI, and minority-owned 
businesses, as well as support for businesses in our rural communities. 
Over $1 billion in grants are in there to save our stages and 
independent live venues. There is over $7 billion for the Paycheck 
Protection Program. There is $15 billion for EIDL Advance grants and 
$25 billion to keep restaurants afloat.
  This will provide real relief to small business owners, employees, 
and the families that they provide for, that count on them. For so 
many, this additional aid will mean the difference between a business 
keeping its doors open or closing them forever.
  And now we need an SBA Administrator who will see that this relief is 
delivered swiftly and fully. I am confident that Isabel Guzman will be 
an asset in bringing our small businesses back.
  We must also do more for our small businesses, which is why, if 
confirmed, I look forward to working with Mrs. Guzman and the SBA to 
remove the cap on EIDL loans and to provide full EIDL Advance grants to 
all eligible small businesses, giving greater access to the relief that 
all our small business owners need. The EIDL and EIDL Advance Programs 
have helped countless small businesses in Nevada and in States across 
the country through these tough times, but the arbitrary caps on these 
loans and grants are preventing small businesses from receiving the 
funding assistance they need to properly recover.
  Full EIDL loans and grants are what Congress intended when we passed 
the CARES Act 1 year ago. It is what we promised small businesses at 
the beginning of the pandemic. So we owe it to America's small 
businesses and workers to keep our word, and I know Isabel Guzman is 
the right person to help us keep this promise.
  As we continue on the road to recovery, made possible by the American 
Rescue Plan, I urge my colleagues to confirm Mrs. Guzman's nomination 
so that she can immediately get to work for our small businesses.
  Thank you.
  I yield to the Senator from Oregon.
  Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, I certainly share the good Senator's 
views with respect to Mrs. Guzman as well.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.