[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 99 (Wednesday, June 7, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1992-S1993]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Nomination of Dilawar Syed

  Ms. DUCKWORTH. Madam President, I have come to the floor today to 
express my support for Dilawar Syed, and his nomination to be Deputy 
Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
  This Republican obstruction has gone on long enough. I ask my 
colleagues from across the aisle to join me in supporting this 
important nominee. Dilawar Syed is more than qualified to serve in this 
role at the Small Business Administration. He is an entrepreneur and a 
job creator, with decades of firsthand experience in business 
entrepreneurship and community engagement.
  He has experience working directly with small business owners and has 
led efforts to drive economic growth at the local, State, and Federal 
levels.
  Simply put, at the SBA, he would be an asset to our Nation's small 
businesses and would bring a critical voice to the Agency which 
currently lacks a fully staffed leadership team.
  The SBA has not had a Senate-confirmed Deputy Administrator for more 
than 5 years. This is a critical mistake. This high-level absence 
weakens the Agency and inhibits the SBA's ability to serve the millions 
of small business owners looking to the Agency for resources, 
assistance, and capital to start and grow their businesses.
  Some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have launched 
unfair and baseless attacks against Mr. Syed and have held up his 
nomination for years. They have even repeatedly failed to show up to 
vote on his nomination in the Small Business Committee.
  These partisan attacks are simply efforts to undermine President 
Biden and his administration at the SBA, as well as their ability to 
successfully serve our small businesses nationwide.
  These Republican attacks also unfairly disparage Mr. Syed, who is not 
only a successful business leader and community organizer, but also, 
importantly, a first-generation immigrant who fully exemplifies the 
American dream.
  With this unique and important background, Mr. Syed would bring an 
influential new voice and perspective to help the SBA improve its 
outreach to immigrant communities that have been traditionally 
overlooked and underserved by the Federal Government.
  My friends on the other side of the aisle know the importance of 
filling this vacancy at the SBA. Yet they have continued to play their 
partisan games.
  Ahead of this vote on Mr. Syed's nomination, I ask you to join me in 
supporting this eminently qualified nominee. Let's do our jobs and 
finally get this nominee confirmed.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Maryland.
  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I rise today in strong support for the 
confirmation of Dilawar Syed to fill the long vacant role of Deputy 
Administrator for the Small Business Administration.
  After more than 2 years since President Biden first nominated Mr. 
Syed, the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship 
finally reported Mr. Syed's nomination out of the committee earlier 
this year.
  Mr. Syed was nominated to fill a position that has been vacant for 
nearly 5 years. The vacancy has caused harm to small business owners 
throughout our Nation who depend on the SBA to be fully staffed in 
order to access capital, contracting opportunities, and entrepreneurial 
development training.
  In an entrepreneurial career spanning over two decades, Mr. Syed has 
experience starting businesses and advocating for inclusion 
entrepreneurship at the international, Federal, and State level.
  He currently serves as the Special Representative for Commercial and 
Business Affairs at the United States Department of State, where he 
advances trade, commercial, and economic policies through commercial 
advocacy.
  Prior to his position at the State Department, Mr. Syed was CEO at 
Lumiata, a healthcare technology company, and president at Freshworks, 
where he helped scale the software company's products to reach 
thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses.
  Mr. Syed has also held a number of civic positions. In the Obama 
administration, he served as chair of the White House Initiative on 
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Economic Growth. And in 
California, he chaired the California Entrepreneurship Task Force under 
Governor Gavin Newsom's Office of Business and Economic Development.
  With experience at the State Department as Special Representative and 
leadership roles in business, entrepreneurship, and public service, he 
is very well-positioned to help the SBA meet this critical moment small 
businesses face across the Nation.
  As our small businesses continue to recover from the pandemic while 
facing new challenges, it is essential that the SBA is fully equipped 
to meet their needs.
  During the pandemic, the Agency provided relief to millions of 
existing small businesses. Now, record levels of new businesses are 
being created under the Biden-Harris administration. SBA has the unique 
opportunity to foster the continuation of this small business boom, 
making sure that entrepreneurs have the resources, assistance, and 
capital that will create economic prosperity for communities across the 
country.
  While the SBA has worked tirelessly to provide this assistance, the 
pandemic exposed a clear need for modernization, technical upgrades, 
new resources, and reforms at the SBA. That is why we need a Deputy 
Administrator today more than ever. The skills and qualifications Mr. 
Syed possesses are a perfect fit for the SBA's needs. He has broad 
support from dozens of small business organizations that understand the 
needs of entrepreneurs.
  They know that Mr. Syed is an individual who will endlessly continue 
to advocate for and support our small businesses. Allowing the position 
of Deputy Administrator to remain empty for so long is a great 
disservice to our Nation's small business owners.
  His confirmation process has been fraught with unacceptable delaying 
tactics, unfounded accusations, and unrelated controversies.
  Throughout it all, however, Mr. Syed has shown only patience and 
perseverance. I am honored to stand here today, finally, to support his 
nomination for the position of SBA Deputy Administrator. I am confident 
that America's small businesses and the communities they support will 
benefit from him in this role.

[[Page S1993]]

  I urge all my colleagues to support his confirmation. This is what 
our small business community needs. I would urge my colleagues to 
ratify his nomination.
  With that, I would yield the floor.
  Madam President, I would ask consent that we proceed with the vote 
immediately.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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