TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports the nomination of Dilawar Syed to be Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). We believe that it is essential for SBA’s senior leadership team to be in place to deliver on the agency’s COVID-19 small business emergency relief responsibilities and we believe Mr. Syed is well qualified for this position.
Dilawar Syed has an impressive background as an entrepreneur and understands the operational challenges of scaling a start-up to meet increased market demand. Those skills and management acumen are needed at a time when the SBA is pursuing its mission of running its core programs, executing on the forgiveness of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, meeting high demand for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs), and providing operational consistency, transparency, and certainty for two new grant programs (Shuttered Venue Operator Grants (SVOGs) and Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) grants).
We are hopeful that you will advance Mr. Syed’s nomination expeditiously, and we hope that the President and this Committee will move forward shortly with a nomination to head SBA’s Office of Advocacy, a critically important department serving America’s small business community that has been without a Senate-confirmed Chief Council for five years.
The Chamber looks forward to working with Dilawar Syed as SBA Deputy Administrator. We support his nomination and appreciate the Committee scheduling the April 21 hearing.
Sincerely,
Neil L. Bradley
