Biden Urged to Fill Key Small Business Watchdog Role

Chairman Roger Williams and Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez have issued statements regarding a joint letter they sent to President Joe Biden, urging him to nominate a Chief Counsel for Advocacy at the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy.

The brief statements and letter were published via the House Committee on Small Business website, and briefly outlined the positions of both Williams and Velázquez.

Small Business Advocacy Role Still Vacant

Williams said: “The Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy is a critical watchdog fighting on behalf of our nation’s primary job creators. It is essential the vacant Chief Counsel for Advocacy role is filled to ensure small businesses are defended against burdensome regulations. I urge President Biden to nominate a qualified candidate to this post and hope he sees the necessity of this position.”

Velázquez echoed the sentiment, adding: “The SBA Office of Advocacy serves as the independent voice of small businesses within the government, promoting the concerns of entrepreneurs before all three branches of the federal system. I look forward to working with the Administration to fill the position of Chief Counsel, so the Office of Advocacy can represent small firms as effectively as possible.”

Letter to the President

Williams and Velázquez’s letter to the President noted that the position of Chief Counsel for Advocacy has been vacant for what they describe as ‘far too long’, and that its filling should be a top priority.

The crux of the letter explained: “In many cases, the Office of Advocacy is the only government entity considering the impacts regulations may have on small business owners. The owners of America’s smallest businesses face significant challenges in understanding and complying with ever changing federal regulations. Many of these small businesses do not have the resources to hire a dedicated staff to ensure compliance with these regulations.”

The letter concludes that the role of Chief Counsel of Advocacy is uniquely positioned to inform relevant agencies of the challenges faced by small businesses.

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