Cantwell praises new SBA Administrator, highlights importance of SBA in responding to disasters like Oso landslide

 

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United States Senate confirmed President Barack Obama’s nomination of Maria Contreras-Sweet to serve as Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA). Contreras-Sweet – who was confirmed by a voice vote – fills the vacancy created by the departure of Karen Mills in August.

Contreras-Sweet’s nomination passed unanimously on March 5 out of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship – with the support of committee chairwoman Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and ranking member Jim Risch (R-ID).

“Small businesses create two out of every three new jobs in our country. Every single day we need to think about small businesses in our community and how much we need to help and support them,” Cantwell said on the Senate floor before the vote. “Everything from Chobani yogurt, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Federal Express, have all been small businesses benefitting from SBA programs. To have somebody like Maria Contreras-Sweet to be this person is critical for us.”

“I am confident that Maria Contreras-Sweet will be a strong leader at the Small Business Administration and a solid partner for America’s small business owners,” Cantwell said. “Small businesses will have a strong advocate in Administrator Contreras-Sweet, a leader with her finger on the pulse of small business lending. I look forward to working with her in this critical role for our economy.”

Contreras-Sweet has extensive private sector experience, having founded PROAMERICA, the first Latino-owned business bank in California in 30 years. She also served as California’s first Latina Cabinet Secretary.  As the state’s Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing, she oversaw a workforce of 42,000 and managed a budget of more than $14 billion.

In her floor speech, Cantwell also highlighted the importance of SBA programs to recovery efforts after disasters like the recent mudslide in Oso, Washington.

“One of the reasons I want to get a Small Business Administrator is because this agency is going to play a role in this recovery,” Cantwell said. “The Small Business Administration plays an important role for communities in disasters and the woman we have before us is a well-qualified woman who can help us with this crisis.”

On the Senate floor, Cantwell paid tribute to the victims of the mudslide and thanked first responders and volunteers. More than 200 emergency workers are participating in the recovery effort after the mudslide that wiped out dozens of homes and buried a state highway.

“I want to recognize everybody’s thoughts and prayers here for Oso and Darrington, Washington, for the people who have been hit by this unbelievable tragedy,” Cantwell said in the floor speech. “Our hearts go out to this community and I want to say that this has been a tremendous effort by first responders. There are hundreds of volunteers, thousands of dollars of contributions. And Darrington High School students made 1,300 sandwiches to try to support the search and recovery effort. I want to thank them for all their hard work.”

 Below is a transcript of Cantwell’s speech on the Senate floor. Watch a video of Senator Cantwell’s floor speech here. 

Thank you Madam President. I want to thank my Senate colleagues and Senator Risch for helping us get the next Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to the floor. First, I want to recognize everybody’s thoughts and prayers here for Oso and Darrington, Washington, and for the people who have been hit by this unbelievable tragedy. Our hearts go out to this community and I want to say that this has been a tremendous effort by first responders.

There are hundreds of volunteers, thousands of dollars of contributions. And Darrington High School students made 1,300 sandwiches to try to support the research and recovery effort. I want to thank them for all their hard work.

One of the reasons I want to get a Small Business Administrator is because this agency is going to play a role in this recovery. I thank my colleague, Senator Murray, for her help and support.

The Small Business Administration plays an important role for communities in disasters and the woman we have before us is a well-qualified woman who can help us with this crisis and continued small business lending.

The SBA has been without an administrator for eight months and it’s critical that we get this position filled today. We can’t forget that small businesses create 2 out of 3 new jobs in our country – and the SBA provides 28 million small businesses assistance that helps them create more jobs.

So every single day we need to think about small businesses in our community and how much we need to help and support them. Everything from: Chobani yogurt, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, Federal Express have all been small businesses benefitting from SBA programs. To have somebody like Maria Contreras-Sweet to be this person is critical for us.

I urge my colleagues to support her in this nomination and to move forward on an SBA agenda. Everything from making sure we approve the 504 program, to the STEP export assistance program, and to make sure that we continue to make ground on exporting small business products – made in the United States of America – to the growing middle-class around the globe.

I thank my colleagues and I urge them to support this nominee.

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