Senator Hirono Meets with Isabel Guzman, Nominee for SBA Administrator

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) met yesterday with Isabel Guzman, President Biden’s nominee for Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator. Senator Hirono serves on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, which will consider Ms. Guzman’s nomination. The Senator and Ms. Guzman discussed a variety of priorities for Hawaii and our nation during their meeting.

The Senator and Ms. Guzman discussed the need to make sure SBA’s coronavirus relief programs are reaching local businesses—especially underserved businesses like women- and minority-owned businesses, and businesses with 10 or fewer employees. Ms. Guzman recognized that the requirements for businesses seeking SBA assistance must be stated clearly and simply, and that SBA communications should be transparent. They also discussed the importance of providing local businesses with access to capital and other resources necessary to recover from the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. They agreed that the SBA’s Hawaii District Office and resource partners like the Hawaii Small Business Development Center Network and the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business and Leadership must have the tools they need to support local businesses. Ms. Guzman committed to leaning more about Hawaii and its small businesses if confirmed. Senator Hirono remarked that she hopes to welcome Ms. Guzman to Hawaii to meet with local businesses and to learn more about the state’s unique needs if she is confirmed as SBA Administrator.

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