Mazie Hirono: “I rise today to reiterate my strong support for Dilawar Syed to serve as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business…”

“I rise today to reiterate my strong support for Dilawar Syed to serve as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Mr. Syed is highly qualified and widely supported as a nominee who has the backing of numerous business groups and organizations. In many ways, he is the picture of the American dream. He is a business owner, entrepreneur, and job creator who was born in Pakistan and educated in the United States. Over the course of his career, Mr. Syed has founded and run several companies in the tech and healthcare sectors. He also has firsthand experience dealing with challenges small businesses faced during this pandemic. During the COVID-19 crisis, Mr. Syed chaired a task force to help other businesses in the State of California survive and rebuild from the pandemic. His experience in and commitment to the small business sector are clear. That is why over the past 2 years my Democratic colleagues and I have made a concerted effort to get Mr. Syed confirmed. As Deputy Administrator, he would largely be responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the SBA. Working with Administrator Guzman, he will play a critical role in ensuring that small businesses across our country have the support they need to continue growing. This work is vital to Hawaii's economy. More than 99 percent of the businesses in our State are small businesses, and nearly half of all employees in Hawaii work for a small business.…”