National Restaurant Association Supports President Trump’s Nomination to Lead the Small Business Administration

Washington, D.C. — The restaurant and foodservice industry is primarily made up of small businesses, which together are a $1.4 trillion dollar driver of the U.S. economy. More than 7 out of 10 restaurant operators own only one location and 9 out of 10 restaurant operators employ fewer than 50 people. To help these restaurant owners strengthen and grow the U.S. economy, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is an indispensable partner to the restaurant industry.

Today, the National Restaurant Association issued the following statement of support for President Donald Trump’s nominations of Sen. Kelly Loeffler as Administrator of the SBA and Bill Briggs as Deputy Administrator of the SBA:

“The National Restaurant Association supports the quick confirmation of Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Bill Briggs to lead the Small Business Administration,” said Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “Restaurant operators need strong SBA leadership to foster policies that promote economic stability, job creation, and business sustainability as they pursue business growth and vitality.

“Sen. Loeffler has extensive experience in business and public sector service, which gives us confidence she understands the challenges that small business owners face and how to stimulate economic expansion. We value the collaboration we had with the senator while establishing small business initiatives like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After Congress passed the PPP, Mr. Briggs played a pivotal role in implementing the large-scale initiative. He worked with us to understand how restaurant operators would be challenged by proposed processes and to ensure that the program could be easily accessed by restaurant owners. Mr. Briggs expertise and effort helped restaurants and small businesses across the country survive. He will be a strong partner to the small businesses served by the SBA.”