Small Business Administrator Departs With Bipartisan Praise

Despite some initial skepticism over her background as a founder of a pro wrestling entertainment company, Small Business Administration chief Linda McMahon will leave her post on April 12 with praise from both Republicans and Democrats.

In announcing her return to the private sector on Friday, McMahon lauded the “growth policies” of President Trump: “Small businesses are reporting some of the highest levels of optimism on record; they are gaining access to new global markets; they are expanding access to affordable health care; and they are investing in their companies and their employees—raising wages, providing bonuses and benefits, and creating more jobs,” she said.

“I’m very proud of the work this agency has done to improve the way we connect small businesses to capital, counseling and government contracts. The focus that we have put on supporting women entrepreneurship, veteran businesses and rural development has been particularly rewarding for me,” McMahon added. “I am especially proud of the agency’s unprecedented disaster recovery efforts in 2017, in the aftermath of three of the costliest hurricanes on record.”

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., chairman of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, called McMahon “a fierce advocate for America’s small businesses. Under her stewardship, optimism among America’s small business has soared as a result of this administration’s pro-growth, pro-worker policies. I thank her for her exemplary service.”

Ranking Member Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., was equally effusive. “Few events have the capacity to disrupt or destroy a small business like a natural disaster, and I will always be grateful to Administrator McMahon for swiftly mobilizing SBA resources following the devastating flood in Ellicott City last year,” he said. “I saw first-hand how important SBA’s support was for the Maryland small business owners who were recovering from the second historic flood in as many years. My hope is that President Trump will nominate a successor who is as committed to advocating for America’s small businesses as Administrator McMahon was.”

Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, ranking member of the House Small Business Committee, praised her as a “tireless advocate” for the nation’s 30 million small businesses.“From participating in countless small business roundtables, to touring small businesses on local main streets, and visiting all 68 SBA district offices, she always did one very important thing—she listened,” he said. “Administrator McMahon brought common sense solutions for small businesses back to Washington and left a mark on the agency, working to reduce regulatory burdens, usher in historic tax cuts, and increase access to capital for entrepreneurs.”

Juanita Duggan, president and CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business, issued a statement thanking McMahon for being a “relentless supporter of small businesses, recognizing the importance of small business to the U.S. economy and to communities across the country.”