The Senate on Wednesday confirmed former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA), keeping up a frantic pace to cement President Trump’s team in place.
Senators voted 52-46 on Loeffler’s nomination.
“America’s entrepreneurs are one of our greatest assets and they have a big role to play in our future prosperity. Sen. Loeffler will be their champion,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said on the floor ahead of her vote.
Loeffler briefly served in the upper chamber prior to her special election loss on Jan. 5, 2021 to Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.).
Once a more moderate, business-focused Republican, she veered toward Trump and MAGA policies during her Senate bid and has maintained that stance since.
She also has been a major GOP donor throughout the years, having served in key roles at a number of top financial firms, including Intercontinental Exchange. Her husband, Jeff Sprecher, is the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.
She takes over an agency that has played a major role in recent years, especially as part of the recovery from COVID-19 and trying to keep businesses afloat in the years since. The SBA is also playing a role in hurricane recover in North Carolina and Florida through its disaster loan program.
“Kelly Loeffler knows there’s nothing small about small business,” Thune added. “Every decision an entrepreneur makes is a big decision. It’s their livelihood, their dreams and their future that’s on the line. Kelly Loeffler understands this and I look forward to working with her to support small businesses and strengthen our economy.”
