Washington (March 12, 2025) - Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement after questioning William Briggs and Dr. Casey Mulligan, President Trump’s nominees to be Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Chief Counsel for Advocacy at the SBA, respectively.

"The Small Business Administration is supposed to support small businesses by providing capital, contracts, and counseling. But so far, Trump’s SBA has only produced closures, cuts, and chaos. I am deeply concerned that Mr. Briggs and Dr. Mulligan will only further President Trump’s harmful agenda to put big billionaires over small businesses.

"While DOGE is closing SBA district offices to ‘cut costs,’ including in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the SBA announced they would relocate six regional offices, including the Boston location, over unfounded immigration issues, Administrator Loeffler has not provided any information to this committee or to Congress. This committee needs answers, and I am not confident we have enough of them to thoughtfully consider Mr. Briggs’ nomination to carry out the agency’s day-to-day operations.

"After today’s hearing, I am also deeply concerned that Dr. Mulligan will work to advance President Trump’s deregulation agenda, rather than be an independent voice for small business. Dr. Mulligan’s past statements have called into question reasonable limits on pollution and rules that prevent insurers from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions. He has also questioned the value of sick leave, opposed increases to the minimum wage, and blamed the 2008 financial crisis on healthcare subsidies and unemployment insurance, calling these benefits ‘trickle-down fraud.’ This ideology would take us back to an economy with few worker, environmental, patient, or consumer protections.  

"Mr. Briggs and Dr. Mulligan are willing to trade independence at the SBA for the dependence on unelected billionaire Elon Musk."

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