We have another Cabinet position filled on Wednesday, with the Senate voting 52-46 to confirm former Georgia GOP Senator Kelly Loeffler as head of the Small Business Administration.
Loeffler, a business executive and philanthropist estimated to be worth over $1 billion (who's expected to donate her salary to charity, as she has done previously), promised during her hearings that she would work with the administration to bring about a new “golden era”:
Loeffler appeared before the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Jan. 28 to outline her vision and promised that Trump’s policies would "restore the small business economy" that would lead to a "golden era of prosperity and growth."
"That’s exactly what the America First agenda does — by ending inflation, cutting taxes, unleashing American energy dominance, slashing regulation, and reining in fraud, waste, and abuse across government," Loeffler said in her opening remarks.
Congratulations to our new Administrator of the Small Business Administration, Kelly Loeffler! pic.twitter.com/509XswuUlR
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) February 19, 2025
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said he looks forward to working with her to support the lifeblood of the economy, small business:
Kelly Loeffler knows there’s nothing small about small business. Every decision an entrepreneur makes is a big decision – it’s their livelihood, their dreams, and their future on the line.
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) February 19, 2025
I look forward to working with her to support small businesses and strengthen our economy. pic.twitter.com/8H78JVhy9C
Background: BREAKING: Trump Makes Major Announcement on Who Will Head Up Small Business Administration
My colleague Becca Lower wrote about Loeffler’s background when the nomination was first announced in December:
Readers might recall that Loeffler served as U.S. senator from the Peach state starting in Jan. 2020, after Governor Brian Kemp appointed her to Sen. Johnny Isakson's (R) seat, which he left due to health reasons.
Loeffler "ran in a special election to the U.S. Senate to represent Georgia. She lost in the special general runoff election on January 5, 2021," to Democrat Rafael Warnock,who served out the Isakson term (until Jan. 2023).
Here's more of Loeffler's background:
Loeffler is co-owner of the Atlanta Dream WNBA team. She served as chief communications and marketing officer and as head of investor relations for Intercontinental Exchange, a firm that operates commodity and financial exchanges, for 16 years.
Trump wrote in December that Loeffler would cut the endless red tape that hampers so many small enterprises:
I am very pleased to nominate business leader and former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, from the Great State of Georgia, to serve as Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA). Small Businesses are the backbone of our Great Economy. Kelly will bring her experience in…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 5, 2024
Small Businesses are the backbone of our Great Economy. Kelly will bring her experience in business and Washington to reduce red tape, and unleash opportunity for our Small Businesses to grow, innovate, and thrive. She will focus on ensuring that SBA is accountable to Taxpayers by cracking down on waste, fraud, and regulatory overreach.
The next big Senate confirmation votes will occur in the coming days: Kash Patel for FBI Director and Trump’s pick for Labor Secretary, Lori Chavez-Deremer, who faced some pointed questions from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Wednesday.
Trump has been on a massive winning streak so far with his nominations—we'll see if it continues.
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