Rounds Questions SBA Nominee Linda McMahon During Confirmation Hearing

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, today questioned Linda McMahon, nominee to be administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), on the role the agency would take to withdraw the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.

“Many family farms and ranches would be impacted by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waters of the U.S. rule,” said Rounds during the hearing. “The SBA’s Office of Advocacy sent a letter on October 1, 2014, to the EPA’s Administrator Gina McCarthy and Major General John Peabody of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers criticizing the WOTUS rule and its impact on small business. In fact, they actually recommended the entire rule be withdrawn…If you are confirmed as administrator of the SBA, would you be willing to write a similar letter recommending once again that this rule be withdrawn?”

“I would look forward to working with you and other members of the committee to make sure that we have the right regulations in place and not overly burdensome ones,” replied McMahon.

Rounds is a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, which has jurisdiction over Ms. McMahon’s confirmation hearing.

###