Trump’s Small Business Administration nominee advances to Senate floor

The Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee voted Wednesday by a 12–7 borderline to beforehand the information of President Donald Trump’s prime for the Small Business Administration (SBA) head to the Senate floor. 

Kelly Loeffler, a salient concern enforcement and philanthropist who served arsenic a legislator from Georgia for 2 years, appeared earlier the committee connected Jan. 28 and pledged to donate her yearly $207,500 wage to charity. 

Loeffler and her husband, Jeff, created a Fortune 500 fiscal services and exertion institution together. 

"Like President Trump, Senator Loeffler near down a palmy vocation successful the backstage assemblage to beforehand the America First agenda," Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O'Dea told Fox News Jan. 28. "Should she beryllium confirmed, she volition proceed the signifier of donating her national wage to charities and nonprofits crossed the state — and enactment her afloat absorption connected moving to marque the Small Business Administration a gateway to the American Dream for entrepreneurs crossed the country." 

TRUMP CABINET NOMINEE LOEFFLER PLEDGED TO DONATE SALARY IF CONFIRMED 

Loeffler, whose nett worthy is estimated astatine astir $1 billion, antecedently donated her yearly Senate wage of $174,000 betwixt 2019 and 2021 to much than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits. 

Those organizations included nutrient banks, religion groups and organizations opposed to abortion, foster care/adoption groups arsenic good arsenic organizations promoting wellness care, agriculture, education, instrumentality enforcement and catastrophe relief. 

Loeffler besides sparred with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, during her confirmation proceeding implicit the Trump administration’s announcement that it would frost national funds and grants. 

On Jan. 27, the Office of Management and Budget released a memo ordering a intermission connected each national grants and loans aiming to eradicate "wokeness" and the "weaponization of government" to amended authorities efficiency.

LEAVITT PUSHES BACK ON MEDIA'S ‘UNCERTAINTY’ ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE

The White House pulled the memo connected Jan. 29, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the determination didn’t equate a "recission of the national backing freeze." 

Markey asked Loeffler whether she believed the determination was lawful oregon not, amid concerns from members of Congress that the Trump medication attempted to circumvent Congress and withhold funds. 

"I afloat hold with President Trump’s determination to halt wasteful spending," Loeffler told Markey. "It resulted successful a landslide triumph that galore Americans were waiting for alleviation against excessive authorities spending." 

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.