White House demands Republicans 'do their job' and stop 'obstructing' confirmation vote for Biden's highest-ranking Muslim nominee

• The White House called on Senate Republicans to move a Biden nominee's confirmation forward.
• Republicans have held up the Biden nominee, Dilawar Syed, for various reasons.

The White House on Tuesday urged Senate Republicans to advance President Joe Biden's nominee to serve as deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration, Dilawar Syed, whom they blocked for the fourth time last week.

"As the SBA works to help small businesses build back from the devastation caused by this pandemic, we call on these Republican senators to do their job and show up and allow a vote on this qualified nominee," White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

If confirmed, Syed would become the highest-ranking official in the Biden administration who is Muslim. Biden nominated Syed for the position in March, but Republicans haven't shown up to move his nomination forward.

"Republicans, whose justification for opposing his nomination keeps shifting as argument after argument falls flat, continue to block a vote on his nomination," Jean-Pierre said. "If for some reason they don't believe he should be confirmed, they should just say so and vote no. Instead they are obstructing a vote from even taking place."

Republicans have brought up several talking points that have delayed Syed's confirmation. They initially questioned the Small Business Administration's distribution of pandemic-relief loans to Syed's company, which it qualified for.

Republicans also accused Syed of having anti-Israel positions because of his connection to an advocacy organization that's criticized Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory. But when numerous Jewish groups stepped in to defend Syed, Republicans dropped the attack. Democrats and several advocacy groups have condemned the GOP move as targeting Syed based on his religion and ethnic background.

"American Jewish Committee (AJC) does not normally take positions on nominees requiring Senate confirmation. However, accusations around Dilawar Syed's nomination based on his national origin or involvement in a Muslim advocacy organization are so base and unamerican that AJC is compelled to speak out," the group said in a statement.

In addition, Republicans have brought up policy concerns, taking issue with the SBA's pandemic-relief loans provided to Planned Parenthood branches. The loans were distributed through the Paycheck Protection Program, which was part of a coronavirus stimulus bill signed into law by former President Donald Trump in 2020. Biden extended PPP funding in March with his $1.9 trillion stimulus package.

Republicans said in a statement on September 20 that they will continue to freeze Syed's nomination until the SBA recovers the loans from the Planned Parenthood affiliates.

Syed, a longtime entrepreneur who is Pakistani-American, has worked with small businesses through state- and federal-level positions in California and under the Obama administration, respectively.

Over 200 groups and individuals, including the right-leaning US Chamber of Commerce, have endorsed Syed's nomination, Jean-Pierre said, calling him a "qualified, uncontroversial nominee."

"This is a position important for helping small businesses across the country and Dilawar has had a successful business career," Jean-Pierre said Tuesday.

This report has been updated with a statement from AJC.