By Louis Chan, AsAmNews National Correspondent
The stalled nomination of Dilawar Syed to a deputy position with the Small Business Administration isn’t dead yet.
“We are very much still pursuing the nomination,” said White House spokesman Chris Meagher to AsAmNews. “It may be stalled, but it’s not over, and just want to make that clear.”
Meagher’s comments come just one day after the Small Business Administration announced it had appointed Syed as the new Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs.
Meagher told AsAmNews Syed would resign from the State Department should his nomination to the SBA move forward.
Biden nominated Syed to that position a year ago, but Republicans have boycotted committee votes to take up the matter.
Some expressed concerns to his ties to a Muslim get out the vote group. If confirmed he would be the highest ranking Muslim American to hold a cabinet position.
Republicans also point to Paycheck Protection Plan loans made to Planned Parenthood. The GOP says they won’t vote on Syed until that money is returned to the government.
Syed co-founded the AAPI Victory Fund, a civic engagement group which backed Joe Biden’s bid for the presidency.
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