House Small Business Committee hears testimony on Advocacy office, regulatory costs and tariffs

The House Committee on Small Business convened a hearing titled “A Voice for Small Business: How the SBA Office of Advocacy Is Cutting Red Tape,” where Dr. Casey Mulligan, chief counsel of the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, testified about the office’s outreach and efforts to reduce regulatory burdens for small firms. Members focused much of their questioning on the office’s independence and the economic effects of tariffs.

Mulligan told the committee Advocacy has increased agency engagement since the current administration took office, saying regional advocates are in the field and that "I have the only hiring authority" for the office, which he described as central to maintaining an independent voice. He said Advocacy has flagged roughly 300 regulatory issues for deregulatory action and recounted examples where the office worked with other agencies…