WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Office of Advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration is pleased to announce Casey Mulligan has been confirmed by the Senate to serve as the Chief Counsel in the Office of Advocacy. As Chief Counsel, Mulligan will oversee the efforts of the office to ensure the needs of small businesses are met in the policy process.
Mulligan is an accomplished economist from the University of Chicago who served as chief economist on the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) from September 2018 to August 2019. As the CEA’s chief economist during President Donald Trump’s first term, Mulligan provided economic insight on policies that improved healthcare and regulatory issues.
“It’s an honor to advocate for more than 36 million small businesses that drive our economy,” said Chief Counsel for Advocacy Dr. Casey Mulligan. “The power to regulate may sit in Washington, but the know-how about real-world challenges lives in every shop floor, farm, and start-up across America.”
On his first day in office, Chief Counsel Mulligan found the Biden Administration trivialized regulatory burdens on small businesses. To mark the beginning of his tenure as Chief Counsel for Advocacy, Mulligan released a comprehensive report to the President and Congress, analyzing more than 12,000 rules.
In 2023, Congress requested that federal agencies identify rules that were certified as not having a meaningful effect on small business. Federal agencies failed to comply with the congressional request. Chief Counsel Mulligan accomplished it on day one. Through this expanded review, Mulligan found a substantial number of rules that had not been properly certified in accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Mulligan’s report encompassed the full four years of the Biden Administration, offering a broad and complete analysis.
“For too long, small businesses have been overlooked in the federal rulemaking process,” said Chief Counsel Mulligan. “My office will work to hold agencies accountable and ensure that small businesses aren’t left behind by bureaucratic overreach.”
PRESS RELEASE
SBA No. 25-10 ADV
DAY ONE REPORT
Biden Administration Rules Certified Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (PDF, 20 MB)
Biden Rules Certified Under RFA Report and Data
CONTACT:
Chandler Baxter
EMAIL:
Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy directs the office. The Chief Counsel advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern. Regional Advocates and an office in Washington, DC, support the Chief Counsel’s efforts. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit advocacy.sba.gov, or call (202) 205-6533.