EXCLUSIVE — The top Republican on the House Small Business Committee sent a third letter to President Joe Biden on Friday, calling on him to nominate a replacement for a long-vacant position that advocates on behalf of small-business owners, expressing concern after multiple requests have been unanswered for over a year. 

In the letter, shared first with the Washington Examiner, Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX) follows up on multiple correspondences to the White House, urging Biden to nominate a chief counsel for advocacy at the Small Business Administration, a position that serves as an “independent voice for small businesses within the federal government.” The position also serves as a watchdog for compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act. The committee first wrote to the Biden administration on Feb. 16, 2023, and then again on April 28, 2023.

“In the year since we made the initial request to nominate someone, small businesses have continued to deal with an unprecedented onslaught of regulations,” Williams writes in the letter. “Your Administration has added nearly 280 million hours of paperwork and $447 billion in regulatory costs to American businesses.”

The Office of Advocacy within the SBA was created by Congress in 1976. The office is led by the chief counsel, who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The position has not been filled since Darryl DePriest left the position in January 2017. Currently, Major Clark, the deputy chief counsel for advocacy, is performing the chief counsel’s duties. 

“We wrote to President Biden a year ago – at the beginning of this Congress – and again last April but have still not received any response or action on our request,” Williams said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner. “This is completely unacceptable as the Office of Advocacy serves as a watchdog against burdensome regulations and works to help Main Street thrive. I strongly urge the President to quickly nominate a qualified candidate and hope he understands how important this position is.”

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The agency has been operating without this position for the last six years, when Clark stepped in to take over in an acting capacity. Then-President Donald Trump nominated David Tryon in 2018, but the nomination never went before the full Senate for a vote. 

The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for comment.