A group of Republican senators are holding up the confirmation of Dilawar Syed, President Joe Bidenâs nominee for deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration, because of his involvement with Emgage Action, a Muslim American advocacy group. The AAPI Victory Fund released a press statement July 21, expressing outrage at the âdelaying tacticsâ of Senate Republicans because of the nomineeâs religion. Several Jewish American organizations also rallied to support Syed, as did Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, who chairs the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. âDilawar Syed is an exemplary public servant with a long history of ensuring that all small businesses have access to the support they needâ regardless of who owns them,â said AAPI Victory Fund chair Shekar Narasimhan in the press statement.