The Biden-Harris Administration has appointed top advocacy strategist and former Senate Finance income security and health policy staffer, Diedra Henry-Spires, as the Senior Advisor for COVID Programs to the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
In this role, Ms. Spires has been tasked with improving and enhancing the efficiency of COVID program operations from application to award. As such, she will work closely with the White House COVID response team dedicated to ensuring that the relief needed by small businesses across the country is made available and accessible.
Ms. Henry-Spires is a former Professional Staff Member for Human Services and Income Security for the Senate Committee on Finance. She is credited as one of the architects of the Affordable Care Act and with the expansion of unemployment benefits and work supports during the great recession of 2008.
In particular, Ms. Henry-Spires is respected for having created and guided the updated Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) and Extended Benefits (EB) as well as TANF Emergency Fund (TANF EF) job creation policy for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), negotiated unemployment insurance provisions of The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Jobs Creation Act of 2010, drafted the income security guidance for The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 during the fiscal cliff crisis, negotiated unemployment insurance extensions and TANF provisions for The Middle-Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, and drafted the income security guidance and expertise for The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.
Her respect is bolstered by her record of service as the principal author of the Maternal Infant and Early Child Education Home Visiting Act and other legislation including the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act of 2011 and 2006, and The Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) and participating in the creation of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) initiative and the Supporting At-Risk Children Act of 2013 which became law as the Preventing Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014.
Since leaving the hill, Ms. Henry-Spires has served as the CEO of The Dalton Daley Group for Families and Children. As well, she served as the Senior Policy Advisor for the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities where she was the advisor on Tribal issues and inclusion. She is currently a lecturer in Public Policy and Health Policy for the University of Texas System, Archer Center in Washington D.C.
For Inquiries email info@thedaltondaleygroup.org or call 301-221-4768