Many Trump nominations already were stalled. The pandemic has made it worse

FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol is seen after a rainstorm, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak continues in Washington, U.S., April 27, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - By now, David Tryon had expected to be a two-year veteran at the Small Business Administration, an agency at the heart of the U.S. government's coronavirus relief effort as it disburses more than $650 billion (£516.4 billion) in loans for struggling small companies.

But the Ohio attorney, nominated by President Donald Trump in October 2017 as the SBA's chief counsel for advocacy, has remained in limbo awaiting a Senate confirmation vote. In the meantime, the position - intended to advance the concerns of small businesses to the White House, Congress, federal courts and states - has remained without a Senate-confirmed occupant.