Proposal would insulate SBA advocacy office.

The Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy would no longer be at the budgetary mercy of the SBA administrator under legislation passed unanimously by the Senate Small Business Committee.

The legislation, which is expected to sail through Congress, separates the appropriation for the Office of Advocacy from the SBA's budget. Committee members say this independence is necessary to ensure that the office has enough resources to do its job: representing the interests of small business inside the federal government.

Financial independence also would protect the office from political pressures, supporters say.

"It makes it less subject to the …