09/30/2002
SOUTH DAKOTA, September 30, 2002 -- The nation's largest small-business advocacy group, NFIB, today vowed to make U.S. Rep. John Thune's "rock-solid, small-business voting record" a key campaign element when presenting him with the group's coveted "Guardian of Small Business" award.
Thune (At Large - S.D.) has a 100 percent NFIB voting record for this legislative session and has a 98 percent lifetime voting record on small-business issues for the last four consecutive sessions. NFIB President Jack Faris said Thune's support on key issues such as support for full repeal of the death tax, permanent small-business tax cuts, and voting against new ergonomics mandates were victories for Main Street.
"Representative Thune is a stalwart champion of small business, having stood strong on a number of key small-business votes in the 107th Congress," said Faris. "This award is not only a thank you from NFIB, it is a promise to do everything possible between today and Election Day to see that he returns to Washington as a senator in the 108th Congress."
NFIB's voting record tallies 13 key small-business votes in the U.S. House taken during the 2001 and 2002 sessions. Issues range from health care, to regulatory relief, to a variety of tax-relief measures. In all, NFIB will present Guardian awards to 49 senators and 217 representatives who voted favorably on key small-business issues at least 70 percent of the time during the 107th Congress.
Thune is challenging U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson in the November 5 election. With only a dismal 50 percent voting record, Johnson did not receive an award. Johnson voted against full repeal of the death tax and voted to support sweeping new ergonomics mandates.
"The record shows that when the roll is called, U.S. Senator Tim Johnson is not an advocate for Main Street small businesses," Faris said. "Small-business owners pay close attention to how their elected officials vote and will reward those who win the Guardian of Small Business award. With Election Day less than two months away, small-business owners will remember those who supported small business as well as those who didn't."
EDITOR'S NOTE: For a copy of "How Congress Voted," which has the key small-business votes and voting percentages for each lawmaker, contact NFIB Media Communications at (202) 554-9000.
CONTACT: Tanya Neuman or Michelle Dimarob (202) 554-9000
