Tuesday, September 26, 2006

U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar was named a “Guardian of Small Business” by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) for a 100 percent voting record on behalf of America’s small-business owners during the 109th Congress.

NFIB is the nation’s leading small-business advocacy association with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. A nonprofit organization, it works to give small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business.

During the 2004 and 2005 sessions of Congress, NFIB kept track of nine key small-business votes in the U.S. Senate. Bill issues ranged from tax relief to affordable health care, liability reform and regulatory reform.

NFIB President and CEO Todd Stottlemyer said, “The (voting) record shows that Sen. Lugar is a true champion of small businesses, having stood strong on the key small business votes in the 109th Congress. This award reflects our members’ appreciation for supporting the NFIB pro-growth agenda for small business.”

In May 2006, Lugar received the “Small Business Champion” Award from the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council and the “Hero of the Taxpayer” award by the Americans for Tax Reform. As a fiscal conservative, Lugar has a voting record that is recognized for prudent management of taxpayer funds. He has repeatedly received the nonpartisan “Watchdog of the Treasury” award for fighting wasteful spending.

In 2004, Lugar was ranked first out of all members of Congress in the 106th and 107th Congresses in economic efficiency according to a study published in the Investor’s Business Daily and completed by the Department of Economics at the University of Delaware.