WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), former Chair and current Ranking Member on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, was honored today by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) with its “Guardian of Small Business” award in recognition of her exceptional voting record on behalf of America’s small business owners. Snowe, who received a perfect score of 100 percent from NFIB, was honored with this distinction for voting favorably on critical small business issues. Senator Snowe also received the award in 2010, when she was similarly given a 100 percent rating from NFIB for her steadfast support of small business during the 111th Congress.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this recognition from NFIB,” said Senator Snowe. “The NFIB’s efforts on behalf of our nation’s small businesses, which represent over 97 percent of all employers in Maine alone, is critical to ensuring the strength and vitality of our economy’s primary job creators. Indeed, small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and during this time of tepid economic growth and frustratingly high unemployment, they are more integral than ever to creating a strong recovery. I have worked tirelessly to promote the health of small businesses, and to help ensure that federal laws and regulations do not impede their success; as such, initiatives to strengthen small businesses so they may grow and prosper – like regulatory reform, which I have championed – will remain a top priority of mine during my final months in the Senate.”
NFIB President and CEO Dan Danner praised Senator Snowe for “standing for small business.” In presenting the group’s coveted Guardian of Small Business award, Danner said, “The record shows that Sen. Snowe is a true champion of small business, having stood strong on the key small-business votes in the 112th Congress. This award reflects our members’ appreciation for supporting the NFIB pro-growth agenda for small business.”