WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today honored 263 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 55 members of the U.S. Senate with its annual Spirit of Enterprise Award, given in recognition of their support for pro-growth policies in the second session of the 115th Congress.
“Every day, all across the country, America’s business owners and job creators serve their communities and strengthen their economies. We commend those leaders in Washington who recognize the vital role these businesses play and support them through commonsense, growth-oriented policy,” said Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “By advancing good legislation, these members of Congress are helping businesses grow and thrive, keeping our economy strong, and promoting the free enterprise system that drives opportunity and prosperity.”
The Chamber’s prestigious Spirit of Enterprise Award is given annually to members of Congress based on their votes on critical business legislation as outlined in the Chamber’s annual scorecard, How They Voted. Members who supported the Chamber’s position on at least 70 percent of those votes qualify to receive the award.
During the second session of the 115th Congress, the Chamber scored members on 10 Senate votes and 12 House votes on legislation related to, for example, reducing health care costs, strengthening our immigration system, expanding access to capital, and combatting the opioid crisis. This is the 31st year that the U.S. Chamber has formally honored the accomplishments of this select group of members of Congress.
In January, Donohue announced that the U.S. Chamber will revamp its congressional scorecard, fundamentally changing the way it evaluates lawmakers’ records. Starting with the current (116th) Congress, votes on legislation deemed important to the business community will remain essential, but lawmakers will also receive credit for showing leadership on good legislation, and bipartisan work will be taken into account.
As this year’s awards recognize lawmakers for their votes during the second session of the previous (115th) Congress, the awards presented today do not reflect the changes to the scoring system.
Visit the U.S. Chamber's How They Voted page to view all member scores.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.
