Congressman Leonard Lance Visits Downtown Westfield

According to Congressman Leonard Lance’s Office:

Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) joined local business owners and Westfield town officials in a walking tour of downtown Westfield today.

The delegation, organized by the Greater Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce, toured Bovella’s Bakery, American Shoe Repair, Ella Allure, The Chocolate Bar, Tepp Accounting Services, Details Made Simple, The Westfield Leader, Adler’s Jewelers, Blue Jasmine and Amuse Restaurant to meet with businesses owners and collaborate on how to keep commerce vibrant.

After the walking tour, Chamber leaders recognized Lance with the group’s “Spirit of Enterprise” Award for his votes in Washington in support of pro-growth, pro-jobs policies.

“Westfield is a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family. A bustling downtown is a critical part of municipal life and I work in Washington to give small businesses owners the tools they need to expand.” Lance told the Chamber. “I am honored by this recognition, but the heavy lifting of building our economy for the 21st century, and competing in the global economy, belongs to the entrepreneurs, innovators and hard-working men and women of America’s workforce - some of whom I had the pleasure of meeting today.”

Gene Jannotti, Executive Director of the Greater Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce, praised Lance’s record in Washington. “Congressman Lance has long been a supporter of business and continues to provide an inspiration to all business owners to know that they have someone in Washington who is looking out for their interests. As the largest business organization in this area, our members appreciate Congressman Lance’s efforts.”

The honorees of the “Spirit of Enterprise” Award are selected by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The award is based on rankings the U.S. Chamber gives members of Congress for key votes on legislation that would promote economic growth. U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue singled out Lance as a representative who “worked to pass legislation and enact policies that bolster our country’s economy, create jobs and keep our nation’s spirit of enterprise alive. The Spirit of Enterprise award honors those members of Congress like Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) who has recognized the need and shown a commitment to pro-growth policies in the second session of the 113th Congress.”

Votes that were ranked for 2014 include:

· House passage by H.R. 2641, the RAPID Act, which would have streamlined the process for developers, builders and designers to obtain approval for certain projects to create jobs.

· House passage of H.R. 4414, the Expatriate Health Coverage Clarification Act, which reserves the ability of America’s businesses to provide health care coverage to employees overseas.

· House passage of H.R. 4718, which would have provided an incentive for businesses to make new capital investments by making permanent 50% depreciation and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) Credit.

· House passage of H.R. 5201, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act, which extended federal surface transportation programs and provided a short-term solution for the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) shortfall.

· House passage of H.R. 4450, the Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act, which would have strengthened the United State’s position in the global travel and tourism market by reauthorizing Brand USA, a public-private partnership that promotes international travel to the United States and at no cost to taxpayers.

• Enacting an “all-of-the-above” national energy policy that includes the Keystone XL pipeline and other development that will bring down fuel prices on the consumer and create more American jobs while reducing our dependence on foreign energy.
• Passing a budget that balances.

Lance is in New Jersey for the August District Work Period and is hosting a number of town halls, constituent meetings and small business tours to hear the priorities of employers, taxpayers and families. Follow his activity at the links below.