On Monday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) is a recipient of their annual Spirit of Enterprise award for her bipartisan legislative work promoting business and commonsense governing over the past year.
The Chamber of Commerce determines awardees based on a scorecard that measures votes on legislation, cosponsorships, and share of bills that are introduced by a member of the opposite party. In the latter criteria, categorized as a member’s “Bipartisanship Score,” Rep. Axne received a 95% rating – the highest amongst the six members of the Iowa congressional delegation.
“In my first year in Congress, I strove to find legislative solutions to support Iowa’s entrepreneurs, small businesses, and rural communities – and now as we face increasing economic uncertainty and turmoil, I remain committed to finding bipartisan solutions that will help Iowa’s middle class survive this emerging recession,” said Rep. Axne. “I am honored to receive the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ award from the Chamber of Commerce today, and look forward to working with them and Iowa’s local Chambers of Commerce on legislation to promote economic prosperity in Iowa’s Third Congressional District and across our nation in the months and years to come.”
“In these uncertain times with daunting economic and social challenges facing our nation, it is imperative that leaders in Washington are focused on propelling American businesses forward to create jobs and economic growth,” said Thomas J. Donohue, CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “As we rebuild our economy, legislators must lead by pursuing bipartisan solutions that create jobs and promote a free enterprise system. I’m proud to recognize these 259 Members of Congress for their commitment to driving opportunity and prosperity in America’s workforce and on Main Streets across the nation.”
The 2020 Spirit of Enterprise Award recognizes work done by a Member of Congress between January 2019 and January 2020.
Since her first day of office in January 2019, Rep. Axne has worked on legislation to grow Iowa’s local economies, support business owners and middle class families, and cut government red tape.
One of Rep. Axne’s first bills to pass the U.S. House of Representatives was the Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation to support rural entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Rep. Axne has worked to ensure that federal aid programs are accessible and working for Iowa’s small businesses. Earlier this month, President Trump signed legislation sponsored by Rep. Axne to improve flexibility of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to better meet the needs of Iowa’s businesses.
In her first 18 months in office, Rep. Axne has also been named the ‘Most Accessible Freshman Member of Congress’ by the Town Hall Project and named a finalist for the Congressional Management Foundation’s Democracy Awardin the Transparency and Accountability category.
