12.06.05

Cantwell Earns Award of Excellence from Everett Chamber of Commerce

Senator Earns Service-to-Business Award for Efforts to Boost Economy, Provide Jobs, Defeat Enron

EVERETT, WA – Wednesday evening, at the Everett Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Gala, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) will receive an Award of Excellence from the Chamber for her tireless work on behalf of businesses in Washington state. Cantwell earned the Service-to-Business award for her efforts to provide jobs, boost the local economy, and champion small business, and for her work to support Washington’s high-tech sector and back Edmonds and Everett Community Colleges in their partnership with Boeing.

"I am proud to receive this award not only as a public official but as someone who has lived and worked in Snohomish County for many years," said Cantwell, a member of the Senate Commerce and Small Business Committees. "This is truly an honor. Business is the engine that drives our economy, and I’m glad to have a partner in the Everett Chamber as we work to bring good, family-wage jobs to Washington state."

The Service-to-Business award is given annually to elected officials or governmental bodies that provide outstanding support to local businesses by encouraging activities that enhance the community’s economic well-being of the. While the award will be presented officially on Wednesday, Cantwell met with the members of the Chamber Board last Tuesday for a special presentation ceremony, and discussed how to support small businesses in Washington state. The Everett Chamber of Commerce represents more than 700 businesses with a total workforce of 60,000.

"Senator Cantwell has worked tirelessly to boost the local economy and create jobs by supporting longtime state industries such as aerospace, trade, and agriculture, and by cultivating new ones, such as software and biotechnology," said Sally Kortekaas, President of the Board of Directors for the Everett Area Chamber of Commerce. "She has been a champion for small businesses and the state's high-tech sector and has accomplished an extraordinary amount in her first five years in the Senate."

The Service-to-Business Award also honors Cantwell’s work to shed light on Enron’s attempt to defraud Washington ratepayers, and her efforts to force federal agencies to deal with the 2001 West Coast energy crisis. Senator Cantwell worked with Snohomish PUD to uncover evidence of massive fraud and widespread market manipulation. As a member of the Senate Energy Committee, she added two important amendments to the new energy bill, signed into law in August 2005. The first gave the federal government power to ban dishonest energy traders and corrupt corporate officials from the energy industry. The other prevented Enron from suing Snohomish County PUD for payment on electricity it never delivered.

"Enron’s tremendous fraud ruined the pensions, businesses, and lives of thousands," said Cantwell, a member of the Senate Energy Committee. "But we uncovered their corrupt, manipulative practices, and took decisive action to hold dishonest energy traders accountable and prevent Enron from further raiding the wallets of Washington state consumers."

As a member of the Senate Commerce and Small Business Committees, Cantwell has worked to accelerate economic growth and bring good, family-wage jobs to Washington state. Cantwell came to the Senate from the private sector and understands that a strong growing economy requires strong growing businesses, working to ensure a promising future for Washington’s diverse industries. She has worked to extend and reinforce important tax credits for research and development, and is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Investment in America Act of 2005, which would make the R&D tax credit permanent. She has also supported meaningful investments in nanotechnology, and fought to stop subsidies that give Airbus an unfair competitive boost against Boeing.

Cantwell was also the driving force behind the creation of a Center Of Excellence at the University of Washington. The new center focuses on advanced materials used in new aircraft such as the Boeing 787, and provides essential support for America’s aircraft industry. Cantwell also remains a strong supporter of the federal small business loan program, and has used her seat on the Small Business Committee to protect and strengthen small businesses and champion important tax reforms to help those businesses thrive. As a cosponsor of the bipartisan Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act, which became law in 2004, Cantwell helped secure $137 billion in important tax cuts, including a $76.5 billion tax break for manufacturers.