Westerman Earns 100% NFIB Rating

Westerman Earns 100% NFIB Rating
NFIB/Arkansas: Westerman 'stood up for' Arkansas job creators, working families

HOT SPRINGS -- Former Arkansas House Majority Leader and Fourth District Congressional Candidate Bruce Westerman (R-Hot Springs) today issued the following statement after receiving a 100% rating from the National Federation of Independent Business Arkansas chapter for his voting record during the 89th Arkansas General Assembly:

"As part-owner of the business I've worked at in Hot Springs for the last 22 years, I am honored to be recognized by NFIB/Arkansas.  Small business is what will turn our economy around, and they are being prevented from growing good-paying jobs for Arkansas workers by the unfair, top-down regulations being handed down by an ever increasing centralized government of President Obama.

"I am proud to fight for Arkansas small businesses and working families in the state legislature, and I will be proud to take that fight to Congress representing Arkansas's Fourth District."

Slyvester Smith, state director for NFIB/Arkansas, said: "Small business is the engine that drives Arkansas' economy. By supporting small business, Bruce Westerman is supporting working families and the community."

"Bruce Westerman has stood up for Arkansas' employers and job creators time and time again on important issues such as tax reform and unemployment insurance," Smith continued. "Our members truly appreciate the efforts of Bruce Westerman to help grow Arkansas' economy and create jobs. 

Small businesses account for 97% of private-sector employers in Arkansas, and they employ over half of the non-government workforce. 

To achieve a 100 percent NFIB/Arkansas voting record, Westerman voted "yes" on legislation:

• That reduced the tax burden on all Arkansans by $30 million per year. 
• Made the rules clear and simple so that employees who are fired for misconduct are not eligible to receive unemployment benefits. 
• Stopped government growth and cut state government spending. 
• Reduced the sales and use tax relating to the partial replacement and repair of machinery and equipment used directly in manufacturing, thereby saving our businesses $20 million per year.

About NFIB

NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small- and independent-business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists sends its views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information about NFIB is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.

About Rep. Bruce Westerman

A lifelong resident of Garland County, Rep. Bruce Westerman was Arkansas's first Republican House Majority Leader in 138 years and an architect of the House Republican SIMPLE Plan which led to the 2013 Republican takeover of the Arkansas House of Representatives.

An engineer and forester for 22 years at Mid-South Engineering in Hot Springs, Westerman is a registered professional engineer in Arkansas and six other states, and a registered forester in Arkansas. He holds a Master of Forestry degree (2001) from Yale University. In 2013, he was named Engineer of the Year by the Arkansas Society of Professional of Engineers.

Westerman graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from the Univesity of Arkansas in 1990. While at Arkansas, Westerman was a four-year walk-on member of the Razorback Football Team. He received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2005 and the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012.

Westerman is a former board member of the Fountain Lake School District and is a deacon at Walnut Valley Baptist Church. He lives in Hot Springs with his wife Sharon and their four children.

For more information on Rep. Bruce Westerman, please visit http://BruceWesterman.com and follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/WestermanAR, Facebook at http://facebook.com/WestermanAR, Tumblr athttp://WestermanAR.tumblr.com, and Instagram at http://instagram.com/WestermanAR.