Small-business issues have taken center stage in U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultzs bid for re-election to Congress.
Wasserman Schultz, widely considered a rising star in Washington and a vice chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, was first elected to the 20th Congressional District, which covers parts of Broward County, in 2004.
On Thursday, Wasserman Schultz received the Congressional Champion of Small Business Award from SCORE, a non-profit that provides advice and mentoring to small businesses. Louisiana Democrat U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu received the Senate version of the award.
The SCORE Award is equal parts inspiration, celebration and recognition honoring our nations most exciting small businesses, together with leading corporate and government small-business advocates, said Ken Yancey, the CEO of SCORE.The success of small business is the stimulus that will propel our nation through the current economy.
We are pleased to honor Rep. Wasserman Schultz for her vocal support of SCORE and America's small businesses, added Yancey. She is a dedicated advocate for entrepreneurship and the value that SCORE's expert volunteers provide in communities across the country.
SCORE has served as a lifeline for millions of small businesses all across America, said Wasserman Schultz. Through their education and counseling programs, SCORE continues to be a premier source for guidance to current and prospective entrepreneurs. I am deeply honored to be selected as a Champion of Small Business. America has come a long way in turning our economy around in the past year, but we have further to go. I will continue to support the engine of our economy, small-business entrepreneurship, through my work in Congress.
Wasserman Schultz announced that she would host a workshop for small businesses on Saturday, Sept. 25 in the Broward County Convention Center.
My hope is that the information we provide will help to strengthen area small businesses and encourage South Florida entrepreneurs, said Wasserman Schultz.
But on Friday, Karen Harrington --a small-business woman herself and the Republican congressional candidate taking on Wasserman Schultz --blasted the congresswomans record on economic matters, including small-business issues.
"Debbie Wasserman Schultz's record of divisive partisan rhetoric about taxes and the economy is undeniable, and she has a history of playing the class-warfare card whenever it suits her politically," said Harrington, who called on her opponent to back extending tax cuts supported by President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003 to help get the economy back on track. "There can be little doubt that Debbie Wasserman Schultz opposes across-the-board tax cuts for all Americans, placing partisan politics before the people.
We should be enacting policies that allow small businesses across the country to grow and create jobs instead of subjecting them to higher taxes that will only further paralyze their ability to expand and create jobs, continued Harrington. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is directly responsible for creating a terrible business climate that confronts small businesses with the threat of higher taxes and more burdensome regulations -- all of which she has strongly supported.
Harrington, who is considered an underdog by pundits and observers, contrasted Wasserman Schultzs experience with her own.
Given Debbie's complete lack of experience with running a business, creating jobs or meeting a payroll, no one should wonder why she persists in her ignorance, said Harrington. After all, prolonging her political career always takes precedence over everything else, including what is in the best interest of the American people and the citizens of Florida's 20th District."
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
