The pro-business group honors members of Congress for their votes and work on measures supporting job creation.

Maine Second District Congressman Bruce Poliquin received the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently in recognition of his near-perfect score of 95% – among the highest ratings of all members of Congress – by the pro-business group for his work and votes to support job creation in Maine during his first year in Washington.

After the ceremony, Poliquin released the following statement: “I greatly appreciate the Chamber’s award and recognition of the work I’ve done in Congress to help create jobs. I understand there is still much more to be done to grow our economy. As many Mainers unfortunately know all too well, disastrous policies from Washington are smothering Maine businesses and threatening hundreds of jobs across our State. In the coming year, I will continue to fight for fair policies that promote business growth and expansion and allow for more workers to be hired in our communities throughout Maine.”

“We are pleased to recognize Congressman Poliquin for engaging in pro-business policymaking that helps strengthen our nation’s spirit of enterprise,” said Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “The Spirit of Enterprise Award honors those members of Congress who are committed to ensuring that American businesses can continue to operate and succeed in a free enterprise system.”

Last week, Poliquin spoke at the Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce breakfast at the Franco Center, where he was honored for his 95% job-creation voting score from the Chamber. Geoff O’Hara, vice president of Regional Affairs and Advocacy at the U.S. Chamber, applauded him at the breakfast for his standout score.

The Chamber’s prestigious Spirit of Enterprise Award is given annually to members of Congress based on their votes on critical business legislation as outlined in the Chamber publication, “How They Voted.” Members who supported the Chamber’s position on at least 70 percent of those votes qualify to receive the award.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation, representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.