U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (SBC), today received the 2016 “Hero of Main Street” award from the National Retail Federation (NRF). The award recognizes Members of Congress for their support of the retail industry’s public policy priorities.

“Retailers big and small play a critical role in improving local economies and creating millions of necessary jobs for Americans across the country,” said Vitter. “As Chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, I look forward to continue working with our nation’s entrepreneurs to promote policies that will help small businesses grow and thrive.”

The NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association and represents the interests of discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries.

As SBC Chairman, Vitter is committed to advocating for America’s small businesses, and is working to make sure that the voices and concerns of small business owners across the country are heard in Washington. Most recently, Vitter has been a vocal opponent of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) final overtime rule, which would more than double the current salary threshold under the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime exemption for administrative, executive, and professional employees. Click here to read more.

To date, Chairman Vitter has passed 30 bills out of the Committee, 20 more than his predecessors in recent years. Additionally, the Small Business Committee has held 16 hearings, 16 field hearings, and 1 roundtable discussion.

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