SHAHEEN WELCOMES NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESSES TO WASHINGTON

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) welcomed more than 100 of New Hampshire’s business leaders during the 2^nd annual New Hampshire Business Day event today in Washington.  Participants listened to presentations and had the chance to ask questions to top administration officials and key members of Congress about the ways federal programs and agencies can assist businesses.

“The government can and must create a pro-growth environment for businesses. That’s what New Hampshire Business Day is all about. We want to help our state businesses understand how to best make use of the federal resources available to them,” said Shaheen, a member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.  “Businesses need information and certainty in order to grow and create jobs and I will continue to help companies connect with the resources they need.”

Featured speakers included:

• Senator Jeanne Shaheen, State of New Hampshire 
• Senator Kelly Ayotte, State of New Hampshire
• Senator Kent Conrad, State of North Dakota, Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee
• Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• Senator Mary Landrieu, State of Louisiana, Chairwoman of the Small Business Committee
• Secretary Timothy Geithner, U.S. Department of Treasury
• Senator John McCain, State of Arizona 
• Deputy Assistant Secretary Beth Osborne, U.S. Department of Transportation
• Secretary John Bryson, U.S. Department of Commerce

“With the help of businesses like those attending today, America is continuing to heal from the worst downturn since the Great Depression,” said U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson.  “Nationally we’ve seen private sector job growth for 27 straight months and businesses have created 4.3 million new jobs.  And New Hampshire is helping to lead the way. At the Commerce Department and throughout the Administration, we’re working every day to help businesses in New Hampshire and across the country build things here and sell them everywhere to create jobs.”

"Because my company, Red River, works closely with the federal government on information technology issues, we are very much in tune with the critical government issues that confront businesses and individuals every day,” said Rick Bolduc, CEO of Red River Computer Company in Claremont. “Thus we have a deep appreciation for having the opportunity to hear from the central decision makers in our government. As a New Hampshire-based company, we have limited access to these decision makers, so hearing their thoughts and comments firsthand is an extraordinary opportunity. Our sincere thanks goes out to Senator Shaheen for this great event."

"New Hampshire Business Day is a wonderful opportunity for New Hampshire business leaders to interact with Senator Shaheen, her colleagues from both parties and Cabinet officials,” said Jim Roche, President, New Hampshire Business and Industry Association. “This event is an important way for us to discuss pressing national issues that affect New Hampshire businesses."

Shaheen has been a longtime advocate for businesses, and has sponsored and supported legislation to help small businesses create jobs in New Hampshire. She won a long-term reauthorization for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, a critical small business innovation program that increases participation of small, innovative companies in federal research and development programs. She also helped craft the Small Business Jobs Act to help small businesses get access to credit and grow. That bill also cut billions of dollars in taxes for small businesses and helped small companies get access to overseas markets to grow their exports.  Shaheen recently introduced a bill to extend the SBA 504 refinance program, which helps small companies refinance their mortgages and lock in historically low interest rates.

With the understanding that innovation and increased exports are key to keeping America competitive, Shaheen recently introduced a bill with Senator Ayotte to boost small business exports. Shaheen was the first New Hampshire Governor to lead a trade mission overseas and has continued her efforts on the federal level to help businesses export their products. 

Following the New Hampshire Business Day event, Shaheen, along with the New Hampshire State Society and the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation, will host the 3^nd Annual Experience New Hampshire reception to showcase the state’s best in tourism, hospitality, art, and food. 

For more information on this event please visit www.experiencenh.net or look for the hashtag #ExperienceNH on Twitter. Photos from today’s events will be uploaded here:  http://on.fb.me/Ni2t3Z

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