U.S. Representative Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) has been named a recipient of the the International Foodservice Distributors Association’s 2014 Thomas Jefferson Award.
The IFDA presents the award to members of Congress who demonstrate their commitment to strengthening the free enterprise system.
The award is based on voting records during the 113th Congress on issues critical to the growth of the foodservice distribution industry and the nation’s overall economy.
“Representative Denham has taken positive votes on legislation to support job growth, the private sector and free market principles,” said IFDA President and CEO Mark S. Allen. “The Thomas Jefferson Award is the foodservice distribution industry’s way of recognizing and thanking legislators who are committed to the Jeffersonian vision of a strong free enterprise system with limited government involvement in the economy. Our member companies are pleased to have this opportunity to recognize the work that Representative Denham and all of the Thomas Jefferson Award recipients are doing in Washington to enact policies that will return our nation to prosperity.”
Recipients of the award supported the IFDA’s position on at least 70 percent of six House votes deemed critical to the foodservice distribution industry. These votes included votes on the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (HR 367), which requires Congress to approve all new major regulations, and the Authority for Mandate Delay Act (HR 2667), to postpone the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act. A complete list of votes can be found here.
The program, introduced in 1992, was inspired by Thomas Jefferson who said, “A wise and frugal government … shall leave men … free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government,” in his first inaugural address.
The award is a custom-crafted replica of Jefferson standing in his memorial, framed by his pillars of prosperity, agriculture, manufacturing, commerce, and navigation.
