Praise, rebuke for Rehberg on small business issues

Praise, rebuke for Rehberg on small business issues

At the same time that he is receiving praise from a small business federation, Montana's Rep. Denny Rehberg is receiving criticism from state Democrats for a vote they say will hurt that same group.

Rehberg, a five-term Republican running for re-election against Democrat Dennis McDonald and Libertarian Mike Fellows, announced Friday that the National Federation of Small Businesses had named him a "Guardian of Small Business" for his work in job creation and pro-small business policies during the 111th session of Congress.

The same day, McDonald and the state Democratic party bashed Rehberg for his vote against the Small Business Jobs Act, saying his vote shows he does not understand the need of small business owners on small business issues

The business award was given based on the voting record of Rehberg, which the federation said shows his support of small business and opposition to job-killing polices. Those include his votes against bills such as the health care reform, the cap-and-trade climate and energy reform bill, and the DISCLOSE Act, a bill requiring corporations and unions to list the top five donors in political advertisements run by them.

But MacDonald and Martin Kidston, spokesman for the Montana Democrats, said in releases that Rehberg's vote against the small jobs bill shows the opposite. The bill, fully paid for and adding nothing to the federal deficit, would give $12 billion in tax cuts to small business and help create 500,000 new jobs, they said.

Rehberg's vote against the bill, which passed both the House and Senate with both Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester voting for it, shows the congressman is voting against small business interests in Montana, Kidston and MacDonald said in separate releases.

At the same time that he is receiving praise from a small business federation, Montana's Rep. Denny Rehberg is receiving criticism from state Democrats for a vote they say will hurt that same group.

Rehberg, a five-term Republican running for re-election against Democrat Dennis McDonald and Libertarian Mike Fellows, announced Friday that the National Federation of Small Businesses had named him a "Guardian of Small Business" for his work in job creation and pro-small business policies during the 111th session of Congress.

The same day, McDonald and the state Democratic party bashed Rehberg for his vote against the Small Business Jobs Act, saying his vote shows he does not understand the need of small business owners on small business issues

The business award was given based on the voting record of Rehberg, which the federation said shows his support of small business and opposition to job-killing polices. Those include his votes against bills such as the health care reform, the cap-and-trade climate and energy reform bill, and the DISCLOSE Act, a bill requiring corporations and unions to list the top five donors in political advertisements run by them.

But MacDonald and Martin Kidston, spokesman for the Montana Democrats, said in releases that Rehberg's vote against the small jobs bill shows the opposite. The bill, fully paid for and adding nothing to the federal deficit, would give $12 billion in tax cuts to small business and help create 500,000 new jobs, they said.

Rehberg's vote against the bill, which passed both the House and Senate with both Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester voting for it, shows the congressman is voting against small business interests in Montana, Kidston and MacDonald said in separate releases.