Contact: Gail Raiman, (703) 812-2073             For Immediate Release
              Gerry Fritz, (703) 812-2062                        June 17, 2010

Washington, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today presented U.S. Congressman Eric Cantor (R-Va.) with its Free Enterprise Legislator of the Year award. Each year, ABC honors a member of Congress whose public service parallels the ideals upon which ABC was founded: the principles of full and open competition and the advancement of the free-market system.

“Congressman Cantor has been on the frontline on issues that help advance free enterprise and the merit shop construction industry,” said 2010 ABC National Chairman Jim Elmer, founder and president of James W. Elmer Construction Co., Spokane, Wash.“He is a great friend of ABC and a strong ally in Congress, and we are grateful for his support.”

Besides representing Virginia’s 7^th Congressional District, Cantor serves as Republican Whip in the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition, he sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, which has direct jurisdiction over taxes, trade and entitlement programs. Cantor is being recognized by ABC for his outstanding job in uniting opponents of excessive government spending. He also voted for ABC’s key issues 100 percent of the time during the 111^th Congress.

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Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national association with 77 chapters representing 25,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms with two million employees. To find out more about ABC, visit www.abc.org.