Rep. Chrissy Houlahan Recognized for Leadership on Behalf of Businesses

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., has been recognized for her support of small business, by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Houlahan, who has represented Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District since 2018, is not only an Air Force veteran, engineer and educator, she’s also the first woman elected to represent the district.

Last week, the U.S. Chamber gave her one of its annual Spirit of Enterprise awards in recognition of her “support of pro-growth policies.”

Fellow Democrat Rep. Lizzie Fletcher tied Houlahan for 12th overall among House Democrats on the chamber’s legislative score index. The chamber has tracked and rated members based on voting record since 1965.

Notably, Houlahan partnered with Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., to introduce the Small Business Compete Act, legislation that assists small businesses obtain lucrative federal contracts by easing requirements implemented by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. 

Although over 99% of American businesses are classified as “small businesses,” they only receive 25% of federal contracts.

“We need an economy that works for everyone, and that means taking bipartisan strides towards a more level playing field for our small businesses,” Houlahan said in a statement. “I’m proud to be working with fellow Pennsylvanian Rep. Joyce to introduce our Small Business Compete Act. For too long, large companies have had a monopoly over lucrative federal contracts.”

Further, Houlahan partnered with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., to push for an initiative aimed at cracking down on harmful chemicals in public drinking water. These provisions would require the Environmental Protection Agency to enforce standards that prohibit polyfluoroalkyl substances – which are linked to cancer and other serious health problems – from entering the nation’s water supply.

Language that would have led to mass cleanup of contaminated sites was removed from the National Defense Authorization Act that passed Congress last year. Several related provisions were cleared by Congress that will require the military to transition from chemically harmful firefighting foam by 2024.

In May, Houlahan teamed with Michael Waltz, R-Fla., to introduce a bill that creates a National Public Health Corps in response to the coronavirus epidemic. This organization would partner with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Health and Human Services and function under the Corporation for National and Community Service.

“It’s important to continue that tradition of service, especially in times of great distress and need,” Houlahan told CNN. “We are definitely in one of those times.”