By Mary Stewart

The Selma Times-Journal

Selma native Congresswoman Terri Sewell will be awarded the Spirit of Enterprise Award this Monday, July 10 at the Trustmark Community Room.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Selma and Dallas County Chamber will be hosting a 60-Minute Coffee event from 8-9 a.m. with coffee in hand to help honor the Congresswoman.

Moore Hallmark, the executive director of congressional and public affairs in the south east, will be attending the ceremony on behalf of the U.S. Chamber.

This will be his first trip to Selma, and he is very excited.

“This is my first opportunity to come over, so I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

The award has been given for a number of years as a way for the Chamber to say thank you to members of congress who are voting for pro-business issues.

“Well each year the U.S. Chamber will identify some of the more pro-business issues before that congress, and then we will evaluate the members of congress and how they vote,” he said. Those members who vote in that given year of congress if they vote 70 percent or greater on those issues that we have identified and notified them on as keys votes before congress if they voted 70 percent or greater they receive the spirit of enterprise award.”

Congresswoman Sewell was one of 321 members who received the award for their votes in the last session.

“What we are doing on Monday is, I’m coming over, and we will present the award to her locally, back home in front of the constituents and to thank her for it,” he said.

He said that is not a partisan affair at all, and the Chamber awards this award to both republicans and democrats alike as long as they meet the required pro-business votes taken.

“This award is not to represent partisanship at all. It’s to represent, to reward and to recognize members of congress who voted on pro-business legislation, and Congresswoman Sewell has demonstrated that at least in the last session of congress.”

He expressed his gratitude to the Selma and Dallas County Chamber for hosting the Congresswoman and allowing the U.S. Chamber to partner with them in presenting this award.

“There are tough votes that she and other members of congress have to take,” he explained. “Whenever they are able to do so in a manner which is going to help business; help the economy grow and expand, we want to say thank you and this is a way in which we do so.”

For more information on the event contact the Chamber at 334-875-7241.