U.S. Chamber, Hawai‘i restaurants back Case

HONOLULU — Not to be outdone by recent announcements from his opponent’s camp, U.S. Rep. Ed Case, D-Neighbor Islands, Rural O‘ahu, announced this week that the Hawaii Restaurant Association and U.S. Chamber of Commerce have endorsed his bid for the U.S. Senate.

“Together, these organizations represent thousands of small businesses and tens of thousands of employees in the restaurant and food service industry across our state,” Case, a member of the House Small Business Committee, said in a statement.

The HRA is the largest private sector employer in Hawai‘i, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation, Case’s camp said in a release.

“Small business is a vital part of Hawai‘i’s restaurant industry, which is a cornerstone of our local economy, representing 13.6 percent of total employment in Hawai‘i, an estimated 82,900 employees and $2.8 billion in sales,” Case said. “We need to ensure that our federal government works to help small businesses.”

“Ed Case sees the big picture — he understands that America’s businesses are the spark plug for economic prosperity and job growth,” said Bill Miller, chamber vice president and political director. “We believe he will build on a successful tenure in the House and fight for businesses of every size on important issues like tax relief, health care and regulatory reform.”

Case said this year’s Democratic primary, which will essentially decide the seat in lieu of a formidable Republican challenger, is crucial for small businesses across the nation and encourage voters of all party affiliations to cast their ballots.

For information on Case’s reelection campaign, visit www.edcase.com.