Sen. Cory Gardner to Address Big ‘I’ Legislative Conference Breakfast

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colorado) will address Big “I” members on Thursday, May 4 as a keynote speaker at the Legislative Conference Breakfast, which occurs just prior to the association’s annual Big “I” Day on Capitol Hill.

Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, Sen. Gardner currently serves on the Senate Energy & Natural Resource Committee; the Foreign Relations Committee; the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; and the Budget Committee. He is also chairman of the Energy Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy.

“We are excited to have Sen. Garner address our membership, especially since our Legislative Conference occurs during Small Business Week,” says Bob Rusbuldt, Big “I” president & CEO. “Coming from a small business family, the senator knows firsthand the important role that Main Street America plays in our economy. He has been a tireless advocate for small businesses and the communities that they serve.”

In addition to his numerous committee leadership roles, as chair of the influential National Republican Senatorial Committee, Sen. Gardner is committed to helping other Republicans get elected. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as a state legislator.

Prior to his career in public service, Sen. Gardner was a legislative aide, a practicing attorney and an employee at the hardware store his family owned and operated in the small town of Yuma, Colorado. Sen. Gardner earned a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and a law degree from the University of Colorado Boulder.

“Sen. Gardner is active on a wide range of issues that are key to small businesses in Colorado and across the country, including many Big ‘I’ members,” says Charles E. Symington, Jr., Big “I” senior vice president for external and government affairs. “As an outspoken voice for small business and fiscal responsibility, he understands the important role that our members play in the economy and the job that they do to protect their communities.”

The Big “I” Legislative Conference, to take place May 3-5 at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel, is an opportunity for Big “I” members to discuss important issues with their congressional representatives. Top issues this year include the NFIP, health care, tax reform, insurance regulatory reform, the Federal Crop Insurance Program and other economic challenges facing independent insurance agents and their clients. Thursday’s breakfast will also feature a Democrat speaker, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia).

Margarita Tapia is Big “I” director of public affairs.