COLUMBIA, SC – The National Taxpayer Union (NTU), a nonpartisan
grassroots organization of 362,000 members, today announced that Gresham Barrett is the only Congressman from South Carolina to have earned the group’s prestigious “Taxpayers’ Friend Award” for 2009. Barrett
received a 93% score from the NTU, the highest of any member in South
Carolina’s U.S. House delegation. This is the seventh consecutive year
Barrett has received the award, dating back to 2002, his first year in
Congress.

“Given today’s economic climate, fiscal discipline is more important
now than ever,” NTU President Duane Parde said. “Fortunately, taxpayers
have a staunch ally in Gresham Barrett, to whom the National Taxpayers
Union is proud to present a ‘Taxpayers’ Friend Award.’”

The award is given to Representatives and Senators who achieve an “A”
grade in NTU’s annual Rating of Congress. The rating, which is based on
every roll call vote affecting fiscal policy, assigns a “Taxpayer
Score” to each Member of Congress that indicates his or her support for
reducing or controlling federal spending, taxes, debt, and regulation. For
2009, a total of 333 House and 227 Senate votes were selected.

“Gresham Barrett’s pro-taxpayer score of 93 percent was one of the
best in the entire Congress,” Parde continued. “By voting time and
again to reduce federal spending, taxes, and debt, Gresham has led by
example in the fight to defend overburdened taxpayers across the country.

Parde continued, “If every Member of Congress was as principled as
Gresham Barrett, current and future generations of Americans could enjoy
much lower taxes and a less wasteful government. Hard-working families in
South Carolina and across the nation owe Gresham a debt of gratitude for
his effort on their behalf. Gresham Barrett has truly earned the title
‘Taxpayers’ Friend.”

Barrett thanked the National Taxpayers Union saying, “I am honored to
receive this award and grateful to the NTU for their dedication to
protecting the best interests of taxpayers across the country. I am proud
to have signed the ‘No New Taxes’ pledge and as Governor, I will work
with Republicans and Democrats to lower taxes and increase economic
activity so we can put South Carolina back to work.”

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