Monday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) announced he was named a 2024 “Hero of Main Street” by the National Retail Federation (NRF) for his work advancing public policy that encourages a vibrant and healthy retail sector. The award recognized a bipartisan group of lawmakers for their support of the retail industry through legislative action and leadership.
“I’m honored to be recognized” Ricketts said.“ Small businesses are critical to the economic vitality of communities across Nebraska. I’m committed to pro-growth policies that will enable Nebraska retailers and their teammates to thrive.”
Some of those “pro-growth policies” Ricketts referred to include advocating for no legislation that would require taxing online retailers even with no physical presence in the state of Nebraska. He also called for the passage of the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act which stopped the federal government from mandating electric vehicles via the Clean Air Act.
“The retail industry directly impacts every congressional district in the United States, providing goods, services and American jobs,” NRF Executive Vice President of Government Relations David French said. “NRF is honored to recognize Senator Ricketts as a ‘Hero of Main Street’ for his continued support of the retail industry through legislative action and leadership.”
Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $5.3 trillion to annual GDP and supporting more than one in four U.S. jobs — 55 million working Americans. In Nebraska, retail supports more than 342,000 jobs with a $30.1 Billion impact on GDP. The overwhelming majority of retailers are small businesses. More than 98% of all retail companies employ fewer than 50 people.