National Restaurant Association members meet with President Bush in support of his tax relief plan

(Washington, DC) - Underscoring the clout of the restaurant industry - the nation's largest private sector employer - and the National Restaurant Association, more than 100 members of the National Restaurant Association came to the nation's capital today for a briefing with President Bush on his tax relief package.

The meeting was exclusively between National Restaurant Association members and the president, and marks the third time in two months that the Bush Administration has invited restaurateurs to the White House. During a previous White House event for small business owners, Association Chairman Denise Marie Fugo, who owns Sammy's in Cleveland, Ohio, was standing with the president at the podium and referenced in his remarks.

"We are pleased that the president wanted to take time out of his schedule to brief restaurant leaders on his tax relief package. The fact that the president has frequently reached out to our industry demonstrates that he understands that the restaurant industry is the cornerstone of the economy, community and career opportunities," said Steven C. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the National Restaurant Association.

"We strongly support the president's tax package, as it would greatly help the nation's restaurateurs and their employees. And as the industry generates nearly $400 billion in annual sales, any tax relief for restaurant owners and employees would multiply throughout the economy. We are urging Congress to swiftly pass the president's tax package," he said. The National Restaurant Association has been aggressively working to pass the president's tax proposals serving as a leader at the Tax Relief Coalition-a 500+ group of trade associations.

Elimination of the estate tax is one of the Association's top priorities, as many of the nation's restaurants are small, family-owned businesses. In fact, more than 70 percent of the nation's restaurants have fewer than 20 employees. Across-the-board tax cuts would greatly benefit both employers and the restaurant industry's 11.3 million employees. According to Association estimates, a waiter or waitress could reduce his or her tax obligation by as much as one-third under the Bush tax plan. And the rate cuts will also be of great relief to those restaurant operators who file as "S" corporations.

The fact that President Bush has reached out to restaurateurs several times since taking office further supports the messages of the Association's Cornerstone Initiative. The Cornerstone Initiative is the Association's effort to promote ways in which the restaurant industry is the cornerstone of the economy, career opportunities and community involvement.