U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., of Minnesota’s 7th Congressional District, was among 210 members of the House of Representatives and 49 members of the U.S. Senate to be honored with the Spirit of Enterprise Award presented on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Over the past 32 years, the Spirit of Enterprise Award has been given annually to lawmakers who have shown support for pro-growth policies. Award recipients are chosen based on a grading scale established by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that rewards pro-business legislative voting, legislative leadership and bipartisan engagement.

Peterson, whose district spans from the northwest corner of the state all the way to Marshall, received the award from Marshall Chamber of Commerce President Brad Gruhot virtually on Zoom Wednesday morning in recognition of his 82% annual score. Peterson has a lifetime score of 69% and has been a recipient of the award in years past.

During the virtual conference, Peterson was lauded for his willingness to reach across party lines to get things accomplished. Most notably, Peterson helped create a domino effect among House Democrats in supporting the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that went into effect on July 1.

Cooperation between both parties was a point of emphasis for Peterson in his acceptance speech and echoes the sentiments of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“In these uncertain times with daunting economic and social challenges facing our nation, it is imperative that leaders in Washington are focused on propelling American businesses forward to create jobs and economic growth from California to Maine,” said Thomas J. Donohue, CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “As we rebuild our economy, legislators must lead by pursuing bipartisan solutions that create jobs and promote a free enterprise system. I’m proud to recognize these 259 members of Congress for their commitment to driving opportunity and prosperity in America’s workforce and on Main streets across the nation.”

Peterson was joined by U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, House Reps. Jim Hagedorn, Angela Craig, Dean Phillips, Betty McCollum, Ilhan Omar, Tom Emmer, and Pete Stauber as fellow Minnesota politicians to receive the award.