Sen. Donnelly to visit Bloomington Friday

Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., is attending a breakfast Friday in Bloomington to speak with the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce about federal issues.  

The Chamber is sponsoring the breakfast as a way to give its members the opportunity to discuss topics relevant to the community.

Liz Irwin, director of advocacy and public policy for the Chamber, said the Chamber tries to provide valuable programs for members that include critical local, state and federal policy discussions.

“We anticipate that Senator Donnelly will give a broad overview of some of the issues being addressed at the federal level, focusing in on the issues that are significant to the business community, Indiana and Monroe county,” Irwin said.

Donnelly serves on the Armed Services Committee, Agricultural Committee and Aging Committee, which Irwin said are a central focus of the community.

“We expect the Senator to focus on some of these issues,” Irwin said.

Donnelly also might discuss sequestration, Irwin said,  as well as federal spending and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

“It is our understanding that Senator Donnelly would like to focus a lot on the audience question-and-answer segment of the program because he wants to hear directly from his constituents about issues of importance to the local business community,” Irwin said.

Irwin believes these types of programs are important to building a stronger society.

“As the voice of business in our community, the Chamber’s goal is to advocate for the best interest of our members because we truly feel that as we build better business, we build better community,” Irwin said.

Elizabeth Shappell, communications director for Donnelly, said he is looking forward to his visit.

“Senator Donnelly’s number one priority is making sure every Hoosier who wants a job has a job, and he thinks one of the best ways to achieve this goal is to work with Indiana businesses to help create the conditions necessary for growth and continued success,” Shappell said.

— Allison Friedman