[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15234]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING LAS VEGAS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Nevada (Ms. Berkley) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give special recognition to 
the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce as it celebrates its 100th 
anniversary on October 21 and marks a century of success in working to 
help build and sustain southern Nevada's business community.
  I'm a proud member of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. And as 
someone who grew up in southern Nevada and who represents her hometown 
of Las Vegas here in Congress, it has been remarkable to see firsthand 
so many of the outstanding achievements of the chamber and its 
thousands of members and how they--we--have shaped our community 
throughout the years.
  From designing some of the very first tourism campaigns for Las 
Vegas, to helping pass major small business legislation in recent 
years, the chamber has always played a key part in facilitating the 
growth of Las Vegas and in supporting the business community in 
southern Nevada--today's economic engine of the great Silver State.
  I have had the pleasure to know and work with many of the chamber's 
leaders and participants from its member businesses who serve the 
families of my community every day and who serve the nearly 40 million 
visitors drawn to Las Vegas each year. The Las Vegas Chamber's 
centennial marks a milestone for an organization that had its humble 
beginnings a century ago in a dusty railroad town--now known around the 
globe as the ``entertainment capital of the world.''
  Many of the chamber's early leaders were instrumental in getting 
legislation passed to create the first highways being built to and from 
Las Vegas, making the city more accessible to northern Nevada, southern 
California, Arizona and Utah. Chamber leaders advocated for the 
building of Hoover Dam. This modern marvel still operates today, 
creating electricity for millions of homes and businesses, drawing 
millions of tourists for recreational opportunities at Lake Mead, and 
creating thousands of jobs for the region.
  Chamber leaders were early supporters of the aviation industry in Las 
Vegas, bringing the first airfield to Las Vegas in the 1920s, 
establishing McCarran Airport's current location. Later, the chamber 
worked to secure financing for a modern airport built in 1960. These 
early leaders recognized the need for air travel to keep Las Vegas 
accessible, competitive, and relevant; and their support led to 
McCarran Airport growing to become one of the busiest airports in our 
Nation.
  The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in creating the 
modern method of promoting Las Vegas through the initiation of the Live 
Wire Fund. Created in 1944, the Live Wire Fund eventually led to 
creative marketing campaigns and the initiation of the Las Vegas News 
Bureau to promote Las Vegas tourism and hospitality to the Nation and 
to the world. What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas.
  The chamber has always been and remains the voice of business in 
southern Nevada. With over 80 percent of the jobs in the United States 
created by small businesses, it is my commitment to continue to honor 
the business people of Nevada by working towards a fairer business 
environment where ``Made in America''--and especially ``Made and Sold 
in Nevada''--drive the philosophy of our business mindset.

                              {time}  1030

  This will create jobs, put people back to work, and continue to 
provide the kind of opportunities on which our Nation was founded. The 
Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce has embodied these business ideals for a 
century, and I look forward to being a part of the great things they do 
in their 101st year and beyond.
  In recognition of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce's success, and 
they are here today in number on Capitol Hill, in helping to make Las 
Vegas a brand recognized around the world, and for their unwavering 
commitment to local businesses, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
saluting the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce for their 100 years of 
service and in wishing this organization and its members another 
century of extraordinary success.

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