Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. press release, June 27, 2000

MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 205 1 5 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Jill Homan June 27, 2000 202/225-3061 Food Distribution Industry Honors Congressman Bob Ehrlich WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Food Distributors International (FDI) has honored Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. with its 2000 Thomas Jefferson Award. The award recognizes Congressman Ehrlich’s support of sound fiscal policy, reasonable government regulation, and other free-market principles crucial to the health of the food distribution industry and the American economy. Members of Congress were selected based on their voting records on key legislation during the first session of the 1 06,h Congress. FDI President John R. Block stated, “The Thomas Jefferson Award is our opportunity to recognize these Members of Congress who have shown their support for business and have worked to create a government that allows our industry to prosper.” Congressman Ehrlich stated, “I am pleased the Food Distributors International has chosen to honor me in this manner. This award demonstrates my work to cut wasteful spending, eliminate the national debt, and restore honesty and integrity to government. These policies benefit the working families and small businesses of the Second Congressional District.” The award program was inspired by the philosophies and writings of Thomas Jefferson, who in his inaugural address noted, “A wise and frugal government... which shall leave men otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government.” “The voting records of the award recipients tell us that they truly believe in the philosophy of the award’s namesake,” said Albert E. Plamann, Chairman & CEO, Unified Western Grocers, Los Angeles, and FDI’s Chairman. Background: Food Distributors International is a trade association comprised of food distribution companies that supply and service independent grocers and foodservice operations throughout the U.S., Canada and 19 other countries. The association and its foodservice partner, the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA), have 232 member companies that operate 819 distribution centers with a combined annual sales volume of $156 billion. IFDA represents member firms that annually sell nearly $45 billion in food and related products to restaurants, hospitals and other institutional foodservice operations. ###