National Restaurant Association Announces Final Schedule Of Speakers To Address 2007 Public Affairs Conference

The National Restaurant Association today announced the final schedule of presenters at its Public Affairs Conference, to be held September 25-26, 2007, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. An addition to the schedule is U.S. Representative James Clyburn (D-SC-6), House Majority Whip, who will address the crowd of more than 700 restaurateurs from across the nation.

"We are pleased to add Representative Clyburn as a speaker at the 2007 Public Affairs Conference," said Peter Kilgore, acting interim president and chief executive officer of the Association. "This year's conference boasts an impressive schedule of bipartisan speakers including several Congressional leaders, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official, and two former White House press secretaries. The National Restaurant Association continues to be at the forefront of debates about key public policy issues that affect restaurant operators, and the Public Affairs Conference will provide a dialogue with lawmakers and opinion leaders to promote our pro-employee/pro-employer policy agenda."

The following is the schedule of speakers:

Tuesday, September 25
2:45 p.m. Dr. Richard Raymond
Under Secretary for Food Safety for the Food Safety and Inspection Service with USDA

3:15 p.m. U.S. Representative John Boehner (R-OH-8)
House Minority Leader

3:45 p.m. U.S. Representative James Clyburn (D-SC-6)
House Majority Whip

5:00 p.m. Ari Fleischer
Former spokesperson for President George W. Bush
Mike McCurry
Former press secretary for President Bill Clinton

Wednesday, September 26
8:00 a.m. U.S. Representative Adam Putnam (R-FL-12)
Chairman, House Republican Conference

8:30 a.m. U.S. Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6)
Chairman, House Health Subcommittee

Restaurateurs in attendance at the 2007 Public Affairs Conference will learn about critical public policy issues and meet with members of Congress to discuss their concerns and support of key legislation impacting the restaurant industry.

Reporters who would like to attend the conference or accompany restaurateurs on their Capitol Hill visits should pre-register by contacting the Association at (202) 973-3677 or media@dineout.org. For more details and the full agenda, visit www.restaurant.org/paconference.