Newt Gingrich Joins Presidential Town Hall Series, Speaks With Small-business Community

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the National Restaurant Association (NRA), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today announced that on Friday, December 2, 2011 at 3:30 pm ET, the teleforum series will continue with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

The presidential "Town Hall" teleforum series began on Thursday, October 13 with Congressman Ron Paul. In addition, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Texas Governor Rick Perry have also participated in discussions with the small-business community. Audio to past teleforums is available here: http://www.nfib.com/issues-elections. In addition, the following candidates have been invited to participate in a Town Hall:

- President Barack Obama
- Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
- Herman Cain, Former CEO of Godfather's Pizza

This is the second presidential election cycle during which these groups have joined together to provide an opportunity for presidential candidates to interact directly with their respective memberships. The meetings provide a unique opportunity for candidates and members to engage each other on a wide array of issues related to the economy and other challenges facing the country.

The town halls are conducted via teleforum and are available to members only. They function much like a radio call-in show; participants will have a chance to ask questions of the speakers and hear their responses. A press announcement will be made when the remaining candidates' forums are confirmed.

NOTE TO REPORTERS: If you would like to join any of the town halls on a listen-only basis, please contact Cynthia Magnuson at (202) 314-2036 or Cynthia.Magnuson@nfib.org. A recording of the teleforum will be available after the call is completed.

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Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 960,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of nearly 13 million employees. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to lead America's restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.