Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) has been named the Federal Public Official of the Year for the Senate by Pennsylvania Bio, the state's biosciences industry trade association.

Sen. Toomey accepted the award at a meeting today at his Capitol Hill office.

"In Pennsylvania, we have the potential to create tens of thousands of additional jobs in the life sciences industry and continue to be a leader in the creation of life-saving technologies and products. Many of our up-and-coming medical device companies are on the cutting edge of exciting innovations and discoveries, from handheld devices that help our troops detect traumatic brain injuries during battle to non-invasive respirators," Sen. Toomey said. "I'm proud to support legislation that promotes this growing industry, helps improve lives and creates new job opportunities for Pennsylvanians. I thank Pennsylvania Bio for this recognition and am honored to accept this award."

Sen. Toomey has supported bills that would create jobs and make it easier for small businesses to raise capital, including:

• Legislation to Repeal the Medical Device Tax:

o This legislation was aimed at repealing a 2.3 percent medical device tax included in the president's health care law, the Affordable Care Act. The tax even applied to researchers developing new technologies that have yet to break even on their research costs, penalizing companies pioneering new lifesaving technologies. Not only would the tax cost Pennsylvania jobs, it would discourage and perhaps prevent the development of these critical discoveries. Sen. Toomey, who is chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, will chair a hearing on Thursday, April 23, 2015, about the devastating impact of this tax on jobs, innovation, and patients.

• Start Up Jobs and Innovation Act:

o This legislation would reform our tax code to foster job creation and boost economic growth, while making it easier for small businesses, manufacturers, and family farms to comply with complicated tax rules. It would also extend and expand tax incentives for small business that invest and grow in the U.S.