The U.S. Chamber in the news - August 15

Posted by Dorry Samuels on August 15, 2012

Superfund gets to work on risky NY-area waterways

The New York Times revisited the program in a lengthy profile, noting that it has been controversial since its founding amid the Reagan administration in 1981 and is still panned on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website as being “slow, ineffective [and] very expensive.”

Fed’s Dudley Backs Money Fund Rules to Guard U.S. Economy

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Eric Rosengren has also publicly supported Schapiro’s plan. Other prominent supporters include Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner; his predecessor, Henry Paulson; and former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker.

They are opposed by the funds industry, which has lobbied against the proposal; the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and lawmakers including Senator Patrick Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican.

US Chamber of Commerce hosts events in support of Maine Republican Senate candidate

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which spent $400,000 on attack ads against independent Angus King, continued to criticize the former two-term governor at campaign stops Monday on behalf of Republican Charlie Summers, and its national political director suggested the Senate race is a key "battleground."

The chamber's Rob Engstrom said the race to succeed Sen. Olympia Snowe has made Maine a "top-tier race that's going to decide the balance of power in the United States Senate."

Foreign Money for Mitt?

There are also trade and interest-group organizations, including the United States Chamber of Commerce, that obtain money from both domestic and foreign sources and then use the money to support certain candidates and positions. As in the case of the Super PACs, foreign money is not supposed to wind up being used to support a specific candidate or party, but the regulation is purely internal in that the organization involved must itself determine how to disburse the funds legally. President Obama and former President Bill Clinton have both accused the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of using funds obtained from foreign governments and corporations that are members of the chamber to pay for ads supporting particular candidates. They and other critics note that money is fungible, and even if the ads technically come out of an account that has been checked to make sure that it is wholly American in origin, foreign funds can be used for other activities, freeing up the U.S. money in the first place.

Former governor wins GOP Senate nod in Wisconsin

In late July, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — a pro-business trade group and one of the most active political spenders — unleashed ads critical of Baldwin backed by nearly $850,000.

Overall, outside groups have spent a combined $4.5 million on the Wisconsin Senate race — a figure that will continue to climb during the next three months as it remains a top target for groups in both parties.

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New U.S. Chamber attacks on corporate political spending disclosure are a good sign

How can you tell that momentum is building for change?

Well, one good sign is that the opposition starts getting nervous about your progress.

That’s why we took it as a positive sign that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently stepped up attacks on shareholders who attempt to make companies disclose political spending.

Earlier this month, I attended an almost comical presentation at the U.S. Chamber headquarters where speakers spent most of a four hour event attacking political spending disclosure resolutions as being bad for business.

I say ‘almost’ comical because, while much of the information is laughably wrong, the subject matter is far too important to joke about.

There are a number of things wrong with what I heard at this event, but I’d like to focus on two disturbing claims in particular.

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U.S. Chamber in the News - March 18

Green for All: New Strategic Partnership with Small Business Majority

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy recently released a report that confirmed a fact many small business groups already know to be true: small businesses are leading the nation’s economic recovery. Green For All is one of the groups that has seen this first-hand. We have worked for years to support small green businesses with the skills and resources needed to create new jobs while improving our environment. We know from experience that small businesses are America’s principal drivers on the road to economic recovery. It is these businesses that are, time and time again, the most capable at fostering local community resilience in times of economic hardship.

The U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce Rejects Ryan's Misogynistic Budget as an Economic Assault on Women and Women Businesses Owners

Today, the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce ( http://www.uswcc.org ) calls on congressional leaders to reject the Ryan Budget as wrong for the future of America, and pledges to take the case to protect the economic future of women to every community.

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