The U.S. Chamber in the news - October 5

Chamber of Commerce Ramps up Efforts in New York Congressional Races
This morning, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce officially set its sights on six congressional races across New York State and launched ads in each of them. Stretching from Long Island to Buffalo, the broadcast barrage attacks Democratic congressional incumbents Tim Bishop, Kathy Hochul, Bill Owens and Louise Slaughter, and attempts to beat back Democratic candidates Sean Patrick Maloney and Dan Maffei. [Politicker]

Calif. House race heats up thanks to outside money
The 47th Congressional District race saw a massive TV ad attack campaign launched by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on behalf of Republican Gary DeLong, portraying Democratic opponent Alan Lowenthal as a job killer. On the other hand, the 203,000-member California Small Business Association has endorsed Lowenthal as one of their favorite legislators. But that group has virtually no political advertising budget. That means that the chamber ads could tighten up the race in the newly drawn Long Beach-to-Westminster district, where Democrats have an 11-point advantage in voter registration. [Orange County Register]

Democrat Gill’s poll shows Davis closing the gap in Illinois Congressional Race
Money may be a factor here. Gill is being outspent…A new report by the Federal Election Commission on so-called “independent” or “superPAC” spending in the race shows that $1.795 million has been devoted to the race, most of it against Gill. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce entered the race over the weekend, saying it would put $500,000 in advertising to oppose Gill. A 30-second ad posted online by the Chamber of Commerce hits Gill for his support of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act and for a plan to raise taxes “on job creators.” CapitolFax

US commodity regulators face new fight over reforms
The Investment Company Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce complain
that the measure duplicates the mutual fund regulations already imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should the groups win, the case could be used as a the case could be used as a model for combating other reforms designed to bring Wall Street and financial markets under closer watch.  [Reuters]

U.S., Panama to implement trade pact by early November
A long-delayed free trade agreement between the United States and Panama will go into force in the coming weeks, once the Central American country takes a few remaining steps, officials from both countries said on Thursday. U.S. business groups had hoped the agreement would be enacted by the start of October, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce event on Thursday with U.S. and Panamanian officials was originally expected to celebrate that.  [Reuters]

Energy Summit Goes After Obama
Although the logo for the summit incorporated the color green and a spectrum of energy industry symbols, including solar panels, energy-efficient light bulbs, wind turbines and coal-fired power plants, the "Energy and the Economy" panel was mainly a vehicle to promote fossil fuels and attack the Obama administration's pro-environment energy policies. Karen Harbert, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy, said energy development is contributing to a national "manufacturing renaissance." Harbert gave a cursory nod to nurturing America's "abundant resources from the sun to the bottom of the ocean." She mostly complained about the regulatory environment that is prompting utility companies to take coal plants offline while China continues to build an average of one coal-powered plant per week.  [Jackson Free Press]