U.S Chamber of Commerce

U.S. Chamber in the News - March 7

OpenSecrets Blog: Powerful Interests Oppose Strengthening of Disabilities Law

By Reid Davenport

When the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law almost 23 years ago, the idea of inclusion for people with disabilities was legally born. Ramps were built, infrastructure was redesigned and, for the first time, the law backed people with disabilities who demanded their right not to be blocked from physical access to facilities.

Many lobbying clients that favor deregulation -- such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Hotel and Lodging Association -- simply have more money at their disposal than clients who favor more extensive ADA regulations. Since 2001, 119 organizations have filed 37 lobbying reports concerning 11 bills and a resolution that mentioned the ADA in their summaries, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. While lobbying disclosure reports don't require organizations to reveal their positions on bills they lobby, looking at the interests a group represents allows for an educated guess.

Los Angeles Times: Rejecting industry dogma, Costco backs calls to lift minimum wage

By Alen Samuels

NEW YORK -- For many businesses, opposing minimum wage increases is a no-brainer: Raising the minimum wage increases their expenses. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce steadfastly opposes the proposal, as do many businesses big and small.

But on Tuesday a handful of businesses applauded a bill introduced in Congress to raise the minimum wage, and even sent out a news release vocalizing their support for doing so. They included retailer Costco and smaller businesses such as British American Auto Care in Columbia, Md., and Vintage Vinyl in St. Louis, Mo. More...

States Fight Back!

In the wake of Citizens United, twenty-two states are fighting back against unlimited, anonymous corporate influence in their elections.  

  More...

Yahoo! Joins Apple, Other Tech Companies, Abandons U.S. Chamber

Joining a growing list of major corporations that are upset with the U.S. Chamber’s pay-to-play model, where the U.S. Chamber’s brand is for-sale to the highest bidder, Yahoo! Has abandoned the U.S. Chamber citing the business lobby’s active work against their interests. According to Politico’s Morning Tech: More...

U.S. Chamber Member: High Gas Prices Are Wall Street's Fault

In a rare departure from its usual protocol, it appears that the U.S. Chamber is not listening to Wall Street. On Tuesday, U.S. Chamber member Goldman Sachs attributed burgeoning oil prices to rampant market speculation-- that is, a Wall Street giant openly admitted that it's Wall Street's fault, not a problem of supply and demand, that have forced gas prices to unaffordable levels. More...

FIVE FACTS ABOUT THE US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

  1. The U.S. Chamber does not represent most local chambers of commerce.

    There are more than 7,000 separate chambers of commerce in the United States.  The U.S. Chamber refuses to say how many are dues-paying members of the national Chamber, but there are just 249 local chambers that are accredited by the national organization
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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.

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.