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{{#badges:AEX|CoalSwarm}}The '''U.S. Chamber of Commerce''', a powerful business [[pro-corporate trade group, is the largest lobbying]] group organization in the United States that "has become a fully functional part of the partisan [[Republican Party|Republican]] machine" since CEO , and president [[Thomas J. Donohue]] took office also works to influence policy in 1997many other countries. Prior to Donohue<ref name="chamber works globally"/> The Chamber describes itself as "the world's tenurelargest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, the Chamber "used to be a [[trade association]] that advocated in a bipartisan manner for narrowly tailored policies to benefit its membersand region." <refname="about">Matt StollerU.S. Chamber of Commerce, "[httphttps://www.mydduschamber.com/story/2006/12/13/14220about-us/862 "Tom Donahue, about-us-chamber About the 'Gang of 6' and Red America,"] ''MyDD'', December 13, 2006U.S.</ref> The Chamber's 2010 budget is approximately $200 million], but as a trade organization" organizational website, its donors can remain anonymousaccessed August 2015. <ref name= "NY Times Oct 22"></ref>
According to its websiteDespite these claims, the U.S. Chamber ''New York Times'' reported in October 2010 that half of Commerce "has one overarching mission—to strengthen the competitiveness Chamber's $140 million in contributions in 2008 came from just 45 big-money donors, many of whom enlisted the U.S. economyChamber's help to fight political and public opinion battles on their behalf (such as opposing financial or healthcare reforms, or other regulations).<refname= "NY Times Oct 22">Eric Lipton, Mike McIntire, and Don Van Natta Jr., [http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/us/politics/22chamber.html Top Corporations Aid U.S. Chamber of CommerceCampaign], ''The New York Times'', October 21, 2010.</ref> The Chamber is "dominated by [[oil industry|oil companies]], [[pharmaceutical industry|pharmaceutical giants]], automakers and other polluting industries," according to [[James Carter]], executive director of the [[Green Chamber of Commerce]].<ref>Tom Lochner, [http://www.uschambercontracostatimes.com/about Aboutnews/ci_7247780 Chamber hopes local promotion of green business produces national results"]''ContraCostaTimes'', October 22, 2007.</ref> It describes itself The Chamber has been described as becoming "a fully functional part of the worldpartisan [[Republican Party|Republican]] machine" after CEO and president [[Thomas J. Donohue]] took office in 1997. Prior to Donohue's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every sizetenure, sector, and regionthe Chamber "used to be a [[trade association]] that advocated in a bipartisan manner for narrowly tailored policies to benefit its members."<ref name="fibre">Fibre2fashion.comMatt Stoller, "[https://web.archive.org/web/20090307235216/http://www.fibre2fashionmydd.com/newsstory/2006/12/association-news13/us-chamber14220/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=42835 862 Tom Donahue, the 'Gang of 6' and Red America,]"USA : Chamber backs fight against internet piracy''MyDD'', December 13,"] U2006.S. Chamber of Commerce profile via Fibre2Fashion.comArchived by Internet Wayback Machine, October 19March 7, 20072009.</ref> {{Template:KochConnection}} __TOC__
Despite these claims, the ''New York Times'' reported in October 2010 that half of the Chamber's $140 million in contributions in 2008 came from just 45 big-money donors, many of whom enlisted the Chamber's help to fight political and public opinion battles on their behalf (such as opposing financial or healthcare reforms, or other regulations). <ref name= "NY Times Oct 22"> Eric Lipton, Mike McIntire, and Don Van Natta Jr., [http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/us/politics/22chamber.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2 Top Corporations Aid U.S. Chamber of Commerce Campaign], ''The New York Times'', October 21, 2010.</ref> The Chamber is "dominated by [[oil industry|oil companies]], [[pharmaceutical industry|pharmaceutical giants]], automakers and other polluting industries," according to [[James Carter]], executive director of the [[Green Chamber of Commerce]].<ref>Tom Lochner, [http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_7247780 Chamber hopes local promotion of green business produces national results"] ''ContraCostaTimes'', October 22, 2007.</ref>
==Philadelphia Paid Sick Leave==In March 2013, the Philadelphia City Council passed, by an 11 to 6 vote, a paid sick days bill that would have allowed employees without sick leave to earn up to four paid sick days per year.<ref name="NBCP">Dan Stamm, [http[file://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/Paid-Sick-Leave-Bill-Veto-Stands-202535031sick.html "jpg|200px|thumb|right|Support for More Paid Sick Leave Veto Override Falls 1 Vote Short"], ''NBC Philadelphia'', April 11, 2013</ref> Over 180,000 workers in Philadelphia do not have access to paid sick days Time and would have benefited from this measure. <ref name="BF"/> However, major opponents of the paid sick leave bill, special interest groups aligned with the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] (ALEC), successfully lobbied Mayor Nutter to veto it<ref name="BF">Brendan Fischer, [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/04/12059/paid-sick-days-defeat-philadelphia-followed-familiar-script "Paid More Time Off for Sick Days Defeat in Philadelphia Followed Familiar Script"], ''PRWatch'', April 17, 2013</ref>. The bill died when the council was unable to sway enough nay votes to override the mayoral veto; they needed just one more.<ref name="NBCP"/> These groups, the [[National Restaurant Association]], the [[U.S. Chamber of CommerceRelatives]], and the [[National Federation of Independent Business]] (NFIB) are all tied to [[ALEC]].<ref name="BF"/> The case of Philadelphia was unique in "the participation of telecommunications giant [[Comcast]], Philadelphia's highest grossing company and an [[ALEC]] member."<ref name="BF"/> The corporation spent over $108,000 on lobbying, most of which went towards opposition to the paid sick days bill.<ref name="BF"/>
More than 40 percent of the work force in the United States cannot take sick days without losing wages or possibly their jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Major cities such as Washington DC, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, as well as the state of Connecticut, have put CEOs supported [[Paid Sick Days|paid sick day laws on the books; New York City will soon follow suit.<ref name="BF"/> The initiative is quickly moving time]] 73 percent to cities across the country "and in each case, the state and local branches of the National Restaurant Association, the NFIB, and the Chamber are actively opposing it" as they did in Philadelphia16 percent.<ref name="BFWhen asked about "/> Philadelphia was not the first instance where these special interest groups came together more time off to thwart this legislation. City take care of Milwaukee voters passed a paid sick days referendum with over 70 children or relatives" CEOs supported it 83 percent of the vote in 2008 but when [[Scott Walker]] became Wisconsin's governor in 2011, the state affiliate of the National Restaurant Association and the local Chamber lobbied Walker to back "a bill to overturn this expression of local democratic will and preempt any local paid sick day ordinance5 percent."<ref name="BF"/>
===2012 Presidential elections===As of November 2nd, 2012 the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has spent $35.3 million towards influencing the elections, $27 million has been used in attacking Democrats.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000019798 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Profile.], organizational profile - via opensecrets.org, Accessed 11/2/2012.</ref> They have heavily backed a slue of Republicans, including Rep. Todd Akins (R-Mo), Rep. Marie Buerkle (R-NY)CEOs supported "increasing maternity leave" 72 percent to 9 percent, and [http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/10/25/1092051/chamber-of-commerce-spends-millions/ many others]supported "mandating paternity leave" by 82 percent to 7 percent.
Whats more, while While 93% percent of reported expenditures went to support Republicans, the 6% percent spent to support Democrats were was spent on generic, non-candidate-specific ads, rather than more effective ads attacking opponents. The ads tended not to identify candidate-specific positive qualities, instead relying on a template with the same title for several different candidates, only changing the candidate’s name, picture and office number. The ads were also run later than ads supporting their Republican counterparts.<ref name= "chamber watch report"></ref>
In 2008, [[American Crossroads]] and the Chamber President Tom Donahue told the ''Los Angeles Times'' that he wanted to get very involved with elections. 'Alarmed at the increasingly populist tone of the 2008 political campaignare closely tied, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is set to issue a fiery promise to spend millions of dollars to defeat candidates deemed to be anti-business. "We plan to build a grass-roots business organization so strong that when it bites you and closely coordinated their efforts in the butt, you bleed," chamber President Tom Donohue said.'<ref>Tom Hamburger, "[http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-chamber8jan08,0,4301350.story?coll=la-politics-campaign Chamber of Commerce vows to punish anti-business candidates]", ''Los Angeles Times'', January 8, 20082010 midterm elections.</ref>
===A 2014 Report=== The reportby Public Citizen, “The "The Gilded Chamber: Despite Claims of Representing Millions of Businesses, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Gets Most of Its Money From Just 64 Donors,” analyzes " analyzed the 1,619 contributions listed by the Chamber and its affiliate working against consumer access to courts, the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), on their 2012 Form 990 tax returns. Just a tiny fraction of their donors account for most of their contributions, Public Citizen the report found.
“The "The U.S. Chamber is one of the largest conduits of dark money in the country, but it refuses to disclose its donors,” " said Lisa Gilbert, director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division, where U.S. Chamber Watch is housed. “The "The American people deserve to know more about who’s influencing this powerful force in our politics. By looking at the size of the Chamber’s and ILR’s donations, we can learn a little more about what kinds of businesses they represent – seemingly, very large ones.” "<ref>"[http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2014/02/06-1 Majority of Donations to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Given by Just 64 Entities], " ''Common Dreams'', February 7, 2014.</ref>
On October 31, 2006, ''[[Public Citizen]]'' filed a complaint<ref>Public Citizen, [http://www.citizen.org/documents/ACF1F3E.pdf Complaint filed with the IRS], organizational complaint, October 31, 2006.</ref> with the [[IRS]] asking it to investigate whether the Chamber and "its affiliated Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) failed to report millions in taxable spending from 2000 to 2004 intended == Opposition to influence state-level attorney general and supreme court races and federal races around the country."<ref nameAddressing Climate Change ="shell">Public Citizen, [http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2305 News Release: "U.S. Chamber of Commerce Failed to Report Electioneering Spending and Grants, Public Citizen Asks IRS to Investigate. Chamber Spent Millions to Influence State and Federal Races,"], news release, October 31, 2006.</ref>
It also asked the IRS to investigate whether Chamber and the ILR, "which are two separate legal entities, combined funds in a shared bank account to hide accurate reporting of investment or interest income for tax avoidance. ... Court records, internal corporate documents and media reports indicate that the Chamber and the ILR engaged in a massive campaign to affect the outcome of state and federal races through direct expenditures and grants made to organizations that carried out the Chamber’s wishes."<ref name="shell"/>{{Template:AntiEnvironmentalArchives}}
''Public Citizen'' reported that<ref name="shell"/>==Chamber Distributes Books on Energy to Children (2010)===
:"In 20002010, the U.S. Chamber claimed it spent $6 million on judicial races and took credit for winning 15 out of 17 state supreme court contests. In 2002Commerce joined with [[Scholastic]] Books to distribute roughly 100, 000 books about the Chamber said it planned potential perils of government fossil fuel regulation to spend $40 million classrooms across the country, as part of its "Shedding Light on political campaignsEnergy" campaign. The book asks, divided equally between congressional and state-level attorneys general and judicial races“What do you think could happen if one of our energy sources was suddenly unavailable (e.g. None of these activities were reported , power plant maintenance, government curb on their tax returns from 2000 production, etc.)?” Chamber officials maintained that there was no “hidden agenda” behind the question or the educational outreach effort in general, although the book was being distributed at a time when the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] was set to 2003regulate [[greenhouse gas]] emissions.<ref name=jv>Josh Voorhees, [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43844.html#ixzz14oxFHwth "Chamber: Worry about energy regulations, kids"] Politico, Oct. 19, 2010.</ref>
:"The energy industry has a long history of working to get its perspective into classrooms. In 2004the 1970s, for example, [[nuclear power]] officials distributed comic books in schools as it dealt with the first year since [[PR]] fallout from the near meltdown at least 2000 that the Chamber and the ILR reported political expenditures, both organizations appear to have underreported their spending[[Three Mile Island]]. They reported a combined $18 millionAnd [[BP]] helped develop environmental lesson plans in California, but in a the ''PresidentSacramento Bee's Update' memo released reported last month. The posters and worksheets that the day after Chamber was sending out to schools aross the November electionscountry was based on statistics from the U.S. [[Energy Information Administration]], Chamber President Thomas Donohue claimed and the group had spent up assignments were mostly aimed at teaching students how to $30 million in races around the countryuse charts and graphs to convey where U.S. energy comes from and how it is used.<ref name=jv/>
:"The Chamber and ILR also failed ===Opposition to report grants and allocations to outside groups as required by Line 22 of IRS Form 990. Both organizations reported no grants to outside groups from 2000 to 2004. But in a 2005 deposition, a Chamber official acknowledged that the Chamber had partnered with at least six outside groups to advance its agenda to avoid garnering unwanted critical attention. At least two 501Climate Change Legislation (c2009) organizations, the Washington-based [[American Taxpayers Alliance]] and the Columbus-based [[Citizens for a Strong Ohio]], reported receipt of contributions from the U.S. Chamber."===
===Climate Change Legislation===In 2009, The group's opposition to the legislation caused a rift among its corporate members. A number of companies announced they were leaving the Chamber organization as a result of Commerce lobbied against its stance on climate change legislation introduced by Congressregulations. In describing its strategyEnergy companies [[Exelon]], [[PG&E]], and [[PNM Resources]] all announced in September 2009 that they were quitting the Chamber says it will "resist ill.<ref>Keith Johnson, [http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2009/09/28/out-the-door-exelon-leaves-chamber-of-commerce-over-climate-conceived legislation that is economically disruptive policy/ Out the Door: Exelon Leaves Chamber of business and industry activitiesCommerce over Climate Policy]], ''Wall Street Journal,'' September 28, that creates regulatory and legislative obstacles to development and deployment of affordable2009.</ref> [[Apple Inc]] also resigned from the Chamber, innovative energy technologiessaying in a statement, and "We would prefer that could severely damage the security chamber take a more progressive stance on this critical issue and economy of play a constructive role in addressing the United States.climate crisis"<ref>U.S. Chamber of CommerceJenna Staul, [http://www.uschamberhuffingtonpost.com/issues2009/index10/environment05/climatechangeapple-quits-chamber-of-co_n_310301.htm html?show_comment_id=32293735 Apple Quits Chamber Of Commerce Over Climate Change], organizational websiteHuffington Post, accessed May 24 2013October 5, 2009.</ref> The chamber said it supports "mainstream, common sense views" on climate change, but that it opposes the Sportswear company [[Waxman-Markey Climate BillNike]] passed by also criticized the House Chamber's challenge of Representatives on June 26, 2009the U.S. EPA's authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions as air pollution.<ref name="sciam"/> Nike said it would resign from the Chambers's board of directors, but that it would retain its membership to the organization in order to work for climate change legislation from inside the organization.<ref>Deborah ZabarenkoJenna Staul, [http://www.scientificamericanhuffingtonpost.com/article.cfm?id=rift-at2009/09/30/nike-usquits-chamber-of-com Rift at U.Scom_n_304591. html Nike Quits Chamber of Of Commerce over climate changeBoard Of Directors], ''Scientific AmericanHuffington Post,'' September 30, 2009.</ref>
The group's opposition to the legislation has caused a rift among its corporate members. A number of companies have announced they are leaving the organization as a result of its stance on climate change regulations. Energy companies [[Exelon]], [[PG&E]], and [[PNM Resources]] all announced in September 2009 that they were quitting ===Citizen Action Against the Chamber. <ref>Keith Johnson, [http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2009/09/28/out-the-door-exelon-leaves-chamber-of-commerce-over-climate-policy/ Out the Door: Exelon Leaves Chamber of Commerce over Climate Policy]], ''Wall Street Journal,'' September 28, 2009.</ref> [[Apple Inc]] also resigned from the Chamber, saying in a statement, "We would prefer that the chamber take a more progressive stance s Stance on this critical issue and play a constructive role in addressing the climate crisis"<ref>Jenna Staul, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/05/apple-quits-chamber-of-co_n_310301.html?show_comment_id=32293735 Apple Quits Chamber Of Commerce Over Climate Change], Huffington Post, October 5, 2009.</ref> Sportswear company [[Nike]] also criticized the Chamber's challenge of the U.S. EPA's authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions as air pollution.<ref name="sciam"/> Nike said it would resign from the Chambers's board of directors, but that it would retain its membership to the organization in order to work for climate change legislation from inside the organization.<ref>Jenna Staul, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/30/nike-quits-chamber-of-com_n_304591.html Nike Quits Chamber Of Commerce Board Of Directors], Huffington Post, September 30, 2009.</ref>==
====Citizen action against the Chamber of Commerce's stance on climate change====
=====Yes Men stage fake Chamber of Commerce press conference=====
=====Grassroots campaigns against Campaigns Against the Chamber=====
In April 2009, the Chamber launched a "$1 million television advertising campaign that takes a new line of attack against the Employee Free Choice Act, highlighting a provision that would allow federal arbitrators ===Opposition to set the rules for unionization if management and employees fail to negotiate their own deal." The ads "will hit the airwaves in Nebraska, Virginia, Louisiana, North Dakota and Colorado -- states whose senators could be swing votes." Previous attacks on the bill, from the Chamber and corporate [[front groups]] like the [[Coalition for a Democratic Workplace]] and [[Employee Freedom Action Committee]], claimed it would get rid of secret ballot elections. The bill would actually allow employees to form unions either by holding elections or signing cards. Although the "no secret ballot" claims are inaccurate, they've been effective, accorting to the ''Wall Street Journal''. The "more than $30 million on TV ads [spent by business groups] in the past few years portraying the secretPaid Sick Leave (2011-ballot provision as antidemocratic ... pressured several key senators to reverse their prior support, leaving the bill several senators short of 60 votes." <ref>Brody Mullins, "[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123957945300612075.html New Ads Intensify Fight on Union Bill]," ''Wall Street Journal'' (sub req'dpresent), April 13, 2009.</ref>===
===More than 40 percent of the work force in the United States cannot take [[political action committeePaid Sick Days|Political action committeesick days]]without losing wages or possibly their jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Major cities such as Washington DC, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, as well as the state of Connecticut, have put paid sick day laws on the books; New York City will soon follow suit.<ref name="BF"/> The initiative is quickly moving to cities across the country "and in each case, the state and local branches of the National Restaurant Association, the NFIB, and the Chamber are actively opposing it" as they did in Philadelphia.<ref name="BF"/> Philadelphia was not the first instance where these special interest groups came together to thwart this legislation. City of Milwaukee voters passed a paid sick days referendum with over 70 percent of the vote in 2008 but when [[Scott Walker]] became Wisconsin's governor in 2011, the state affiliate of the National Restaurant Association and the local Chamber lobbied Walker to back "a bill to overturn this expression of local democratic will and preempt any local paid sick day ordinance."<ref name="BF"/>
The In Wisconsin, a local representative of the US Chamber sponsored of Commerce called the [[The November FundMetropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce]], a lobbied together with the [[527 committeeWisconsin Restaurant Association]] for the adoption of Senate Bill 23, which overturned a local ordinance requiring paid sick leave for workers. The law "specified that opposes what it describes as frivolous lawsuits paid sick leave could be used if a worker is ill, needs to care for a sick child, or obtain counseling if raped or battered, for example. The law also barred companies from penalizing workers for exercising their rights and trial lawyers and ran negative campaign advertisements against trial lawyer [[John Edwards]]from erecting unreasonable barriers to impede the fair use of sick leave." <ref>Rebekah Wilce, [[John Kerry]]'s running mate during the [[Uhttps://www.Sprwatch. presidential electionorg/news/2011/10/11079/flu-burger-alec-wants-sick-people-serving-you-food Flu with that Burger? Alec Wants Sick People Serving You Food], 2004|2004 presidential race]]PR Watch, October 19, 2011.</ref>
"Under Donohue’s leadership, the Chamber has ''See also emerged as a major player in election politics, helping elect congressional pro-business candidates through financial support and voter activism and turnout generated through the Chamber’s grassroots organization," Sourcewatch article [[VoteForBusinessPaid Sick Days]],<ref name="Don">[http://www.uschamber.com/about/management/donohue.htm Management: Donohue,] U.S. Chamber of Commerce, accessed October 22, 2007.</ref> billed as "Your One-Stop Political Action, Education, and Involvement Tool".''
Websites: http://www.voteforbusiness.net/ and http://www.voteforbusiness.com<br>===Employee Free Choice Act (2009)===
===Opposition to Paid Sick Leave===In Wisconsinthe 2009 debate over the [[Employee Free Choice Act]] (EFCA), a local representative of bill that would make it easier for workers to join a union, "both the US U.S. Chamber of Commerce called and the [[Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of CommerceAFL-CIO]] lobbied together with are focusing on grassroots outreach," reported ''PR Week''. Before the bill was introduced, "the Chamber launched the [[Wisconsin Restaurant Associationhttp://www.workforcefreedomairlift.com/wfi/airlift Workforce Freedom Airlift]] for the adoption of Senate Bill 23program, which overturned a series of events that fly in local ordinance requiring paid sick leave for workerssmall business owners to Washington," to lobby against the bill. The law first "airlift," on March 10, 2009, "specified that paid sick leave could be used if a worker is illbrought in small business owners from Pennsylvania, Virginia, Nebraska, needs to care for a sick childand Louisiana." Since July 2008, or obtain counseling if raped or batteredthe Chamber has worked with [[Adfero Group]] on an anti-EFCA "social media effort, for example" expanding "a [http://secretballot.voteforbusiness.net/join.php virtual march on Washington] that was created the last time the bill went to Congress in 2007. The law also barred companies from penalizing workers " It "allows users to register for exercising their rights the march as avatars and from erecting unreasonable barriers send an automatic letter to impede the fair use of sick leavetheir elected officials through a [[Facebook]] application." <ref>Rebekah WilceJaimy Lee, "[http://www.prwatchprweekus.org/news/2011/10/11079com/fluSides-burgerin-aleccard-wantscheck-sickdebate-peopleintensify-servingPR-you-food Flu with that Burger? Alec Wants Sick People Serving You Foodefforts/article/129136/ Sides in 'card check' debate intensify PR efforts], " ''PR WatchWeek'', October 19March 20, 20112009.</ref>
==National In April 2009, the Chamber Foundation== launched a "$1 million television advertising campaign that takes a new line of attack against the Employee Free Choice Act, highlighting a provision that would allow federal arbitrators to set the rules for unionization if management and employees fail to negotiate their own deal."The revitalized National ads "will hit the airwaves in Nebraska, Virginia, Louisiana, North Dakota and Colorado -- states whose senators could be swing votes." Previous attacks on the bill, from the Chamber Foundation, and corporate [[front groups]] like the Chamber’s public policy [[think tankCoalition for a Democratic Workplace]] and [[Employee Freedom Action Committee]], is shaping claimed it would get rid of secret ballot elections. The bill would actually allow employees to form unions either by holding elections or signing cards. Although the "no secret ballot" claims are inaccurate, they've been effective, accorting to the policy debate ''Wall Street Journal''. The "more than $30 million on cuttingTV ads [spent by business groups] in the past few years portraying the secret-edge business issuesballot provision as antidemocratic ... pressured several key senators to reverse their prior support, with major new initiatives on intellectual property theft and counterfeiting, capital markets and accounting rules, and travel and tourismleaving the bill several senators short of 60 votes."<ref name=>Brody Mullins, "Don[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123957945300612075.html New Ads Intensify Fight on Union Bill],"''Wall Street Journal'' (sub req'd), April 13, 2009.</ref>
===Legal reform===Websites: http://www.voteforbusiness.net/ and http://www.voteforbusiness.com<br>
On its websiteThe Chamber sponsored [[The November Fund]], the ILR posted a "State Liability Systems Ranking" which [[527 committee]] that opposed what it calls "Lawsuit Climate 2007".<ref>InstituteforLegalReformdescribed as frivolous lawsuits and trial lawyers and ran negative campaign advertisements against trial lawyer [[John Edwards]], [http://www[John Kerry]]'s running mate during the [[U.instituteforlegalreformS.com/lawsuitclimate2007/index.cfm Lawsuit Climate 2007: Rating the Statespresidential election, 2004|2004 presidential race]], organizational website, accessed October 22, 2007.</ref>
====''Madison County RecordLegal Newsline'' Attacks Wife of Prosecutor Investigating Chamber Affiliate (Illinois2014)====
The ''See [[Madison County RecordScott_Walker#Second_John_Doe_Investigation.2C_February_2012-July_2015|here]]'', "an Illinois weekly newspaper launched in September [2004] that bills itself as for more information about the county's legal journal, reports on one subject: the state courts in southern Illinois," Jeffrey H. Birnbaum reported in the ''Washington Post''.<ref name="suit">Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, [http://wwwJohn Doe investigation.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38184-2004Dec5.html Advocacy Groups Blur Media Lines. Some Push Agendas By Producing Movies, Owning Newspapers], ''Washington Post'', December 6, 2004.</ref>
Birnbuam pointed to a "recent front pageA long-running investigation into whether the campaign of Wisconsin Governor [[Scott Walker]] illegally coordinated with outside groups, including the Chamber's Wisconsin affiliate [[thatWisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce]] carried , was led by a Republican prosecutor and included the participation of elected county District Attorneys from both political parties. But ''Legal Newsline'', an assortment of stories about lawsuits against businessesoutlet funded by the U.S. In Chamber, cited an unnamed source to "break the news" on September 9, 2014 that oneof the DAs, a woman sought $15John Chisholm,000 in damages "may have had personal motivations for breaking her nose at a haunted house. In anotherhis investigation, " since Chisholm's wife was a woman sued public school teacher and union member who "frequently cried when discussing the topic of the union disbanding" as a restaurant for $50,000 after she hurt her teeth on a chicken breastresult of Walker's signature Act 10 legislation. The story was commissioned by the right-wing reporting group the [[American Media Institute]]... Nowhere was it As the Center for Media and Democracy reported that , the U.S. Chamber of Commerce created allegation was quickly repeated by right-wing media, including the [[Bradley Foundation]]-funded Media Trackers and Wisconsin Reporter, ''RecordThe Wall Street Journal'' as a weapon in its multimillion, and the UK-dollar campaign against lawyers who file those kinds of suitsbased ''Daily Mail'',which ran the headline: " Birnbaum wroteWife's weeping over anti-union law drove Democratic DA to target Republican governor's staff and conservative activists."<ref name=>Brendan Fischer, "suit[https://www.prwatch.org/node/12599 US Chamber Attack on Wife of Walker Prosecutor Falls Apart],"Center for Media and Democracy, ''PR Watch'', September 15, 2014.</ref>
===Racketeer Influenced The story fell apart shortly afterward. On September 12, the ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' reported that the unnamed source described as a "former staff prosecutor" was actually Michael Lutz, a former unpaid intern who previously made death threats to the prosecutor and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act===his family. Lutz's involvement was confirmed by the American Media Institute, but Lutz himself declined to comment, saying that he wanted "to stay out of this firestorm." The ''Journal Sentinel'' described Lutz's past as "troubled," noting that he had previously worked as a police officer, but had filed for disability in 2006, "saying he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his physical injuries and past media coverage of his actions."<ref>Daniel Bice, "[http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/noquarter/source-who-accused-chisholm-of-vendetta-has-troubled-past-b99350187z1-274905441.html Source who accused Chisholm of vendetta has troubled past]," ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'', September 12, 2014.</ref> In July 2015, Lutz died in an apparent suicide.<ref>Bill Glauber, "[http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/former-aldermanic-candidate-michael-lutz-dies-in-apparent-suicide-b99544888z1-318568561.html Former aldermanic candidate Michael Lutz dies in apparent suicide]," ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'', July 26, 2015.</ref>
In October 2007, the Chamber filed a friend-of-the court filing in a class action lawsuit under consideration ===Illinois ''Madison County Record'' Created by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] which originated with a California RICO lawsuit involving [[Microsoft]] and [[Best Buy]]. The Chamber stated that "RICO is getting out of control as a device against business. It has been used in more than 4,500 cases since 2001, with only 35 of those cases filed by the government."<ref>Scott Bekker, [http://rcpmag.com/blogs/weblog.aspx?blog=1406 Microsofted Up. Mafia law pops up in legal dispute over Microsoft-Best Buy arrangement], ''Redmond Channel Partner Online'', October 16, 2007.</ref> The Supreme Court overturned the appeal and ruled that Microsoft and Best Buy are subject to RICO laws.<ref>eFluxMedia.com, [http://web.archive.org/web/20080423161844/http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Supreme_Court_Microsoft_Best_Buy_Subject_to_Racketeering_Laws_09682.html Supreme Court: Microsoft, Best Buy Subject to Racketeering Laws], organizational report - accessed via the wayback machine, October 16, 2007.</ref>==
The As of 2015, the ''Trade ToolboxMadison County Record''was still operating, and its stories did not appear to include a "resource to help in notice about the outlet's relationship with the trade export process, U.S.Chamber business lobby. includes trade statisticsHowever, country and market reports, best market reports, frequently asked questions and trade contacts.its "About" The ''Toolbox'' page noted that it was funded "owned by owned by a grant from the [[U.S. Department of Commerce]]Chamber Institute for Legal Reform."<ref>TradeRoots.org''Madison County Record'', "[http://webmadisonrecord.archive.orgcom/web/20050204205059/http://www.traderoots.org/fsMain.asp?i=tt Trade toolboxabout-us About Us], " organizational website - , accessed via Wayback Machine, archived July 3, 2013August 2015.</ref>
Website: http://www.traderoots.org/<br>==Legal Issues and Litigation==
TheTrueCosts.org is a now defunct website sponsored by the "The [[National Chamber. In conjunction with Litigation Center]], the Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy (CACP)Chamber’s law firm, it produced the ''No Trade has become more aggressive in challenging anti-business measures in Fakes Supply Chain Tool Kit''court, which provided "proven strategies" setting a new record for companies "to use to protect their supply chains from counterfeiters cases entered in each of the last six years and modern-day piratessecuring 48 court victories in 2006."<ref name="Don"/>
===Chamber's Institute for Energy===In March 2007, ''O'Dwyer's PR Daily'' reported that General [[James L. Jones]], formerly the Supreme Allied Commander of [[NATO]] forces in EuropeOn its website, had joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as ILR posted a lobbyist"State Liability Systems Ranking" which it calls "Lawsuit Climate 2007".<ref name="Jones">O'Dwyer's PR DailyInstitute for Legal Reform, "[http://www.odwyerprinstituteforlegalreform.com/memberslawsuitclimate2007/0305jones_uscocindex.htm Jones Works Energy Frontcfm Lawsuit Climate 2007: Rating the States], " organizational website (sub req'd), March 5accessed October 22, 2007.</ref>
"After a Minneapolis bridge collapsed on Aug. 1, [2007,] killing 13 people, members of Congress have sought ===Opposition to increase the gas tax to fix 'structurally deficient' bridges Racketeer Influenced and make other infrastructure repairs. ... The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the [[National Association of Manufacturers]], groups that don’t normally agree with tax increases, support a national gas tax increase to pay for infrastructure improvements."<ref>Jim Snyder, [http://thehill.com/the-executive/...we-are-absolutely-failing-...-in-how-the-system-is-performing-2007-10-19.html ‘...We are absolutely failing ... in how the system is performing’], ''The Hill'', October 19, Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act (2007.</ref>)===
==Other issues=====Opposing national health care reform===The In October 2007, the Chamber filed a friend-of-the court filing in a class action lawsuit under consideration by the [[U.S. Chamber sponsored the Supreme Court]] which originated with a California RICO lawsuit involving [[Campaign for Responsible Health ReformMicrosoft]], a program launched in 2009 to convince people to preserve employer-sponsored health insurance and oppose [[Best Buy]]. The Chamber stated that "RICO is getting out of control as a public insurance option device against business. It has been used in health care reform more than 4,500 cases since 2001, with only 35 of those cases filed by the government."<ref>Scott Bekker, [http://rcpmag.com/blogs/weblog.aspx?blog=1406 Microsofted Up. Mafia law pops up in legal dispute over Microsoft-Best Buy arrangement], ''Redmond Channel Partner Online'', October 16, 2007.</ref> The Supreme Court overturned the Uappeal and ruled that Microsoft and Best Buy are subject to RICO laws.<ref>eFluxMedia.com, [http://web.archive.org/web/20080423161844/http://www.efluxmedia.Scom/news_Supreme_Court_Microsoft_Best_Buy_Subject_to_Racketeering_Laws_09682. The Campaign aimed html Supreme Court: Microsoft, Best Buy Subject to convince people that a governmentRacketeering Laws], organizational report -sponsored plan is "fiscally recklessaccessed via the wayback machine," will "lead us down the road to total government control of our healthOctober 16," and that it will make those with private insurance pay even more2007.</ref>
The Campaign said that "a government-run plan that would have broad and unrivaled power ==Ties to negotiate for low-cost services of doctors and other health care providers could put private insurers out of business."the Tobacco Industry==
===Immigration amnesty and reform===The ChamberIn the 2000s, a global treaty called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control was negotiated through the World Health Organization that "among others, has pushed for immigration reforms that would allow a path mandates anti-smoking measures and also seeks to citizenship for undocumented workerscurb the influence of the tobacco industry in policy making."The treaty has been ratified by 179 countries (not including the United States) and went into effect in 2005.<refname="chamber works globally">Josh FloryDanny Hakim, "[http://www.knoxnewsnytimes.com/news2015/07/200701/octbusiness/20international/formerus-chamber-laborworks-secretaryglobally-authorto-callsfight-forantismoking-measures.html?_r=1 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Works Globally to/ Fight Antismoking Measures]," ''The Reich Way. Former labor secretaryNew York Times'', author calls for Americans to reclaim democracy]June 30, Knoxville News Sentinel Co2015.Accessed August 5, October 20, 20072015.</ref>
In January 2004The Chamber's "three-pronged strategy" includes lobbying foreign legislatures against anti-smoking laws, speaking pitting countries against each other in support of amnesty for illegal alienstrade forums, [[Randel Yand protecting the tobacco industry's ability to sue countries who dare to regulate tobacco under international trade agreements. Johnson]], Chamber vice president for labor, immigration and employee benefitsIts campaign includes arguing about the lack of "science-based evidence" that larger warning labels would deter smoking, said: "We need a system of 'earned targeted adjustment' for undocumented workers that fill vital roles in our antismoking laws would harm the economy, which and increasing cigarette taxes would enable them to achieve legal status. We also need to expand permanent and temporary visas for workers to enter foster the United States legally to meet future workforce requirementsblack market."<ref>Federation for American Immigration Reform, [http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagenamename=iic_immigrationissuecentersa5ad Organizations Supporting Amnesty for Illegal Aliens], organizational website, accessed May 24 2013.<"chamber works globally"/ref>
===Social Security===The As of 2015 an [[Altria Group]] executive served on the Chamber also has a role in promoting President George W. Bush's plan board, and according to ''The New York Times'', "[[U.S. Social Security privatization|privatize Social SecurityPhilip Morris International]]plays a leading role in the global campaign; one executive drafted a position paper used by a chamber affiliate in Brussels, while another accompanied a chamber executive to a meeting with the Philippine ambassador in Washington to lobby against a cigarette-tax increase.The cigarette makers’ payments to the chamber are not disclosed."<ref name="chamber works globally"/>
The ===Chamber ranks first in lobbying spending in the past decade, with [[General Electric]] ranking second at $161 million, according to the [[Center for Responsive Politics]].<ref>Dan Morain, [http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na's Board Includes Hospitals and Insurers Who Support Anti-money18oct18,1,2554878.story "Tinseltown filling campaign coffers. Democrats are reaping the benefits of wealthy and glamorous donors while entertainment executives hope to be heard in Washington,"] ''Los Angeles Times'', October 18, 2007.</ref>Smoking Measures (2015)===
*In 2007, $21.2 million total was spent by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its subsidiary the Institute for Legal Reform (ILR); $11.78 million for the Chamber and $9.4 million by ILR.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?txtname=US+Chamber+of+Commerce&year=2007 Lobbying database, 2007: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], organizational website, accessed October 22, 2007.</ref>*In 2006, $72.7 million total was spent by the Chamber and ILR; $45.7 million for the Chamber and $27 million for the ILR.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?year=2006&txtname=US+Chamber+of+Commerce Lobbying database, 2006: CVS Leaves U.S. Chamber of Commerce], organizational website, accessed October 22, 2007.</ref> *In 2005, $39.8 million total was spent by the Chamber and ILR; $20 million for the Chamber and $19.8 million for ILR.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?yearOver Tobacco Efforts (2015)=2005&txtname=US+Chamber+of+Commerce Lobbying database, 2005: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], organizational website, accessed October 22, 2007.</ref>*In 2004, $53.4 million total was spent by the Chamber and ILR; $28.8 million for the Chamber and $24.5 million for ILR.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?year=2004&txtname=US+Chamber+of+Commerce Lobbying database, 2004: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], organizational website, accessed October 22, 2007.</ref>*In 2003, $34.6 million total was spent by the Chamber and ILR. For the period 7/1/03 to 6/30/04 they spent $47.8 million.*In 2002, $41.56 million total was spent by the Chamber and ILR. For the period 7/1/02 to 6/30/03 they spent $45.6 million.*In 2001, $20.6 million total was spent by the Chamber and ILR. For the period 7/1/01 to 6/30/02 they spent $25.9 million.
==The Chamber and large corporations==The Chamber claims to represent 3 million businesses, 96 percent of which are small, defined as having fewer than 100 employees. But Shortly after the Chamber arrives at this figure by counting all businesses that are members of state and local chambers, which are independent organizations that pay a few hundreds dollars a year to affiliate with ''Times'' report on the U.S. Chamber for discounts and other programs and have no say over the national group's political activities, its global tobacco lobbyingefforts, or endorsements. The U.S. Chamber's membership is actually about 300,000 businesses, and the Chamber's boardroom is mostly representatives of large corporations. Its 125-member board includes representatives of just two local chambers and a handful of small businesses. The rest are primarily from large corporations, like drugstore chain [[Pfizer]], [[Alcoa]], and [[JP Morgan ChaseCVS]]announced that it was ending its membership. In 2008, one-third CVS had ended sales of the $147 million the group raised came from just 19 companiestobacco products in its stores in 2014.<ref name=sm>Stacy MitchellThe company released a statement saying, [http://www"We were surprised to read recent press reports concerning the U.yesmagazineS.org/new-economy/will-the-real-voice-Chamber of-small-business-please-stand-up Will Commerce’s position on tobacco products outside the Real Voice of Small Business Please Stand Up?], Yes! Magazine, NovUnited States. 2, 2010.</ref> In 2010, the watchdog group U.S. ChamberWatch used a disclosure law CVS Health’s purpose is to help people on their path to see the Chamber's [[IRS 990]] form. It showed that 55 percent of its funding came from just 16 companiesbetter health, each of which gave more than a million dollarsand we fundamentally believe tobacco use is in direct conflict with this purpose."<ref>Bill McKibbenAndrea Germanos, "[http://www.gristcommondreams.org/articlenews/20112015/07/08/cvs-02quits-22us-thechamber-u.s.commerce-chamber-ofover-commercecraven-darkensties-thetobacco-skies The industry CVS Quits US Chamber of Commerce is darkening our skiesOver 'Craven' Ties to Tobacco Industry], Grist" ''Common Dreams'', Feb. 22July 8, 20112015.</ref> (Exactly which companies is unknown. U. S. law requires the Chamber to list amounts given on its annual tax return, but it is not obligated to disclose names.)<ref name=sm/>
In ==Alleged Spying on Critics (2010, chambers in San Antonio, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut began publicly moving away from the U.S. Chamber, disavowing the 2010 political attack ads that the U.S. Chamber had been broadcasting in their communities. Newer chambers, like the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce, have declined to affiliate with the national group and have been among its most vocal critics: "They get the majority of their funding from big businesses. That's who drives their decisions," explains Executive Director Frank Knapp, noting that, unlike the U. S. Chamber, his group supported the health care bill and financial reform, and favors legislation to curb [[global warming]].<ref name-2011)==sm/>
==Alleged spying on critics==
==Affiliated centers / organizations==
*[[Essential Worker Immigration Coalition]] (EWIC) member [www.EWIC.org. Home]
*[[Global Intellectual Property Center]] (GIPC), [[Caroline Joiner]], executive director<ref name="fibre"/>
*[[Institute for Organizational Management]] (IOM), Athens, Georgia
*[[Rob Engstrom]] - Senior Vice President, Political Affairs & Federation Relations and National Political Director
*[[Randy Johnson]] - Senior Vice President, Labor, Immigration and Employee Benefits
*[[James Robinson]] - Senior Vice President and Counselor to the President
*[[Margaret Spellings]] - President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
*[[Al Martinez-Fonts]] - Executive Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
{{reflist|2}}<references/>
no edit summary
==Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council==
{{about_ALEC}}
==Council of State Chambers==
The [[Council of State Chambers]] (COSC) is a little known 501(c)(6) organization<ref name="2014 990"> Council of State Chambers of Commerce, [http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2014/350/827/2014-350827885-0c228925-9O.pdf IRS Form 990 2014], ''Internal Revenue Service'', November 13, 2015.</ref> that helps the top lobbyists for state chambers of commerce get on message about the national political agenda of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It works closely with the U.S. Chamber, which is a member along with most state chambers.<ref name="Mary article"> Mary Bottari, [https://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/03/13074/luntz-poll-american-ceos-shows-deep-support-progressive-policies Highlights of Luntz Poll of American CEOs Shows Broad Support for Progressive Policies], ''The Center for Media and Democracy'', April 4, 2016.</ref>
According to its website, "The Council of State Chambers (COSC) is the national organization for state chamber CEOs and their executive leadership. The purpose of COSC is to promote cooperation among state chambers of commerce, strengthen existing state chambers, and promote the extensions of the state chamber of commerce movement throughout the country."<ref> Council of State Chambers, [http://www.statechambers.org/ Home page], organizational website, accessed April 28, 2016.</ref> The group is part of an extremely powerful network of organizations that serve, effectively, as arms of the U.S Chamber.
In 2016, the Center for Media and Democracy released a COSC poll of the nation's top executives that showed that they supported raising the minimum wage, paid sick days, predictive scheduling, maternity and paternity leave, and other progressive policies (see below). These documents were also reported in the ''Washington Post''.<ref> Lydia DePillis, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/04/leaked-documents-show-strong-business-support-for-raising-the-minimum-wage/ Leaked documents show strong business support for raising the minimum wage], ''The Washington Post'', April 4, 2016.</ref>
For more information on the Council of State Chambers see the Sourcewatch page [[Council of State Chambers|here]].
===Luntz Global Poll of Executives and CEOs Exposed in 2016===
{{#ev:youtube|v=4CtmWcvX81E|200|right|Exposed by CMD: The Chambers of Commerce|frame|}}
On April 4, 2016 the Center for Media and Democracy, publisher of Sourcewatch.org, released documents that it obtained from a top GOP polling firm, [[Frank Luntz|Luntz Global]], which show widespread support from the Chamber's members for policies such as an increase in the minimum wage, paid sick leave, paid paternity and paid maternity leave.
The polling showed that 80 percent of the state chambers' own business members supported minimum wage increases, while 73 percent support [[Paid Sick Days|paid sick time]]. Yet over the last three years 48 state chambers have publicly opposed minimum wage increases. And in the last 5 years, 75 percent of the country's state chambers have opposed paid sick leave policies. Both measures are explicitly opposed in the U.S. Chamber's 2016 policy platform.
"This webinar reveals just how deeply corporate interests and their lobbyists are influencing the priorities of state Chambers of Commerce, even when that agenda contradicts the opinions of their local business members," said Lisa Graves, executive director of the Center for Media and Democracy. "Rather than listening to its members and crafting a policy agenda that reflects their priorities, Chamber lobbyists pick their policy positions behind closed doors and then figure out how to convince their members to fall in line." She added, "It's a warped, undemocratic process, and the Chambers should be held accountable for their claims to the public, press, and elected officials that businesses oppose raising the minimum wage, paid sick leave, increased family and medical leave and other common sense policies, when in fact substantial majorities of business executives actually support these public policies."<ref name="Editor article"> PRWatch Editors, [https://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/04/13075/top-gop-pollster-chamber-commerce-lobbyists-poll-shows-your-members-support Exposed: Most CEOs Support Paid Sick Leave, Increased Minimum Wage, and More But Chamber Lobbyists Told How to "Combat" These Measures], ''The Center for Media and Democracy'', April 4, 2016.</ref>
====Key Documents====
*[https://www.prwatch.org/files/cmd_prwatch_markup_of_01-05-16_state_chambers_topline_poll.pdf The poll, marked up by CMD]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CtmWcvX81E Short video on the webinar by CMD]
*[https://www.prwatch.org/files/01-10-2016_cmd_mark_up_of_cosc_presentation.pdf Copy of the slideshow marked up by CMD]
*[https://www.prwatch.org/files/03-31-16_luntz_poll_transcript_re_business_support_for_increasing_minimum_wage_and_other_policies.pdf Transcript of the webinar, highlighted by CMD]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoafI3hfzmg Full version of the webinar]
*[https://www.prwatch.org/files/03-31-2016_cmd_on_chambers_whos_who_re_webinar.pdf Information about who spoke during the webinar]
*[https://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/04/13075/top-gop-pollster-chamber-commerce-lobbyists-poll-shows-your-members-support CMD's press release] summarizing key information about the materials
*[https://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/03/13074/luntz-poll-american-ceos-shows-deep-support-progressive-policies Analysis of the polling results by CMD]
*[http://www.npr.org/2016/04/06/473244707/from-fracking-bans-to-paid-sick-leave-how-states-are-overruling-local-laws Interview on NPR's Fresh Air] about the materials and the efforts to preempt local efforts to increase the minimum wage, paid sick, family leave, predictive scheduling and other popular measures
====About Luntz Global====
Luntz Global is a prominent GOP polling and communications firm headed by [[Frank Luntz]]. Its website states: "Our analysis of the results will help you learn exactly what your target audience wants and needs to hear."<ref> Luntz Global, [http://www.luntzglobal.com/ Home page], business website, accessed April 29, 2016.</ref>
*'''[[Frank Luntz]]''', president and CEO of Luntz Research Companies, is a pollster and political consultant and a frequent commentator on [[Fox News]].
*'''David Merritt''' is the Managing Director for Luntz Global Partners. According to his official biography, Merritt "leads Luntz Global’s political, policy, and healthcare work, helping campaigns, candidates, and companies craft effective messages to persuade skeptical audiences... He was the leading fundraiser and a presidential campaign adviser to former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. He worked closely with Speaker Gingrich for more than seven years on a wide range of healthcare issues, including as CEO of the Center for Health Transformation and the Gingrich Group. He was a health policy adviser to the 2008 presidential campaign of Senator John McCain, after serving the same role with former Senator Fred Thompson.”<ref>Luntz Global, "[http://www.luntzglobal.com/who-we-are/our-team/ Our Team]," corporate biography, accessed July 2016.</ref>
====Who Was Polled====
Luntz Global interviewed 1,000 registered voters and "C-level executives" (CEOs, COOs or CFOs) who were members of their local chamber (46 percent), state chamber (28 percent), or the U.S. Chamber (16 percent). 73 percent were CEOs or owners. 49 percent of the firms took in between $50 million-$500 million in annual revenue. 41 percent had 100-499 employees, whie 19 percent had 1,000 or more employees.
====Summary of Poll Results====
=====Minimum Wage=====
[[File:Minimum wage.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Support for Increasing Minimum Wage]]
CEOs support raising the state minimum wage 80 percent to 8 percent.
When asked which alternative to raising the minimum wage they preferred, a slight majority preferred the earned income tax credit as an alternative to other options presented. However, when a minimum wage hike was put head-to-head against increasing the earned income tax credit, raising the wage won by a solid margin 54 percent-46 percent.
When asked during the webinar about these surprising results, Merritt said, "it is undeniable that they support an increase" in the minimum wage. "My guess is that they are looking at raising it as a priority... If you are fighting a minimum wage increase, you are fighting an uphill battle." He continued, "most Americans support it, most Republicans support it... A winning argument is to put it up against other issues where it drops as a priority," advised Merritt. "In isolation it is definitely a winner."<ref name="Mary article"/>
=====Paid Sick Leave=====
==Electioneering===Maternity and Paternity Leave=====
===2010 Midterm Elections==Predictive Scheduling=====
[[file:Predictive scheduling.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Support for Predictive Scheduling]] On predictive scheduling, CEOs support it 78 percent to 11 percent. Predictive scheduling measures would limit employers' ability to use on-call scheduling for their employees, requiring them to give sufficient advance notice to their employees about when they will and will not be working. "On-call" scheduling practices at fast food restaurants and chain stores that do not allow employees to plan for the care of their children have recently come to public attention, prompting San Francisco to pass one of the nation's first ordinances to address the problem in 2015. Already industry is talking about preempting such ordinances in certain states.<ref name="Mary article"/> =====Preemption===== State Chambers along with the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] (ALEC) have been pushing [[Preemption|preemption]] of living wage, minimum wage, prevailing wage, and other progressive policies promulgated by localities for some time.<ref>Brendan Fischer, "[https://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/02/13029/2016-ALEC-local-control Corporate Interests Take Aim at Local Democracy]," Center for Media and Democracy, ''PR Watch'', February 3, 2016.</ref> Multistate Associates has been supportive of these state preemption efforts. In the Luntz Global poll CEOs were asked: "All of these issues may be important but when it comes to where an elected official stands, which issue is the MOST important to you?" "State preemption of local mandates" was at the bottom of the list at 10 percent. Of those who said "state preemption of local mandates are most important," only 18 percent, the smallest number, were worried about "ensuring local governments do not overly burden businesses when it comes to wages and benefits."<ref name="Mary article"/> =====Health Care===== "Keeping health care costs low for American families" was a key concern for CEOs. Significantly, it far outstripped "replacing ACA [the [[PPACA|Affordable Care Act]]]" or "making health care affordable for small businesses" as a priority. ==Federal Lobbying== As of July, 2016 the Chamber spends more money on lobbying than any other interest group. In the first seven months of 2016, the Chamber and its affiliate groups reported $22,925,000 in federal lobbying spending.<ref> Center for Responsive Politics, [https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?showYear=2016&indexType=s Lobbying: Top Spenders], ''opensecrets.org'', accessed July 20, 2016.</ref> Its top issue areas were torts, finance, law enforcement/crime, and government issues, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientissues.php?id=D000019798&year=2016 U.S. Chamber of Commerce (2016)], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed July 2016.</ref> See [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientbills.php?id=D000019798&year=2016 here] for a list of bills lobbied by the Chamber in 2016. ===Lobbying Spending by Year=== The Chamber reported the following federal lobbying spending by year: *In 2015, $84.73 million total was spent by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and subsidiaries, Institute for Legal Reform, ctr for Capital Markets Competitiveness, Global Intel Prop, and US-Mexico Ldshp Initiative.<ref> Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000019798&year=2015 Lobbying Database, 2015: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed July 20, 2016.</ref>*In 2014, $124.1 million total was spent by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and subsidiaries, Institute for Legal Reform, Ctr for Capital Markets Competitiveness, Global Intel Prop, and Essential Worker Immigration Coalition.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000019798&year=2014 Lobbying Database, 2014: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed August 5, 2015.</ref>*In 2013, $74.5 million total was spent by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and subsidiaries, Institute for Legal Reform, Ctr for Capital Markets Competitiveness, Global Intel Prop, and Essential Worker Immigration Coalition.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000019798&year=2013 Lobbying Database, 2013: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed August 5, 2015.</ref>*In 2012, $136.3 million total was spent by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and subsidiaries, Institute for Legal Reform, Ctr for Capital Markets Competitiveness, Global Intel Prop, and Essential Worker Immigration Coalition.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000019798&year=2012 Lobbying Database, 2012: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed August 5, 2015.</ref>*In 2011, $66.4 million total was spent by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and subsidiaries, Institute for Legal Reform, Ctr for Capital Markets Competitiveness, Global Intel Prop, and Essential Worker Immigration Coalition. <ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000019798&year=2011 Lobbying Database, 2011: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed August 5, 2015.</ref>*In 2010, $132.1 million total was spent by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and subsidiaries, the Institute for Legal Reform, the Ctr for Capital Markets Competitiveness, Global Intel Prop, and Essential Worker Immigration Coalition. <ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000019798&year=2010 Lobbying Database, 2010: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed August 5, 2015.</ref>*In 2009, $144.6 million total was spent by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and subsidiaries, the Institute for Legal Reform, Ctr for Capital Markets Competitiveness, Global Intel Prop, and the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition. <ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000019798&year=2009 Lobbying Database, 2009: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed August 5, 2015.</ref>*in 2008, $92 million total was spent by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and subsidiaries, the Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), Commerce Global Intel Prop, Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, US Chamber of Commerce/Panacamara, and Institute for 21st Century Energy.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000019798&year=2008 Lobbying Database, 2008: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed August 5, 2015.</ref>*In 2007, $21.2 million total was spent by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its subsidiary the Institute for Legal Reform (ILR); $11.78 million for the Chamber and $9.4 million by ILR.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?txtname=US+Chamber+of+Commerce&year=2007 Lobbying database, 2007: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed October 22, 2007.</ref>*In 2006, $72.7 million total was spent by the Chamber and ILR; $45.7 million for the Chamber and $27 million for the ILR.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?year=2006&txtname=US+Chamber+of+Commerce Lobbying database, 2006: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed October 22, 2007.</ref> *In 2005, $39.8 million total was spent by the Chamber and ILR; $20 million for the Chamber and $19.8 million for ILR.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?year=2005&txtname=US+Chamber+of+Commerce Lobbying database, 2005: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed October 22, 2007.</ref>*In 2004, $53.4 million total was spent by the Chamber and ILR; $28.8 million for the Chamber and $24.5 million for ILR.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?year=2004&txtname=US+Chamber+of+Commerce Lobbying database, 2004: U.S. Chamber of Commerce], lobbying profile, Open Secrets database, accessed October 22, 2007.</ref> ==Election Spending and Political Contributions== ===2016 Presidential Elections=== As of July 20 the U.S. Chamber reported $16,653,027 in outside spending during the 2016 elections.<ref> Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/recips.php?cycle=2016&cmte=C90013145 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Targeted Candidates: 2016 Cycle], ''opensecrets.org'', accessed July 20, 2016.</ref> Candidates receiving the most support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are: *Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) $1,908,300*Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02) $1,750,150*Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) $1,050,150*Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) $915,438*Rep. Joe Heck, running for Senate (R-NV) $834,337 Candidates that the U.S. Chamber is spending most heavily against include: *Katie McGinty, running for Senate (D-PA) $1,797,550*Gov. Maggie Hassan, running for Senate (D-NH) $1,560,150*Rep. Patrick Murphy, running in the Democratic Senate primary (D-FL) $1,500,150*Fmr Gov. Ted Strickland, running for Senate (D-OH) $1,440,588 ===2014 Midterm Elections=== The U.S. Chamber reported $35,464,243 in outside spending during the 2014 midterm elections.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000019798 U.S. Chamber of Commerce], 2014 spending profile, Open Secrets database, accessed August 2015.</ref> The bulk of this spending (nearly $24 million) was for media buys, and the total included $1,412,500 reported as spent against Democratic candidates, $11,603,968 for Republican candidates, and $1,000,000 against Republican candidates.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, "[http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cycle=2014&cmte=C90013145 U.S. Chamber of Commerce PAC]," 2014 spending profile, Open Secrets database, accessed August 2015.</ref> ===2012 Presidential Elections=== The U.S. Chamber reported $32,255,439 in outside spending during the 2012 elections.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics,[http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C90013145&cycle=2012 U.S. Chamber of Commerce], 2012 spending profile, Open Secrets database, accessed August 2015.</ref> The bulk of this spending ($21,376,598) was for media buys, and the total included $305,044 reported as spent for Democratic candidates, $10,804,999 against Democratic candidates, and $1,134,015 for Republican candidates.<ref>Center for Responsive Politics, "[http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/indexpend.php?cycle=2012&cmte=C90013145 U.S. Chamber of Commerce PAC]," 2012 spending profile, Open Secrets database, accessed August 2015.</ref> This was the first election cycle in which the Chamber spent money on ads that explicitly told viewers to vote for or against a candidate.<ref name="open secrets profile"/> ===2010 Midterm Elections: One of Top Spenders=== In the 2010 election cycle, the U.S. Chamber "spent nearly $33 million on electioneering communications, making it the biggest spender among organizations that were not national party committees," according to the Center for Responsive Politics.<ref name="open secrets profile">Center for Responsive Politics, [http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000019798 U.S. Chamber of Commerce], organizational profile, accessed August 2015.</ref> It played a major role in the Republican victories in the 2010 midterm Congressional elections, promising to spend $75 million (and reporting only $32 million), and helping to organize and coordinate spending by other "outside interest groups" like [[American Crossroads]] and [[American Action Network]] .<ref>David Fredosso, [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/us-chamber-of-commerce-aims-to-spend-75m-on-midterm-elections-97667269.html U.S. Chamber Aims to Spend $75 Million on Midterm Elections], Washington Examiner, July 2, 2010. </ref> In a blog post the night before the election, the Chamber stated it “had "had been a game-changing political force in these midterms. We’ve engaged in tight, competitive races; and we’ve altered them.”"<ref>Chamber Post, [http://www.chamberpost.com/2010/11/on-the-verge-of-a-new-beginning-for-business.html On the Verge of a New Beginning for Business], organizational blog, November 1, 2010.</ref>
The Chamber claimed it offered support to all pro-business candidates, regardless of party affiliation. However, according to a report from the union-backed Chamber Watch, "[i]t worked almost exclusively to elect Republicans in the powerful Senate, giving one lone endorsement to a Democrat, West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, on whom it made no expenditures. On the House side, the Chamber created an appearance of bipartisanship by spending on behalf of eleven Democrats. But the Chamber’s support for Democratic members was razor-thin, and sometimes, the Chamber withheld support altogether, even where Democratic members worked hard to earn the Chamber’s approval." <ref name= "chamber watch report"> November 2010, [http://fixtheuschamber.org/sites/default/files/a_u.s._chamber_watch_report_-_november_2010_0.pdf US Chamber of Commerce: Leading the Charge in Electing a Republican Congress], a report by U.S. Chamber Watch.</ref>
==== Link Ties to [[American Crossroads]] ====American Crossroads and the Chamber are closely tied, and closely coordinated their efforts in the 2010 midterm elections.
In 2008, Chamber President Tom Donahue told the ''Los Angeles Times'' that he wanted to get very involved with elections. "Alarmed at the increasingly populist tone of the 2008 political campaign, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is set to issue a fiery promise to spend millions of dollars to defeat candidates deemed to be anti-business. 'We plan to build a grass-roots business organization so strong that when it bites you in the butt, you bleed,' chamber President Tom Donohue said."<ref>Tom Hamburger, "[http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-chamber8jan08,0,4301350.story?coll=la-politics-campaign Chamber of Commerce vows to punish anti-business candidates]", ''Los Angeles Times'', January 8, 2008.</ref> According to the a 2010 U.S. Chamber Watch [http://fixtheuschamber.org/sites/default/files/a_u.s._chamber_watch_report_-_november_2010_0.pdf report]:
:The U.S. Chamber first began to coordinate massive Republican resources when its general counsel, Steven Law, met with Ed Gillespie, Republican political strategist and former Counselor to President George W. Bush. According to the Associated Press, Law met with Gillespie in October of 2009, “calculating how to exploit the voter anger they had seen erupt at Democratic town hall meetings that summer.” <ref>Jim Kuhnhenn, [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/10/26/big_money_outside_groups_spending_for_republicans/ Big money: Outside groups spending for Republicans], Boston.com, October 26, 2010.</ref>
The U.S. Chamber's partisan, corporate-funded (and often [http://mediamattersaction.org/search/tag/u_s__chamber_of_commerce untrue]) campaign attacks have compelled many local Chambers of Commerce to disassociate from the U.S. Chamber. <ref>Elspeth Reeve, [http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/Local-Branches-Leave-Chamber-of-Commerce-as-It-Lurches-Rightward-6085 Local Branches Leave Chamber of Commerce as it Lurches Rightward], The Atlantic Wire, Dec. 07, 2010 (compiling stories from several sources).</ref> Despite the U.S. Chamber's attempts to portray itself as a community of small businesses and local Chambers of Commerce, the interests the U.S. Chamber served in the 2010 elections were those of its large corporate donors. More than 40 local chambers issued statements during the campaign distancing themselves from the U.S. Chamber, including chambers in the "battleground states" of Iowa and New Hampshire. Some chambers are considering what Politico calls the "extraordinary" step of ending their affiliation with the U.S. Chamber and quitting in protest.<ref> Jeanne Cummings, [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46049.html Angry Member Groups Shun U.S. Chamber of Commerce], Politico, Dec. 7, 2010.</ref>
==Accusations of tax fraud Large Corporations and money laundering Contributors Dominate U.S. Chamber==
===Report: Large Contributions Form Bulk of Chamber Funding (2014)===
The average reported contribution to the U.S. Chamber was $111,254, with the top 43 entities donating a combined $80.4 million.
===2010 ComplaintLarge Corporations Dominate Membership===In September, 2010, two national watchdog groups, [[U.S. Chamber Watch]] and [http://www.velvetrevolution.us/stop_chamber/ StopTheChamber.com], filed complaints with the U.S. [[Internal Revenue Service]] asking the agency to investigate the [[U.S. Chamber of Commerce]] for criminal fraud and money laundering. The groups allege that the Chamber illegally funneled donations from a wealthy charitable foundation into its political battles. Chamber Watch said that $12 million of an $18 million donation that the wealthy [[Starr Foundation]] [http://www.velvetrevolution.us/stop_chamber/images/irs_complaint_9_10_10.pdf gave] (pdf) gave to the National Chamber Foundation was in the form of loans that have never been repaid. Chamber Watch says the money was diverted to finance political causes, including [[tort reform]], to shield companies like [[AIG]] from liability lawsuits. The [[Starr Foundation]] was founded by [[Cornelius Vander Starr]], the insurance entrepreneur who also founded [[AIG]]. The Foundation's Chairman of the Board of Directors is [[Maurice R. Greenberg]], former President and CEO of AIG. The Foundation's Director (and Treasurer) is Howard I. Smith, AIG's former Chief Financial Officer. StopTheChamber.com says it was contacted by a Chamber whistleblower [http://www.velvetrevolution.us/stop_chamber/images/COC_DOJ_Letter8410.pdf who described] (pdf) how Chamber CEO [[Tom Donohue]] is "scamming [business] clients to serve his own interests rather than the interests of the business community." The insider compared Donohue to [[Jack Abramoff]] and [[Bernie Madoff]]. He also alleged that Donohue does not fear the [[Federal Elections Commission]] or Congress, and has a plan set up to attack the [[U.S. Department of Justice]] if the agency ever tries to investigate him.<ref>National Desk, [http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/185296 Watchdog Groups Request Criminal Fraud and Money Laundering Investigations against The U.S. Chamber], ''American Chronicle'', September 15, 2010.</ref>
The September charge echoed similar charges made earlier in the yearChamber claims to represent 3 million businesses, in January96 percent of which are small, 2010defined as having fewer than 100 employees. But the Chamber arrives at this figure by counting all businesses that are members of state and local chambers, which are independent organizations that six of the largest health insurance companies in pay a few hundreds dollars a year to affiliate with the U.S. had been secretly funneling millions of dollars to Chamber for discounts and other programs and have no say over the national group's political activities, its lobbying, or endorsements. The U.S. Chamber 's membership is actually about 300,000 businesses, and the Chamber's boardroom is mostly representatives of Commerce to oppose health reformlarge corporations. Its 125-member board includes representatives of just two local chambers and a handful of small businesses. The total amount in this instance was estimated at between $10 million rest are primarily from large corporations, like [[Pfizer]], [[Alcoa]], and $20 million[[JP Morgan Chase]]. According to a report in the ''National Journal'' onlineIn 2008, one-third of the money was used "to help underwrite tens of millions of dollars of television ads by two business coalitions set up and subsidized by $147 million the chambergroup raised came from just 19 companies."<refname=sm>Staff reportsStacy Mitchell, [http://webwww.archiveyesmagazine.org/webnew-economy/20101007040736/http://www.appomattoxnews.com/2010/uwill-the-sreal-chambervoice-of-commercesmall-chargedbusiness-withplease-moneystand-laundering-tactics.html U.S. Chamber up Will the Real Voice of Commerce Charged with Money Laundering TacticsSmall Business Please Stand Up?], Appomattox News - Accessed via Wayback MachineYes! Magazine, January 15Nov. 2, 2010.</ref>In 2010, the watchdog group U.S. ChamberWatch used a disclosure law to see the Chamber's [[IRS 990]] form. It showed that 55 percent of its funding came from just 16 companies, each of which gave more than a million dollars.<ref>Peter H. Stone Bill McKibben, [http://webwww.archivegrist.org/webarticle/20100113034144/http://undertheinfluence2011-02-22-the-u.nationaljournals.com/2010/01/health-insurerschamber-of-commerce-fundeddarkens-chamber.php Health Insurers Funded the-skies The Chamber Attack Adsof Commerce is darkening our skies], NationalJournalGrist, Feb.com - accessed via Wayback Machine22, January 122011.</ref> (Exactly which companies is unknown. U. S. law requires the Chamber to list amounts given on its annual tax return, 2010but it is not obligated to disclose names.)<ref name=sm/ref>
In 2010, chambers in San Antonio, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut began publicly moving away from the U.S. Chamber, disavowing the 2010 political attack ads that the U.S. Chamber had been broadcasting in their communities. Newer chambers, like the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce, have declined to affiliate with the national group and have been among its most vocal critics: "They get the majority of their funding from big businesses. That's who drives their decisions," explains Executive Director Frank Knapp, noting that, unlike the U. S. Chamber, his group supported the health care bill and financial reform, and favors legislation to curb [[global warming]].<ref name===2006 Public Citizen Complaint===sm/>
In 2009, the Chamber of Commerce lobbied against climate change legislation introduced by Congress. In describing its strategy, the Chamber said it would "resist ill-conceived legislation that is economically disruptive of business and industry activities, that creates regulatory and legislative obstacles to development and deployment of affordable, innovative energy technologies, and that could severely damage the security and economy of the United States."<ref>U.S. Chamber of Commerce[http://www.uschamber.com/issues/index/environment/climatechange.htm Climate Change], organizational website, accessed May 24 2013.</ref> The chamber said it supported "mainstream, common sense views" on climate change, but that it opposed the [[Waxman-Markey Climate Bill]] passed by the House of Representatives on June 26, 2009.<ref name="sciam">Deborah Zabarenko, [http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id= rift-at-us-chamber-of-com Rift at U.S. Politics ==Chamber of Commerce over climate change], ''Scientific American,'' September 30, 2009.</ref>
====Yes Men Stage Fake Chamber of Commerce Press Conference (2009)===={{#evpev:youtube|vYGcIhNGSIY|300|left|The Yes Men's fake press conference|left|300frame}}
On October 19, 2009, anti-corporate performance artists the Yes Men issued a fake press release on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, claiming that the Chamber had reversed its position on climate change would no longer lobby against the legislation. The activists managed to secure a room at the National Press Club to stage a press conference announcing the policy shift to reporters. The real Chamber of Commerce spokesperson Eric Wohlschlegel interrupted the event and declared the event a fraud. Afterwards, the Chamber threatened to push for a criminal investigation over the prank.<ref>Sam Stein, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/19/chamber-of-commerce-hoax_n_326069.html Yes Men Pull Off Chamber Of Commerce Hoax On Climate Change], Huffington Post, October 19, 2009.</ref>
'''CREDO Action''', part of the Working Assets company, launched a campaign against the Chamber's stance on climate change legislation. The group is organizing an effort to urge members of the lobbying group to resign, calling on them to "denounce the Chamber's extremist position on global warming and revoke your membership effective immediately."<ref>CREDO Action, [http://web.archive.org/web/20091011154305/http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/chamber_of_commerce/? Quit the Chamber. Join the Planet], organizational website - accessed by Wayback Machine, accessed October 2009.</ref>
'''Velvet Revolution''' has also organized a campaign against the Chamber of Commerce, citing its stance on climate change among other reasons to call for a reform of the corporate lobbying group.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20091015095926/http://www.velvetrevolution.us/stop_chamber/ StopTheChamber.com], organizational website - accessed by Wayback Machine, accessed October 2009.</ref>
==Labor Issues=Employee Free Choice Act= ===Opposition to NLRB Joint Employer Decision (2014)===In The U.S. Chamber opposes the 2014 decision by the 2009 debate over general counsel of the [[Employee Free Choice ActNational Labor Relations Board]] (EFCANLRB), a bill that would make it easier for workers to join McDonald's is a unionjoint employer, meaning that the company "both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce could be held jointly liable for labor and the [[AFL-CIO]] are focusing on grassroots outreachwage violations by its franchise operators," reported according to the ''PR WeekNew York Times''. Before the bill was introduced,<ref>Steven Greenhouse, "the Chamber launched the [http://www.workforcefreedomairliftnytimes.com/wfi2014/airlift Workforce Freedom Airlift07/30/business/nlrb-holds-mcdonalds-not-just-franchisees-liable-for-worker-treatment.html McDonald’s Ruling Could Open Door for Unions] program, a series of events that fly in local small business owners to Washington" ''New York Times'', July 29,2014.</ref> and could also " give employees more leverage to lobby against the billunionize. The first "airlift<ref name="denounce ruling">Ernie Smith," on March 10, 2009[http://associationsnow.com/2014/07/trade-groups-denounce-nlrb-mcdonalds-ruling/ Trade Groups Denounce NLRB Ruling], "brought in small business owners from Pennsylvania''Associations Now'', Virginia, NebraskaJuly 30, and Louisiana2014." Since July 2008, the </ref> The Chamber has worked with 's [[Adfero GroupWorkforce Freedom Initiative]] on an antireleased a report in March 2015 titled "Opportunity at Risk: A New Joint-EFCA Employer Standard and the Threat to Small Business."social media The report "highlights the administration's ongoing effortto redefine the concept of "joint-employment" relationships, which threatens to disrupt major sectors of the economy such as franchising and subcontracting," expanding according to the Chamber, which characterized the NLRB decision as "overreach" that "would facilitate unionization efforts."<ref>Sean Redmond, "a [httphttps://secretballotwww.voteforbusinessuschamber.netcom/joinblog/opportunity-risk-nlrbs-joint-employer-meddling Opportunity At Risk: The NLRB's Joint-Employer Meddling]," U.S. Chamber of Commerce blog, March 20, 2015.php virtual march on Washington] </ref> The WFI report claims treating franchisers and companies that was created the last time the bill went outsource to Congress subcontrators as joint employers would result in 2007." It "allows users to register for the march as avatars higher costs, fewer new businesses, less growth, and send an automatic letter to their elected officials through a [[Facebook]] applicationfewer new jobs." <ref>Jaimy LeeU.S. Chamber of Commerce Workforce Freedom Initiative, "[http://www.prweekusworkforcefreedom.com/Sides-in-card-check-debate-intensify-PR-effortssites/articledefault/129136files/ Sides in 'card check' debate intensify PR effortsJoint%20Employer%20Standard%20Final_0.pdf Opportunity at Risk: A New Joint-Employer Standard and the Threat to Small Business]," ''PR Week''report, March 20, 20092015.</ref> The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the [[International Franchise Association]] (IFA), [[National Federation of Independent Business]], [[National Restaurant Association]], [[Job Creators Network]], and other corporate lobbying groups to oppose the NLRB's joint employer ruling through the IFA-run [[Coalition to Save Local Businesses]]. See the [[International Franchise Association]] page for more information.
In March 2013, the Philadelphia City Council passed, by an 11 to 6 vote, a paid sick days bill that would have allowed employees without sick leave to earn up to four paid sick days per year.<ref name="NBCP">Dan Stamm, [http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/Paid-Sick-Leave-Bill-Veto-Stands-202535031.html "Paid Sick Leave Veto Override Falls 1 Vote Short"], ''NBC Philadelphia'', April 11, 2013</ref> Over 180,000 workers in Philadelphia do not have access to paid sick days and would have benefited from this measure. <ref name="BF"/> However, major opponents of the paid sick leave bill, special interest groups aligned with the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] (ALEC), successfully lobbied Mayor Nutter to veto it<ref name=VoteForBusiness"BF">Brendan Fischer, [https://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/04/12059/paid-sick-days-defeat-philadelphia-followed-familiar-script "Paid Sick Days Defeat in Philadelphia Followed Familiar Script"], ''PRWatch'', April 17, 2013</ref>. The bill died when the council was unable to sway enough nay votes to override the mayoral veto; they needed just one more.<ref name="NBCP"/> These groups, the [[National Restaurant Association]], the [[U.S. Chamber of Commerce]], and the [[National Federation of Independent Business]] (NFIB) are all tied to [[ALEC]].<ref name="BF"/> The case of Philadelphia was unique in "the participation of telecommunications giant [[Comcast]], Philadelphia's highest grossing company and an [[ALEC]] member."<ref name="BF"/> The corporation spent over $108,000 on lobbying, most of which went towards opposition to the paid sick days bill.<ref name="BF"/>
==Law=====Law firmVoteForBusiness (2007)===
"The [[National Chamber Litigation Center]]Under Donohue’s leadership, the Chamber’s law firm, Chamber has become more aggressive also emerged as a major player in challenging antielection politics, helping elect congressional pro-business measures in courtcandidates through financial support and voter activism and turnout generated through the Chamber’s grassroots organization, setting a new record for cases entered in each of the last six years and securing 48 court victories in 2006."[[VoteForBusiness]],<ref name="Don">[http://www.uschamber.com/about/management/donohue.htm Management: Donohue,] U.S. Chamber of Commerce, accessed October 22, 2007.</ref>billed as "Your One-Stop Political Action, Education, and Involvement Tool".
===Political Action Committee, The Chamber has taken a lead role in the [[tort reform]] movement. It sponsors the [[Institute for Legal Reform]] (ILR), a [[501November Fund (c2004)6]] organization, and [[Legal Reform Now]], a coalition of business associations, [[think tanks]], and legal reform groups. Website: http://www.instituteforlegalreform.com/===
===Opposing "activist judges"===In late May 2005, the Chamber's Institute for Legal Reform President [[Lisa Rickard]] announced it was going to "reign in activist attorneys general."<ref>USNewswire, [http://web.archive.org/web/20060718120423/http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=48082 News Release: U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform: Rein in Activist State Attorneys General; Curb 'Regulation through Litigation' and Contingency Fee Deals], press release, May 26, 2005.</ref> At a Chamber-sponsored conference examining the "appropriate role" of a state attorney general, several speakers "complained that 'Spitzerism' has become a dangerous model for ambitious regulators," refering to New York AG [[Eliot Spitzer]].<ref>Barrie McKenna, [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050527/IBACTIVIST27/TPBusiness/International Corporate America declares war on 'Spitzerism'], ''The Globe and Mail'' (Toronto, Canada), May 27, 2005.</ref>Backed Media Outlets==
The ''[[Madison County Record]]'' (madisonrecord.com) is "an Illinois weekly newspaper launched in September [2004] that bills itself as the county's legal journal, reports on one subject: the state courts in southern Illinois," the ''Washington Post'' reported in 2004.<ref name==Trade=====TradeRoots==="suit">Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38184-2004Dec5.html Advocacy Groups Blur Media Lines. Some Push Agendas By Producing Movies, Owning Newspapers], ''Washington Post'', December 6, 2004.</ref>
The Chamber's TradeRoots website is billed as 'Washington Post'' noted a "the nation's leading sustained grassroots education program dedicated to raising public awareness recent front page [that] carried an assortment of international trade stories about lawsuits against businesses. In one, a woman sought $15,000 in damages for breaking her nose at a haunted house. In another, a woman sued a restaurant for $50,000 after she hurt her teeth on a local levelchicken breast.."<ref>TradeRoots.org, [http://wwwNowhere was it reported that the U.traderootsS.org Home], organizational website, accessed May 24, 2013Chamber of Commerce created the ''Record'' as a weapon in its multimillion-dollar campaign against lawyers who file those kinds of suits."<ref name="suit"/ref>
===TheTrueCosts.orgNational Chamber Litigation Center (2006)===
==Coal and Energy=====Chamber distributes books on energy to childrenTort "Reform"===In 2010, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce joined with [[Scholastic]] Books to distribute roughly 100,000 books about the potential perils of government fossil fuel regulation to classrooms across the country, as part of its “Shedding Light on Energy" campaign. The book asks, “What do you think could happen if one of our energy sources was suddenly unavailable (e.g., power plant maintenance, government curb on production, etc.)?” Chamber officials maintain that there is no “hidden agenda” behind the question or the educational outreach effort in general, although the book is notably being distributed at a time when the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] is set to regulate [[greenhouse gas]] emissions.<ref name=jv>Josh Voorhees, [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43844.html#ixzz14oxFHwth "Chamber: Worry about energy regulations, kids"] Politico, Oct. 19, 2010.</ref>
The energy industry Chamber has taken a long history of working to get its perspective into classrooms. In lead role in the 1970s, for example, [[nuclear powertort reform]] officials distributed comic books in schools as it dealt with movement. It sponsors the [[PRInstitute for Legal Reform]] fallout from the near meltdown at (ILR), a [[Three Mile Island501(c)6]]. And organization, and [[BPLegal Reform Now]] helped develop environmental lesson plans in California, the Sacramento Bee reported last month. The posters and worksheets that the Chamber will be sending out to schools aross the country is based on statistics from the U.S. a coalition of business associations, [[Energy Information Administrationthink tanks]], and the assignments are mostly aimed at teaching students how to use charts and graphs to convey where Ulegal reform groups.SWebsite: http://www. energy comes from and how it is usedinstituteforlegalreform.<ref name=jvcom/>
===Opposing "Jones will head the [[Institute for Energy]], which is to present itself as a [[Astroturf|grassroots]] organization. The Chamber went a similar path with the creation of the Institute for Legal Reform.Activist Judges" Jones will focus on [[global warming]] and seek "to 'unify energy stakeholders behind a common strategy' to produce affordable and secure supplies while protecting the environment," reported ''O'Dwyer's'', quoting Chamber president Tom Donohue.<ref name="Jones"/>==
In late May 2005, the Chamber's Institute for Legal Reform President [[Lisa Rickard]] announced it was going to "reign in activist attorneys general."<ref>USNewswire, [http://web.archive.org/web/20060718120423/http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id===National gas tax===48082 News Release: U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform: Rein in Activist State Attorneys General; Curb 'Regulation through Litigation' and Contingency Fee Deals], press release, May 26, 2005.</ref> At a Chamber-sponsored conference examining the "appropriate role" of a state attorney general, several speakers "complained that 'Spitzerism' has become a dangerous model for ambitious regulators," refering to New York AG [[Eliot Spitzer]].<ref>Barrie McKenna, [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050527/IBACTIVIST27/TPBusiness/International Corporate America declares war on 'Spitzerism'], ''The Globe and Mail'' (Toronto, Canada), May 27, 2005.</ref>
The group's former website had a Chamber has focused on tobacco regulation in the US and globally and has longstanding ties to the tobacco industry.<ref>R.J. Reynolds, "Take Action[https://industrydocuments.library.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/#id=rzgh0099 1957 Annual Report]," page that says corporate report, February 1, 1958. Archived by Legacy Tobacco Documents Library, University of California San Francisco, accessed August 2015. See pdf p. 8.</ref><ref>Eric Bradner, "We can’t afford to let a government[http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/tobacco-plan-puts-us-trade-representative-in-crossfire-run 95856.html Tobacco plan raise our taxes and create long waits for treatmentputs U.S.trade representative in crossfire]," It urges people to write their Congress members to oppose "government-run health care''Politico'', August 23, 2013."</ref>Campaign The Chamber's Institute for Responsible Health Legal Reformhas focused on part on tobacco litigation and settlements.<ref>U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "[httphttps://wwwindustrydocuments.library.responsiblehealthreformucsf.orgedu/tobacco/docs/take-action Take Action#id=ynxm0052 U.S. CHAMBER TARGETS EXCESSIVE LEGAL FEES; FILES FOIA REQUESTS ON TOBACCO SETTLEMENTS IN 21 STATES], organizational website" press release, accessed August 18March 14, 20092001.</ref>
===SCHIP vetoGlobal Campaign to Fight Antismoking Measures (2015 report)===
The U.S. Chamber is among a number of organizations which supported President [[George W. Bush]]Commerce has actively worked to block anti-smoking efforts worldwide, ''The New York Times's October 2007 veto of the SCHIP ([[State Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007]]) bill.<ref>Campaigns & Elections, [httpdocumented in a 2015 story://campaignsandelections.com/sc/releases/index.cfm?ID=5325 "Barrett Supports Bush On SCHIPFrom Ukraine to Uruguay,"] organizational websiteMoldova to the Philippines, October 18, 2007the U.S.</ref> [[Republican Party|Republicans]] Chamber of Commerce and "some business groups" such as its foreign affiliates have become the Chamber contended SCHIP "should focus on poor children and hammer for the expansion [would be] tobacco industry, engaging in a move towards worldwide effort to fight antismoking laws of all kinds, according to interviews with government-run ministers, lobbyists, lawmakers and public health care. They also worr[ied] identification rules groups in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] SCHIP bill might allow [[illegal immigration|illegal immigrants]] to obtain government coverageUnited States."<ref>Mike Sunnucks, [http:name="chamber works globally"//www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2007/10/15/daily42.html SCHIP override falls short], ''The Business Journal of Phoenix'', October 18, 2007.</ref>
The Chamber denies that it is fighting antismoking measures, and claims to be merely advocating for intellectual property rights of companies, against discriminatory treatment of tobacco firms, and opposing excessive taxation. "The Chamber believes that public health policy aimed at curbing smoking can yield positive results, while still upholding intellectual property protections, honoring international agreements, and not singling out any specific industry for discriminatory treatment or destruction of company brands."<ref>U.S. Chamber of Commerce, [https://www.uschamber.com/above-the-fold/clearing-the-smoke-around-the-chamber-s-tobacco-related-advocacy?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Lobbying spending=Wallpost&utm_campaign=Status Clearing the Smoke around the Chamber's Tobacco Related Advocacy], July 1, 2015, accessed August 5, 2015.</ref>
While the U.S. Chamber was working to block or undermine anti-smoking efforts, health insurers and hospitals held positions on its board of directors. According to ''Political Money LineThe New York Times'' highlighted in February 2005 that , :The chamber’s global opposition to antismoking measures...poses a challenge for many of the members of the Chamber organization, particularly hospitals and its Institute for Legal Reform reported combined spending health insurers. Four executives of leading health care organizations, including Mr. DeVeydt [executive vice president of [[Anthem]]], are members of $53the chamber’s board.38 million for lobbying The other three executives come from the Health Care Service Corporation, an insurer based in Chicago, the Executive Steward Health Care System of Boston and Legislative branches during 2004the Indiana University Health system. According to :"Smoking is one of the watchdog websiteleading causes of death, "This Brooke Thurston, a spokeswoman for Steward, said in a statement, adding, "If the chamber is the ''largest twelve-month amount reported spent by any group''in fact advocating for increased smoking we do not agree with them on this public health issue.":The other three companies declined to comment.<refname="board members fight smoking">Political Money Line StaffDanny Hakim,"[http://www.nytimes.com/cq2015/200707/02/23business/cq_2318international/many-board-members-fight-smoking-even-as-chamber-opposes-tobacco-laws.html From Political Money Line: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Lobbying Skyrockets to New RecordFights Smoking Laws While Hospitals and Insurers Sit on Its Board], " ''The New York Times'', February 23July 2, 20072015.</ref>
''The Chamber reported spending $20Times'' noted that PR firm [[Burson-Marsteller]],060which previously represented multiple tobacco clients,000 in opposed the Chamber's efforts::"It’s pretty obvious that you don’t want to be seen doing the first six months bidding of 2004 and $8an interest which is no longer legitimate,780" said David Earnshaw,000 in the last six months president of 2004. They paid forty-five lobbyists in the last six months Brussels office of 2004 to lobby on thirtyBurson-two issue areasMarsteller, including "Trade, Small Business, Labor, Healthcare, Defense, Appropriations, Tort Reform and other areasa company that long worked for the tobacco industry."<ref>U.S. Chamber He tried unsuccessfully to prevent a major affiliate of Commercethe chamber, [http://web.archivebased in Brussels, from issuing a position paper targeting a European proposal on plain packaging.org/web/20060917042146/http://sopr.senate.gov/cgi-win/opr_gifviewer.exe?/2005/01/000/031/000031109|138 Lobbying Report for 2004: Chamber of Commerce An unpublished early version of the USA], organizational document - accessed via Wayback Machineposition paper, February 1, 2005.</ref> which was obtained by ''The Institute for Legal Reform reported spending $10Times'',000reveals that the rapporteur,000 in the first six months of 2004 and $14or primary author,540was Anne-Laure Covin,000 in the last six months. They had five lobbyists on the payroll for the last six months an executive of 2004[[Philip Morris International]], working on the tort reform issue including "Class Action Fairness, Asbestos Injury Resolution, Legal Reform, and Lawsuit Abuse Reduction."<ref>which is now separate from Philip Morris U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, [http://webA.archiveThe company had no comment.org/web/20060918150157/http://soprPhilip Morris was not the only company involved.senate.gov/cgi-win/opr_gifviewer.exe?/2005/01/000/031/000031095|13 Lobbying Report for 2004: U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal ReformThe paper came from a committee at the chamber’s European Union branch run by a [[Time Warner]]executive, organizational document - accessed via Wayback MachineVincent Jamois, whose name and corporate affiliation are on the draft version of the paper, right above Ms. Covin’s name.<ref name="board members fight smoking"/ref>
Another board member, [[Pfizer]], markets a drug to help people stop smoking.<ref name===Election cycle spending===Other spending reported by ''Political Money Line'' or ''Open Secrets'':"board members fight smoking"/>
In 2010, [[Aaron Barr]], CEO of the technology security company [[HBGary]] Federal, alleged that he could exploit social media to gather information about hackers like those who supported [[WikiLeaks]]. In early 2011, Barr claimed to have used his techniques to infiltrate the [[Wikileaks]] supporter [[Anonymous]], partly by using IRC, Facebook, Twitter, and social networking sites. His e-mails depict his intention to release information on the identities of Anonymous members and to sell it to possible clients.<ref name="arstechnicacom1">Nate Anderson,
[http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/how-one-security-firm-tracked-anonymousand-paid-a-heavy-price.ars How one man tracked down Anonymous - and paid a heavy price], Ars Technica, Feb 9 2011.</ref>
Collamore, [http://www.chamberpost.com/2011/02/another-smear-from-the-center-for-american-progress/ Another Smear from the Center for American Progress], Free Enterprise, February 11, 2011.</ref>
==Chamber campaignsAccusations of Tax Fraud and Money Laundering== ===2010 Complaint===In JuneSeptember, 2010, two national watchdog groups, [[U.S. Chamber Watch]] and [http://www.velvetrevolution.us/stop_chamber/ StopTheChamber.com], 2011 filed complaints with the U.S. [[Internal Revenue Service]] asking the agency to investigate the [[U.S. Chamber enlisted former White House Chief of Staff under President Bush Commerce]] for criminal fraud and money laundering. The groups allege that the Chamber illegally funneled donations from a wealthy charitable foundation into its political battles. Chamber Watch said that $12 million of an $18 million donation that the wealthy [[Andrew CardStarr Foundation]][http://www.velvetrevolution.us/stop_chamber/images/irs_complaint_9_10_10.pdf gave] (pdf) gave to the National Chamber Foundation was in the form of loans that have never been repaid. Chamber Watch says the money was diverted to finance political causes, and Democratic former Indiana Senator including [[Evan Bayhtort reform]] , to put on a national "road show" to rally businesses to oppose government regulationsshield companies like [[AIG]] from liability lawsuits. The road show is being handled [[Starr Foundation]] was founded by Chamber employee [[Thomas CollamoreCornelius Vander Starr]], the insurance entrepreneur who formerly was a vice president also founded [[AIG]]. The Foundation's Chairman of the Board of Directors is [[Philip Morris Corporate AffairsMaurice R. Greenberg]], the department at PM that was responsible for thwarting national efforts to reduce tobacco useformer President and CEO of AIG. The Chamber planned to formally announce the Bayh Foundation's Director (and Card road show on June 22Treasurer) is Howard I. Smith, 2011, and then start flying the two around the country in AIG's former Chief Financial Officer. StopTheChamber.com says it was contacted by a push Chamber whistleblower [http://www.velvetrevolution.us/stop_chamber/images/COC_DOJ_Letter8410.pdf who described] (pdf) how Chamber CEO [[Tom Donohue]] is "scamming [business] clients to gather support for reducing regulations designed to protect serve his own interests rather than the interests of the environment, consumers and workersbusiness community. " The Chamber plans insider compared Donohue to fight [[Jack Abramoff]] and [[Bernie Madoff]]. He also alleged that Donohue does not fear the [[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency'sFederal Elections Commission]] efforts to reduce greenhouse gasesor Congress, push and has a plan set up to minimize attack the power of the recently-created [[Consumer Financial Protection BureauU.S. Department of Justice]]if the agency ever tries to investigate him.<ref>National Desk, block implementation of [[Occupational Safety http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/185296 Watchdog Groups Request Criminal Fraud and Health Administration|OSHAMoney Laundering Investigations against The U.S. Chamber]] workplace safety and health programs, hamper employees' ability 'American Chronicle'', September 15, 2010.</ref> The September charge echoed similar charges made earlier in the year, in January, 2010, that six of the largest health insurance companies in the U.S. had been secretly funneling millions of dollars to join unionsthe U.S. Chamber of Commerce to oppose health reform. The total amount in this instance was estimated at between $10 million and $20 million. According to a report in the ''National Journal'' online, the money was used "to help underwrite tens of millions of dollars of television ads by two business coalitions set up and make other pro-business reformssubsidized by the chamber. The Chamber has "<ref>Staff reports, [http://wwwweb.iwatchnewsarchive.org/2010web/20101007040736/http:/12/01www.appomattoxnews.com/22822010/u-s-chamber-seeksof-cashcommerce-insurerscharged-financialwith-firmsmoney-newlaundering-effort/page/0/1 spent monthstactics.html U.S. Chamber of Commerce Charged with Money Laundering Tactics] soliciting millions of dollars in funding for this anti, Appomattox News -regulatory effort from Wall Street financial firmsAccessed via Wayback Machine, January 15, insurance and energy companies2010. </ref><ref>Peter H. Stone, [http://wwwweb.iwatchnewsarchive.org/2011web/0620100113034144/07http:/4825/chamberundertheinfluence.nationaljournal.com/2010/01/health-commerceinsurers-hiresfunded-oddchamber.php Health Insurers Funded Chamber Attack Ads], NationalJournal.com -coupleaccessed via Wayback Machine, January 12, 2010.</ref> ===2006 Public Citizen Complaint=== On October 31, 2006, ''[[Public Citizen]]'' filed a complaint<ref>Public Citizen, [http://www.citizen.org/documents/ACF1F3E.pdf Complaint filed with the IRS], organizational complaint, October 31, 2006.</ref> with the [[IRS]] asking it to investigate whether the Chamber and "its affiliated Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) failed to report millions in taxable spending from 2000 to 2004 intended to influence state-evanlevel attorney general and supreme court races and federal races around the country."<ref name="shell">Public Citizen, [http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2305 News Release: "U.S. Chamber of Commerce Failed to Report Electioneering Spending and Grants, Public Citizen Asks IRS to Investigate. Chamber Spent Millions to Influence State and Federal Races,"], news release, October 31, 2006.</ref> It also asked the IRS to investigate whether Chamber and the ILR, "which are two separate legal entities, combined funds in a shared bank account to hide accurate reporting of investment or interest income for tax avoidance. ... Court records, internal corporate documents and media reports indicate that the Chamber and the ILR engaged in a massive campaign to affect the outcome of state and federal races through direct expenditures and grants made to organizations that carried out the Chamber’s wishes."<ref name="shell"/> ''Public Citizen'' reported that<ref name="shell"/> :"In 2000, the Chamber claimed it spent $6 million on judicial races and took credit for winning 15 out of 17 state supreme court contests. In 2002, the Chamber said it planned to spend $40 million on political campaigns, divided equally between congressional and state-bayhlevel attorneys general and judicial races. None of these activities were reported on their tax returns from 2000 to 2003. :"In 2004, the first year since at least 2000 that the Chamber and the ILR reported political expenditures, both organizations appear to have underreported their spending. They reported a combined $18 million, but in a 'President's Update' memo released the day after the November elections, Chamber President Thomas Donohue claimed the group had spent up to $30 million in races around the country. :"The Chamber and ILR also failed to report grants and allocations to outside groups as required by Line 22 of IRS Form 990. Both organizations reported no grants to outside groups from 2000 to 2004. But in a 2005 deposition, a Chamber official acknowledged that the Chamber had partnered with at least six outside groups to advance its agenda to avoid garnering unwanted critical attention. At least two 501(c) organizations, the Washington-based [[American Taxpayers Alliance]] andthe Columbus-andy-card-anti-regs-roadshow based [[Citizens for a Strong Ohio]], reported receipt of contributions from the U.S. Chamber." ==Affiliated Centers, Organizations, and Campaigns== As of August 2015:<ref>U.S.Chamber of Commerce hires odd couple Evan Bayh , [https://www.uschamber.com/ Homepage/Programs], organizational website, accessed August 2015.</ref> *[[Campaign for Free Enterprise]]*[[Center for Advanced Technology and Andy Card Innovation]]*[[Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness]]*[[Center for Education and Workforce]]*[[Center for International Private Enterprise]]*[[Center for anti-regs roadshowWomen in Business]]*[[Corporate Citizenship Center]]*[[Essential Worker Immigration Coalition]] (EWIC) member*[[Friends of the U.S. Chamber]]*[[Global Intellectual Property Center]] (GIPC), David Hirschmann, President and CEO<ref>GIPC, "[http://www.theglobalipcenter.com/about/staff/ Staff] IWatchNews, June 7" organizational website, 2011accessed August 2015.</ref>*[[Hiring Our Heroes]]*[[Institute for 21st Century Energy]]*[[Institute for Legal Reform]]*[[Institute for Organizational Management]] (IOM)*[[Let's Rebuild America]]*[[U.S. Chamber Litigation Center]]*[[Native American Enterprise Initiative]]*[[Small Business Nation]]*[[U.S. Chamber Foundation]]
===Archived===
*[[Alliance for Energy and Economic Growth]]
*[[Business Civic Leadership Center]] (BCLC)
*[[Global Regulatory Cooperation Project]]<ref>Deborah Platt Majoras, [http://www.ftc.gov/speeches/majoras/070717coc.pdf Remarks of Deborah Platt Majoras, Chairman, Federal Trade Commission,] before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on the launch of its Global Regulatory Cooperation Project, July 17, 2007.</ref>
*[[Institute for a Competitive Workforce]] (ICW), [[Jan Magill]], director of strategic partnerships<ref>Nell Luter Ford, [http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071021/BIZ/710210362/1005 "Still a job to do,"] ''The Clarion-Ledger'', October 21, 2007.</ref>
*[[Institute for Energy]]
*[[The Energy Initiative]]
*[[Particulate Matter Coalition]]
*[[Yucca Energy Solutions]]
==Personnel== ===Senior managementLeadership===The following are listed as members As of the Chamber's senior management.July 2015:<ref>U.S. Chamber of Commerce, [http://www.uschamber.com/about/management Management,] organizational website, accessed May 9 2013July 31, 2015.</ref>
*[[Thomas J. Donohue]] - President and CEO
*[[David C. ChavernShannon DiBari]] - Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer*[[Ann Beauchesne]] - Senior Vice President, National Security & Emergency Preparedness Department
*[[Myron Brilliant]] - Executive Vice President and Head of International
*[[Lily Fu Claffee]] - Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and General Counsel; Executive Vice President, U.S. Chamber Litigation Center*[[Shannon DiBariSuzanne Clark]] - Executive Vice President*[[Thomas Collamore]] - Senior Vice President , Communications and Chief Administrative OfficerStrategy and Counselor to the President*[[Rob Engstrom]] - Senior Vice President, Political Affairs & Federation Relations and National Political Director*[[Amanda Engstrom Eversole]] - Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff; Senior Vice President, U.S. Chamber Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness; Acting President, Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation*[[Karen Alderman Harbert]] - President and CEO, Institute for 21st Century Energy
*[[Stan Harrell]] - Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Information Officer
*[[David Hirschmann]] - Senior Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; President & CEO, U.S. Chamber Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness; President and CEO, the Global Intellectual Property Center
*[[Judy RichmondJack Howard]] - Senior Vice President & Senior Associate General Counsel, Congressional and Public Affairs*[[Thomas CollamoreRandy Johnson]] - Senior Vice President, Communications Labor, Immigration and Strategy and Counselor to the President*[[Carl Grant]] - Chairman of the President's Advisory Group*[[Karen Alderman Harbert]] - President and CEO, Institute for 21st Century EnergyEmployee Benefits
*[[R. Bruce Josten]] - Executive Vice President, Government Affairs
*[[William Kovacs]] - Senior Vice President, Environment, Technology and Regulatory Affairs
*[[John G. Murphy]] - Senior Vice President for International Policy
*[[Marty Regalia]] - Senior Vice President and Chief Economist
*[[Lisa Rickard]] - President, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, President, Workforce Freedom Initiative, Executive Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
*[[John Sullivan]] - Executive Director, Center for International Private Enterprise
*[[Agnes Warfield-Blanc]] - Senior Vice President, Development
===Board of Directors=== As of August 2015:<ref>U.S. Chamber of Commerce, [https://www.uschamber.com/about-us/board-directors Board of Directors], organizational website, accessed August 2015.</ref> * [[Thomas J. Donohue]], President and CEO* Michael Ducker, Chairman of the Board of Directors* John L. Hopkins, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors* John W. Bachmann, Treasurer For a full list of board members, see [https://www.uschamber.com/about-us/board-directors here]. ==Contact information==
United States Chamber of Commerce<br>
1615 H Street NW<br>
Website: http://www.uschamber.com/
==Archived Information== Older information from previous versions of this page. ===TradeRoots (2013)=== The Chamber's TradeRoots website was billed as "the nation's leading sustained grassroots education program dedicated to raising public awareness of international trade on a local level."<ref>TradeRoots.org, [http://www.traderoots.org Home], organizational website, accessed May 24, 2013.</ref> The ''Trade Toolbox'', a "resource to help in the trade export process, ... includes trade statistics, country and market reports, best market reports, frequently asked questions and trade contacts." The ''Toolbox'' was funded by a grant from the [[U.S. Department of Commerce]].<ref>TradeRoots.org, [http://web.archive.org/web/20050204205059/http://www.traderoots.org/fsMain.asp?i=tt Trade toolbox], organizational website - accessed via Wayback Machine, archived July 3, 2013.</ref> See an archived version of this website [https://web.archive.org/web/20130202013521/http://www.tradesupportsjobs.com/ here]. ===Chamber Campaigns (2010-2011)=== In June, 2011 the Chamber enlisted former White House Chief of Staff under President Bush [[Andrew Card]], and Democratic former Indiana Senator [[Evan Bayh]] to put on a national "road show" to rally businesses to oppose government regulations. The road show is being handled by Chamber employee [[Thomas Collamore]], who formerly was a vice president of [[Philip Morris Corporate Affairs]], the department at PM that was responsible for thwarting national efforts to reduce tobacco use. The Chamber planned to formally announce the Bayh and Card road show on June 22, 2011, and then start flying the two around the country in a push to gather support for reducing regulations designed to protect the environment, consumers and workers. The Chamber plans to fight the [[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency's]] efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, push to minimize the power of the recently-created [[Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]], block implementation of [[Occupational Safety and Health Administration|OSHA]] workplace safety and health programs, hamper employees' ability to join unions, and make other pro-business reforms. The Chamber has [http://www.iwatchnews.org/2010/12/01/2282/chamber-seeks-cash-insurers-financial-firms-new-effort/page/0/1 spent months] soliciting millions of dollars in funding for this anti-regulatory effort from Wall Street financial firms, insurance and energy companies. <ref>Peter H. Stone, [http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/06/07/4825/chamber-commerce-hires-odd-couple-evan-bayh-and-andy-card-anti-regs-roadshow Chamber of Commerce hires odd couple Evan Bayh and Andy Card for anti-regs roadshow] IWatchNews, June 7, 2011.</ref> ===Opposing National Health Care Reform (2009)=== The U.S. Chamber sponsored the [[Campaign for Responsible Health Reform]], a program launched in 2009 to convince people to preserve employer-sponsored health insurance and oppose a public insurance option in health care reform in the U.S. The Campaign aimed to convince people that a government-sponsored plan is "fiscally reckless," will "lead us down the road to total government control of our health," and that it will make those with private insurance pay even more. The Campaign said that "a government-run plan that would have broad and unrivaled power to negotiate for low-cost services of doctors and other health care providers could put private insurers out of business." The group's former website had a "Take Action" page that says "We can’t afford to let a government-run plan raise our taxes and create long waits for treatment." It urges people to write their Congress members to oppose "government-run health care."<ref>Campaign for Responsible Health Reform, [http://www.responsiblehealthreform.org/take-action Take Action], organizational website, accessed August 18, 2009.</ref> ===Support for National Gas Tax (2007)=== "After a Minneapolis bridge collapsed on Aug. 1, [2007,] killing 13 people, members of Congress have sought to increase the gas tax to fix 'structurally deficient' bridges and make other infrastructure repairs. ... The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the [[National Association of Manufacturers]], groups that don’t normally agree with tax increases, support a national gas tax increase to pay for infrastructure improvements."<ref>Jim Snyder, [http://thehill.com/the-executive/...we-are-absolutely-failing-...-in-how-the-system-is-performing-2007-10-19.html ‘...We are absolutely failing ... in how the system is performing’], ''The Hill'', October 19, 2007.</ref> ===General James Jones Head Chamber's Institute for Energy (2007)=== In March 2007, ''O'Dwyer's PR Daily'' reported that General [[James L. Jones]], formerly the Supreme Allied Commander of [[NATO]] forces in Europe, had joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as a lobbyist.<ref name="Jones">O'Dwyer's PR Daily, [http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/0305jones_uscoc.htm Jones Works Energy Front], organizational website (sub req'd), March 5, 2007.</ref> "Jones will head the [[Institute for Energy]], which is to present itself as a [[Astroturf|grassroots]] organization. The Chamber went a similar path with the creation of the Institute for Legal Reform." Jones will focus on [[global warming]] and seek "to 'unify energy stakeholders behind a common strategy' to produce affordable and secure supplies while protecting the environment," reported ''O'Dwyer's'', quoting Chamber president Tom Donohue.<ref name="Jones"/> ===SCHIP Veto (2007)=== The Chamber is among a number of organizations which supported President [[George W. Bush]]'s October 2007 veto of the SCHIP ([[State Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007]]) bill.<ref>Campaigns & Elections, [http://campaignsandelections.com/sc/releases/index.cfm?ID=5325 "Barrett Supports Bush On SCHIP,"] organizational website, October 18, 2007.</ref> [[Republican Party|Republicans]] and "some business groups" such as the Chamber contended SCHIP "should focus on poor children and the expansion [would be] a move towards government-run health care. They also worr[ied] identification rules in the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] SCHIP bill might allow [[illegal immigration|illegal immigrants]] to obtain government coverage."<ref>Mike Sunnucks, [http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2007/10/15/daily42.html SCHIP override falls short], ''The Business Journal of Phoenix'', October 18, 2007.</ref> ===Lobbying Information (2004-2007)=== The Chamber ranks first in lobbying spending in the past decade, with [[General Electric]] ranking second at $161 million, according to the [[Center for Responsive Politics]].<ref>Dan Morain, [http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-money18oct18,1,2554878.story "Tinseltown filling campaign coffers. Democrats are reaping the benefits of wealthy and glamorous donors while entertainment executives hope to be heard in Washington,"] ''Los Angeles Times'', October 18, 2007.</ref> ''Political Money Line'' highlighted in February 2005 that the Chamber and its Institute for Legal Reform reported combined spending of $53.38 million for lobbying the Executive and Legislative branches during 2004. According to the watchdog website, "This is the ''largest twelve-month amount reported spent by any group''."<ref>Political Money Line Staff,[http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/02/23/cq_2318.html From Political Money Line: Chamber of Commerce Lobbying Skyrockets to New Record], The New York Times, February 23, 2007.</ref> The Chamber reported spending $20,060,000 in the first six months of 2004 and $8,780,000 in the last six months of 2004. They paid forty-five lobbyists in the last six months of 2004 to lobby on thirty-two issue areas, including "Trade, Small Business, Labor, Healthcare, Defense, Appropriations, Tort Reform and other areas."<ref>U.S. Chamber of Commerce, [http://web.archive.org/web/20060917042146/http://sopr.senate.gov/cgi-win/opr_gifviewer.exe?/2005/01/000/031/000031109|138 Lobbying Report for 2004: Chamber of Commerce of the USA], organizational document - accessed via Wayback Machine, February 1, 2005.</ref> The Institute for Legal Reform reported spending $10,000,000 in the first six months of 2004 and $14,540,000 in the last six months. They had five lobbyists on the payroll for the last six months of 2004, working on the tort reform issue including "Class Action Fairness, Asbestos Injury Resolution, Legal Reform, and Lawsuit Abuse Reduction."<ref>U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, [http://web.archive.org/web/20060918150157/http://sopr.senate.gov/cgi-win/opr_gifviewer.exe?/2005/01/000/031/000031095|13 Lobbying Report for 2004: U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform], organizational document - accessed via Wayback Machine, </ref> ===TheTrueCosts.org=== TheTrueCosts.org is a now defunct website sponsored by the Chamber. In conjunction with the Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy (CACP), it produced the ''No Trade in Fakes Supply Chain Tool Kit'', which provided "proven strategies" for companies "to use to protect their supply chains from counterfeiters and modern-day pirates." ===Social Security=== The Chamber had a role in promoting President George W. Bush's plan to [[U.S. Social Security privatization|privatize Social Security]]. ===National Chamber Foundation=== "The revitalized National Chamber Foundation, the Chamber’s public policy [[think tank]], is shaping the policy debate on cutting-edge business issues, with major new initiatives on intellectual property theft and counterfeiting, capital markets and accounting rules, and travel and tourism."<ref name="Don"/> ==Articles and resourcesResources==
===Related SourceWatch articlesArticles===
*[[Ayres McHenry & Associates]] (biased Chamber polling firm)
*[[Alliance for Energy and Economic Growth]]
*[[Stuart L. Levenick]]
===External resourcesResources===
===External articlesArticles===
See [[U.S. Chamber of Commerce:External articles]]
===References===
[[category:ALEC Exposed|]][[Category:politics (U.S.)]][[category:elections (U.S.)]][[category:Social Security privatization]] [[category:Business lobby group]] [[category:Tort reform]][[Category:Coal lobby]][[Category:ALEC Trade Groups]][[Category:Koch Connection]][[Category:Economic justice]]
