Day One Priorities: Stop the PRO Act, Defeat Bad State Policies, Lead on Global Economic Recovery
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Suzanne P. Clark took the helm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business organization, as its President and CEO. In addressing the Board of Directors, Clark outlined her vision to advance the Chamber’s mission to create jobs and stimulate economic growth.
“We are in a period of accelerated transformation and face major challenges, changes and disruptions that will reshape our lives, businesses and country,” said Clark. “But change is not a threat; it’s an opportunity. We will lead with bold ideas, take on the big fights and win the future for our members and our nation.”
Clark, who has served as president since 2019, set forth the following immediate priorities:
- Defeat the PRO Act and Anti-Arbitration Legislation. While the Chamber will advocate for data-driven solutions to complex issues, it will battle proposals that threaten job and economic growth creation. The Chamber is focused on ensuring the defeat of the PRO Act in the Senate and ensuring it never becomes law. The PRO Act, which recently passed the House of Representatives, harms employees by threatening worker privacy, forcing employees to pay union dues or lose their jobs, and it tramples free speech rights. The U.S. Chamber will be running this ad in targeted states to remind Senators and voters of the importance of this issue throughout 2021. The Chamber also will fight to preserve arbitration as the fastest, most fair, and least expensive way to solve workplace conflicts.
- Expand Work in the States and Grassroots Support. The Chamber is launching a new State Policy Center to work with its members and the federation of state and local chambers to address issues of national significance that are increasingly under consideration in state houses across the country. Bad ideas are too quickly migrating from one state to another and from federal government to state governments. This new initiative will help the business community defeat bad policy and advance a pro-growth agenda at the federal and state levels. Additionally, the Chamber is expanding its grassroots supporters of small businesses, state and local chambers, and business associations to ensure policymakers hear their perspectives in policy debates.
- Lead a Global Forum on Economic Recovery. The Chamber will strengthen U.S. leadership abroad, confront unfair trade and regulatory practices and promote the resilient supply chains that keep business moving. With those objectives in mind, and to overcome the COVID-induced slowdown in global growth, the Chamber will convene a Global Forum on Economic Recovery in May. The forum will bring together industry and government leaders to discuss how to support and stimulate widespread growth in the post-pandemic recovery and explore the role of American businesses in meeting the challenges of today while driving future innovation.
- Launch a National Workforce Initiative. With 10 million people out of work yet 7 million jobs unfilled, developing the American workforce is an urgent economic challenge that needs to be addressed. The Chamber will soon launch a National Workforce Initiative that leverages its extensive, cross-organizational work and years of experience leading education, training, and talent solutions. To meet our nation’s medium and long-term workforce needs, the Chamber also will champion enactment of an immigration reform bill that advances greater border security and ensures that our nation continues to welcome the entrepreneurs and skilled workers it needs to prosper.
These initiatives will build on the work Clark has been leading during the pandemic, including:
- Accelerating the Recovery Through Vaccines. The Chamber is focused on turbo-charging vaccinations to achieve immunity levels that allow for a safe and full reopening of the economy. Recently, the Chamber launched The Rally for Recovery Commitment to unite employers across the country to protect workers and defeat the pandemic. The business community continues to play a critical role in combating and conquering the pandemic and the Chamber is proud to be joined in the Rally for Recovery Commitment by leaders such as: Ford Motor Company, Google, HCA Healthcare, IBM Corporation, Lockheed Martin, United Airlines, and Walmart.
- Building a Modern Infrastructure. To lift the economy out of the pandemic, the Chamber will put forward fresh ideas, reframe old debates, and drive productive solutions. Infrastructure has been a long-time priority with bipartisan support, but it needed fresh ideas and urgency. The Chamber built a diverse coalition– from unions to environmental groups – and set a deadline: Build by the Fourth of July. Outside of Washington, it is working with state and local chambers to highlight the most dire infrastructure projects, such as the Brent Spence Bridge in Ohio and Kentucky.
