WASHINGTON, D.C. —The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today urged President Trump, governors, mayors, and county officials across the country to work together on consistent rules for a staged reopening of the American economy following the outbreak of the coronavirus.
As part of the Chamber’s Path Forward initiative, Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley and Mark Wilson, chair of the Council of State Chambers and president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, today sent a letter to these leaders following a series of calls with more than 300 representatives from U.S. Chamber of Commerce member companies. With many public health and workplace safety agencies already issuing guidance to help businesses limit the spread of the coronavirus, the discussions with members have revealed two main recommendations for policymakers.
“We urge federal, state, and local governments to refrain from converting public health and safety guidance into regulations that may add further challenges for businesses to reopen,” Bradley and Wilson wrote, adding: “To the maximum extent possible, guidance should be generally consistent across federal, state, and local governments.”
The letter, which can be viewed here, then details member concerns about a regulation-heavy approach and the difficulties of a patchwork of guidance.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Path Forward is an initiative to address how Americans and businesses can return to work safely, successfully, and sustainably. The effort includes four distinct groups around the following businesses: consumer-facing, office-based, high-density, and industrial, manufacturing and construction. Additionally, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Council of State Chambers have convened a joint task force to support and coordinate the federal and state approaches to reopening the national economy.
The U.S. Chamber, through its membership of small, medium, and large companies, as well as its network of state, local, and international chambers and associations, has an unmatched perspective encompassing all sectors of the economy and all corners of our nation. This diversity of viewpoints is a key voice in the ongoing national conversation about returning many Americans to the workplace and reigniting the American economy.
In addition to the U.S. Chamber’s work with members on this initiative, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation continues to host an online series called Path Forward to educate the public on issues related to the return to work.
