On August 9, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Page published an editorial critical of the Chamber’s efforts to represent its members and the U.S. business community.
The Journal did not contact the Chamber prior to publishing. We at the Chamber respect differences of opinion, but constructive debates should revolve around acknowledging all the facts:
- Like how we endorse both Democrats and Republicans who meet our pro-business criteria.
- Our legislative successes, like the 2021 infrastructure bill.
- How we successfully stopped efforts in the budget reconciliation bill to impose massive tax increases on American families and businesses.
In response, Mark Ordan and Brackett Denniston, Chair and Vice Chair of the Chamber’s Board respectively, penned a letter to the editor laying out important facts the editorial ignored about the Chamber’s political and advocacy efforts. Below is both the version submitted to the Journal and the edited version published in the newspaper.
As submitted
Based on an August 8 editorial about the “Chamber’s House,” we’d like to open up the doors and clarify some important details.
The Chamber’s endorsements are voted on by a committee of members made up of businesses from across industries and local chambers of commerce across the country, and its process is representative of the American business community’s urgent desire for meaningful solutions from Washington.
Had anyone at the Journal reached out to the Chamber, they would have learned that the endorsements in the last cycle included 193 Republican candidates and 30 Democratic candidates, both graded on the same scorecard. They would have also learned that the scorecard includes positions on a wide range of issues important to the business community. Many members of Congress earned an endorsement because of their actions working to, among other things, secure passage of USMCA, President Trump’s top legislative priority last Congress.
And had the Journal called, the Chamber would have pointed out how during the current Congress it leveraged relationships with Republicans and Democrats to help enact a historic infrastructure bill without a tax increase—and how it worked to ensure Democrats in Congress rejected President Biden’s proposal to raise corporate and personal tax rates, tax capital gains at personal income rates, impose a global minimum tax, and raise taxes on pass-through businesses.
Beyond that, the Chamber advocates across 300+ priorities delivering results for the American business community—for example, by recently suing the FTC and SEC to fight back against excessive overreach and aggressive regulatory agendas in those agencies.
The next time you write about our “house,” first come join the thousands of local chambers, national trade associations, and small businesses who visit every year.
Mark Ordan
Chair of the Board
Brackett Denniston
Vice Chair of the Board
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As published in the Wall Street Journal
Regarding your editorial “The Chamber’s House of Horrors” (Aug. 9): The Chamber of Commerce’s endorsements are voted on by a committee of members made up of businesses across industries and local chambers around the country. Our process is representative of the business community’s urgent desire for meaningful solutions from Washington.
The Chamber’s endorsements in the last election cycle included 193 Republican candidates and 30 Democratic candidates, both graded on the same scorecard. The scorecard includes positions on a range of important issues. Many members of Congress earned an endorsement because of their actions working to, among other things, secure passage of USMCA, President Trump’s top legislative priority last Congress.
During the current Congress, the Chamber has leveraged relationships with Republicans and Democrats to help enact a historic infrastructure bill without a tax increase. It also worked to ensure Democrats in Congress rejected President Biden’s proposal to raise corporate and personal tax rates, tax capital gains at personal income rates, impose a global minimum tax and raise taxes on pass-through businesses.
The Chamber advocates across more than 300 priorities, delivering results for the U.S. business community. Just recently, we sued the Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission to fight aggressive and overreaching regulation.
Mark Ordan and Brackett Denniston
Chair and Vice Chair, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Bethesda, Md., and Boston
