Friends of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Stand Up for American Enterprise!

Stand with the job creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs that drive growth.

This week, the U.S. Chamber is celebrating our 100th Anniversary -- a century of standing up in the name of American Enterprise and representing the voice of businesses across the country in Washington D. C. 

In order to properly honor the entrepreneurs, the innovators, and the small business leaders that are the drivers of our free enterprise system, we’re asking all of our friends to unite on Facebook and spread the word to STAND UP for American Enterprise.

Click the image below and sign in with Facebook to show your family and friends that you stand up for American Enterprise and the issues that are vital to its success: lowering taxes, stopping Obamacare, increasing American energy, and reining in government regulations.

The real power of this tool lies in its ability to share and spread this message right there with your Facebook network. So take a moment to click and show your friends that you care about free markets and the people and principles that make America great.

We hope you’ll stand with us.

Who’s for Jobs? And Who’s Just Playing Politics?

Last week, we highlighted three of our new ads that are part of our multi-state voter education campaign.  The U.S. Chamber has set out to make sure that American voters know where their candidates stand on the issue of jobs before they head to the polls to choose their next members of Congress.

We need to get our economy growing again, so voters need to know who is supporting sensible pro-growth policies and who is placing political interests ahead of smart pro-jobs solutions.

Today, we’re highlighting three more of our new ads that will let you know where Congressman Joe Heck, Senator Claire McCaskill, and Virginia’s George Allen stand on the issues.

Congressman Joe Heck   

Over-regulation is keeping businesses wrapped up in government red tape.  High taxes make it harder for businesses to expand and create new jobs.  Because Congressman Joe Heck understands this, he’s been fighting to lower taxes and rein in regulatory overreach.

The recession has hit Nevada particularly hard, and Nevada voters are fortunate to have Joe Heck fighting for sensible pro-jobs policies:



Sen. Claire McCaskill   

Obamacare will place a new load of new mandates and burdens on businesses -- and it wouldn’t have passed without the vote of Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.  When Missouri voters had a chance to weigh in on Obamacare in 2012, 71% voted to reject ObamaCare’s mandates. 

So, why is Claire McCaskill still supporting ObamaCare?  See what Missouri voters need to know before November:



George Allen

George Allen has a record of working to help businesses grow and create new jobs.  As a U.S. Senator, he supported tax cuts that put more money in the hands of businesses. As Governor of Virginia, he was a bi-partisan leader for cutting spending and government waste.

Virginians should know that George Allen is fighting for jobs:



To view and share all of our ads click here.  Help us ensure that when Americans go to the polls this year, they vote for jobs.

Leave a comment below to tell us what you think of these candidates.

Vote for Jobs, It's That Simple

The U.S. Chamber is currently engaged in a historic, multi-state voter education campaign to ensure American voters know where their candidates stand on the issue of jobs.

Are they supporting pro-jobs policies to advance American Free Enterprise and put America back to work?

Or are they playing politics over smart policy ... blocking common sense measures that will get our economy back on track?

Today, we highlight three of our most recent ads that let voters know where Senator Sherrod Brown, Congressman Rick Berg, and Congressman. Jim Matheson stand:

Ohio: Senator Sherrod Brown

Business owners across the country cite the health care law as a major hindrance to hiring and growing their operations. In Ohio, more than 2.2 million Ohioans voted to reject Obamacare. Pretty clear message, right?

Not to Senator Sherrod Brown, who called the vote “confusing,” saying that it didn’t tell us anything. We’re airing this ad to help remind Ohio voters that it was Sherrod Brown’s vote that helped allow Obamacare to pass the Senate:



North Dakota: Congressman Rick Berg

While Sherrod Brown is voting for job-killing policies like Obamacare - North Dakota Congressman Rick Berg is championing measures to put people in his state back to work. For example, he supports the Keystone XL pipeline, which would create tens our thousands of new American jobs and help secure America’s energy future.  Berg rejected President Obama’s politically motivated decision to reject the XL Pipeline and the jobs it’ll create.  In this ad, we highlight how Rick Berg stood up for new American jobs and new American energy:



Utah: Congressman Jim Matheson

Another Congressman fighting for American free enterprise is Jim Matheson of Utah.  He understands that for businesses to create jobs, they can’t be over burdened by oppressive taxes and regulatory red tape.  Matheson has a record of voting to lower taxes on businesses and reduce government regulations so that American free enterprise can grow, innovate, and create jobs. Watch our new ad about Congressman Matheson here:

These are just a few samples of our voter education efforts that are currently underway. 

We invite you to click here to view all of our ads and learn how you can join our effort to ensure that America Votes for Jobs in 2012.

New Employment Numbers Look Good, But What Are You Seeing?

New employment numbers just out this morning show that 243,000 jobs were added to the American economy in January, bringing the unemployment rate down to 8.3%.  That returns the unemployment rate back to where it was in January 2009.

Good news, right?  Well, yes and no.

It is, of course, a positive development that actual jobs created exceeded the 150,000 that were being predicted.  We always want to see more jobs being added by American employers, but we have a duty to dig deeper and take a more serious look beyond just these surface numbers.

U.S. Chamber Chief Economist Dr. Martin Regalia notes that when you take a closer look, there are some unsettling facts:

“More and more people are removing themselves from the workforce because they are discouraged over their inability to find work. At this stage of the business cycle—more than 2.5 years into a recovery—it’s not a good sign that people are leaving the workforce.”

That so many have chosen to cease looking for employment is a clear sign of the continued fragile state of our economy.

If the Americans who have removed themselves from the workforce entirely were to be considered, the unemployment rate would be far higher than 8.3%.

What are you seeing in your hometown?  More job creation? New businesses opening?   We want to hear from you. Please leave a comment below to let us know the economic situation where you live.

State of the Union: More Government or Free Enterprise?

If you watched the president’s State of the Union address last night, you witnessed a speech that focused on many issues central to our economy. Unfortunately, he missed the mark. As U.S. Chamber President Tom Donohue said after the speech:

"Too many of the solutions he proposed rest on higher taxes, more spending, and an avalanche of new regulations. The way to create the jobs Americans need is to grow our free enterprise economy, not to further expand the federal government."

We’re ready to work with anyone in Congress or the White House on solutions that will put Americans back to work without raising taxes or adding to the deficit. Read the Chamber’s jobs plan here.

It’s possible. And it’s time to demand real solutions.

Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the president’s speech. You can also join us on Twitter for a national conversation taking place now.

Unclogging the Jobs Agenda

As we begin 2012, the American economy is stalled in too many ways.  Unemployment remains high, economic growth is sluggish and the big hand of federal government looms large.

Washington continues to stand in the way of job creation, economic growth and prosperity.

For their part, the U.S. House of Representatives has worked to provide relief from this stifling environment.  The House has passed 24 different pieces of legislation that seek to expand free trade, aid in capitalizing business ventures, expand energy production and development, reduce the regulatory and tax burdens on business, and reign in out-of-control government agencies like the National Labor Relations Board and the Environmental Protection Agency.  

Only two of these — repeal of the 1099 reporting mandate included in Obamacare and repeal of the 3% withholding tax mandate — have become law.

The remaining 22 bills have two things in common:  Each of these measures would go a long way to getting the American economy growing again.  And, all of them have stalled in the United States Senate.

You can go here to view our full chart highlighting these bills that have passed the House only to remain untouched by the Senate.

 

2011 A Year in Grassroots

The Growing Backlog of Jobs Bills in Congress

This session, the House has passed more than 25 bipartisan pieces of legislation that will create jobs. However, they’re stalled in the Senate awaiting action before a single new job will be created.  

Check out this “Jobs Tracker” resource that House Majority Leader Cantor’s office compiled including content and status of each jobs bill passed thus far in the 112th House of Representatives .   You’ll notice many red “stuck in the Senate” signs flashing.  Talk about a backlog.

These are bills aimed at things that will help to get our economy moving again like empowering small businesses, increasing competitiveness for American manufacturers and helping to reform our increasing domestic energy resources.  Many of these bills track closely with the recommendations of the U.S. Chamber’s six-point jobs plan. 

This is a significant reason the upcoming 2012 election will be so important.  We need elected officials who are willing to stand for jobs and pass the legislation needed to get our economy going again. Learn more about our efforts leading up to November 2012 and watch the ads currently running in important battleground states. 

Millions of Available Jobs Going Unfilled?

A few weeks ago, we emailed the members of our Small Business Nation network and asked them if they were one of the millions of small businesses unable to hire because of an unskilled workforce.

Believe it or not, this is a real issue in the current economy. In October, CNBC reported that, “there are about 3.2 million job openings in America that companies are unable to fill.” asked them if they were one of the millions of small businesses unable to hire because of an unskilled workforce.

Then, earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported on a new survey that shows 40% of small businesses are having trouble filling positions.

The end result is an economy that has 4.2 jobseekers for every opening, yet many small businesses cannot find applicants for the work needed.

Ghouls, Goblins and Government Regulation

The More Big Government Tries to Help...

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

I’m talking, of course, about our friends in the federal government.  The more they try to “help” small businesses ... the worse the situation seems to get.

At least, that’s what small businesses told us in our latest “Small Business Outlook” survey for the third quarter.

In our previous quarterly survey, small business’ outlook for the economy was pretty grim.  As you may recall, 84% of small business owners said the economy was on the wrong track, with only 19% planning to add employees over the next year.

Believe it or not, those numbers have gotten even worse.  Now, almost nine out of ten (89%) now believe the U.S. economy is on the wrong track — and only 17% expect to add employees over the next year.

There is, however, one thing that hasn’t changed: the biggest obstacle to small businesses is still big government.

In fact, small business owners still find economic uncertainty to be their most-pressing concern (53%), but also worry about uncertainty from what Washington will do next (39%), and the healthcare law (33%).

Now, for the good news: small businesses clearly see a path forward, much of which is in line with the jobs plan released by the U.S. Chamber last month. Take a look at these numbers:

• Eighty percent think increased domestic energy production would be helpful to the economy;
• 74% think speeding up permitting and regulatory relief would be helpful; 
• 67% think the same about passing tax incentives.

It’s wonderful that small business owners think favorably of our proposals to get America working again — but it’s frustrating that the White House and some in Congress don’t seem to be listening.

Rest assured that we’re doing our best to ensure that these politicians hear the voices of small business loud and clear.  

Man on the Street talks to the Wall Street Protestors

Fox News provides this entertaining "man on the street" segment with interviews of the Wall Street protestors.  Please leave your reactions to this video in the comments section.

 

Charles Schwab and the Power of One Entrepreneur

America’s economic recovery isn’t going to be driven by the growth of government — it’s going to be driven by empowering the private businesses who invest in new American jobs.

As Charles Schwab writes this week in the Wall Street Journal: 

WSJ Op-Ed: Why the Jobs Plan Falls Short

Today, the U.S. Chamber’s President and CEO Tom Donohue authored an op-ed that ran in the Wall Street Journal regarding the President’s recent jobs plan along with a comparative analysis of the Chamber’s six points for job creation and the President’s proposed ‘American Jobs Act.’ 

One highlight:

Business likes bottom lines. Here’s mine: Rather than tinker around the edges with temporary tax cuts and more government spending, the administration and Congress should embrace a bolder and more effective plan to open markets, attract new investments in infrastructure, develop American energy, and create powerful growth incentives by reforming taxes, regulations, and entitlements. Start doing these things and America’s private sector can get on with the job of putting America back to work.

In addition to the shortcomings in this jobs plan–too few long-term solutions and a continued dependency on temporary stimulants–this week the President released his proposal to pay for the bill, which would include increased taxes on small businesses and America's job creators. As the op-ed states, "Any jobs that might have been supported by other measures in the plan would be more than wiped out by these tax hikes. This doesn't make economic sense."

We’ll continue to keep you updated as this issue progresses and ways for you to weigh in on this vital issue. Click here to read the full article as it ran in the Wall Street Journal. 

Let's Talk Jobs: White House Office Hours on Twitter

Is the White House listening to your thoughts on jobs?  Tonight and tomorrow the White House will be holding Office Hours on Twitter, and we’ll be keeping an eye on the following events to ask the @WhiteHouse about their plans to put America back to work. 

Tuesday, September 13 at 5:30 p.m. EDT: David Plouffe, senior advisor to the president  answering your questions on Twitter during White House Office Hours using the hashtag #WHChat. 

Wednesday, September 14th at 4:00 p.m. EDT: White House Office Hours with Brian Deese, Deputy Director of the National Economic council. 

We hope you’ll join us in supporting the Chamber's six-point plan to spur economic growth in the private sector without adding to the deficit. Join in on the action by  following and retweeting  @USChamber and @USCCMiller during these times.

Are Your Members of Congress Talking About Jobs?

No new net jobs in August.  That's the bottom line from the national jobs report released on Friday.  

With more than 25 million people unemployed or underemployed, we need a plan to get America back to work. 

Has your Member of Congress proposed a plan? 

Click here to find out and communicate with your members of Congress on Facebook.

 

According to a recent survey of congressional staffers, 2/3 of those surveyed think Facebook is an important way to understand constituents’ views. 

With the President’s speech on jobs later this week and many members of Congress introducing their own plans, visit Facebook to see what’s being discussed in your community.  If you're looking for six ways they can take action now without adding to the deficit or increasing the size of government, feel free to post a link to the Chamber's jobs plan on your members' pages.

With Congress back in Washington, let’s use every means possible to make sure their top priority is getting America back to work too.

Labor Day: Honoring American Workers

As Congress returns from recess and we mark the end of summer with our annual Labor Day Briefing, we’d like to hear from you on what issues elected leaders should prioritize in order to get America back to work. 

Let’s truly honor American workers this Labor Day by supporting policies that will create more jobs for our struggling workforce. Click below to vote for the issue you feel would most positively impact America’s job creators  and help get America’s workers back in action:

Enough Talk About Jobs - We Need Action

Enough talk about jobs – we need action. 

When Congress returns to Washington they can’t afford a return to business as usual. We need leadership, we need real change, and we need it now so we can reassure the markets and grow jobs.   

The debt deal was a first step – but at this point we need more than good intentions. We need to overhaul our tax code, cut spending, repeal burdensome regulations that get in the way and enact a long-term solution to deal with the deficit.

With Congress out of the office, contact your members on their Facebook pages. Post on their pages: five real actions Congress can take to create jobs now.

1. Unlock our domestic energy resources

2. speed-up permitting and remove regulatory roadblocks for small businesses

3. Green-light transportation and energy infrastructure projects

4. Ratify pending free trade agreements

5. Boost American tourism, revenue and jobs by revising visa and travel policies 

Facebook is used for a lot of things. Let’s use it to generate some good ideas about how to get our country back to work and solve our fiscal crisis.

Wisconsin Voters Show Appreciation for Real Leadership

Earlier this year, we saluted Governor Scott Walker and the majority of the Wisconsin legislature for stepping up to lead on real budget reforms meant to put their state on the path to fiscal health.

Despite reports showing the positive impact that these reforms are already having, the public sector labor unions are still seething about their passage — the impact of which weakened the unions’ iron grip on the state’s budget.

The unions tried to mount recall elections against the state senators who supported these budget reforms — but the election returns last week showed that Big Labor came up short.

Kudos to the voters of Wisconsin for turning their voices into action in support of real leadership.  We hope that the example provided by Wisconsin’s governor, legislators and voters alike can be used by lawmakers across the country — especially here in Washington — to provide bold and honest reforms to put America back to work.

To make sure that happens, it is up to you to hold your legislators accountable.  This video, taken at our recent Governors Summit, Governor Walker gave us some recommendations on how you too can get off the side lines and influence the conversation.

P.S. Want to get involved right away?  Explore America's Town Hall to speak up and stay engaged. 

Quick Poll: Have Policies Punished or Rewarded Small Business

With rising unemployment and unsustainable debt, America’s small businesses certainly aren’t celebrating lately.  

According to columnist Mona Charen, who writes in National Review , policies enacted during the past few years have served to punish — rather than reward — success by American businesses:

Employers do not know how much each new hire will cost under the new health-care regime. Nor can they estimate how the 129 new boards, commissions, and agencies will affect the business world. Meanwhile, the EPA is regulating carbon dioxide as an air pollutant. The National Labor Relations Board is attempting to prevent the Boeing Corporation from opening a new plant in South Carolina ... the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (created by the Dodd-Frank law) is practically freezing small-business lending."

The Best 'Revenue Raiser': Economic Growth

Revenue.  Revenue raiser.  Revenue enhancement.

If you’ve been paying even scant attention to the debt ceiling debate, you will have heard at least one of those phrases (probably numerous times) over the past week.

In his press briefing on the debt ceiling last week,  President Obama referred to “revenue” as the sticking point in reaching a deal.  Media outlets have followed suit, discussing the need for “revenue raisers” as part of a deficit reduction package.

Let us be clear:  when politicians and the media use the term “revenue” (or some variation thereof), they’re actually referring to tax hikes.

It’s misleading.  Why?  For one thing, we think the best revenue enhancer is economic growth.  When the economy grows, more Americans are hired, which means they’re paying more in taxes. 

More taxpayers equal more revenue.  It’s that simple.

Further, one could argue that tax increases — especially those on employers — actually decrease revenue.  How?  Raising taxes on employers places a higher burden on their bottom line.  They’re forced to choose between paying the government, and hiring more workers, investing in new capital, or expanding their operations.

On the flip side, data shows that providing tax relief can lead to economic growth which, in turn, leads to increased tax revenue.  Take a look at the numbers contained in this Washington Examiner article from last week:

 According to historical tables published by the Office of Management and Budget, government revenue shot higher after the Bush tax cuts were enacted. Total federal government receipts rose from $1.782 trillion in 2003 to $2.567 trillion in 2007 -- an increase of $785 billion, or 44 percent. In 2007, the federal deficit shrank to $160 billion.

Tax cuts leading to economic growth and ... more revenues? 

Yep.  The numbers don’t lie. It’s time to start calling a tax hike a tax hike.  If you want to raise taxes, just tell us by taking this quick poll.

Sure, we may disagree with you, but at least’ we’ll be having an honest debate.