U.S. Chamber Welcomes President's Address

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Chamber of Commerce today hailed the work of President Bush and his team and pledged its continued support for the president's efforts to restore our national, home, and economic security.

"President Bush and his team have been unrelenting in their work to restore our nation's confidence," said Thomas Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "There is no doubt that our outlook is strong given the president's unbending efforts to safeguard our economy and protect American families."

Despite early signs of economic recovery, several additional steps are available to Congress to ensure a quick and sustainable turnaround including: repealing the corporate alternative minimum tax, accelerating individual tax cuts enacted last year, increasing expensing, and accelerating depreciation.

The Chamber also backs additional measures that would provide long-term economic stability, including granting the president trade promotion authority, spending more money from dedicated trust funds on transportation infrastructure improvements and adopting comprehensive energy legislation that includes reducing our dependency on foreign sources of energy.

"The President was clear that we must continue to focus on economic recovery, including preserving earlier tax cuts and making them permanent as a part of a broader economic security bill," said Donohue. "As Congress gets back to work, it also needs to get behind the president and the rest of America to ensure future economic growth and improve our quality of life.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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02-11