Chamber Priorities in 2008
In a renewed commitment to prosperity and opportunity, the Chamber's Five-Year Plan is to build a competitive economy that benefits all Americans. We begin this journey in 2008 by tackling a set of immediate policy and organizational priorities that reflect the current environment facing us in Washington, across the nation, and around the world.
The Chamber's 2008 priorities include:
Elections
Elections matter now more than ever--particularly for the business community. The Chamber will pour unprecedented resources into educating citizens and turning out the pivotal business vote.
We will endorse and work for pro-growth candidates for Congress on a bipartisan basis, mobilize grassroots activities in 144 key districts, and target close elections in both the House and Senate.
Our Institute for Legal Reform will educate citizens on critical issues in important state attorney general and Supreme Court races.
While the Chamber does not endorse presidential candidates, we will actively advance pro-prosperity solutions in this critical election. In June, for example, our Institute for 21st Century Energy will present an unprecedented and innovative national energy plan tall candidates for president and Congress.
The Chamber has long believed that Washington does not create jobs-the economy does. Washington doesn't give raises- employers do. In 2008, it's time for Washington to stop making life more difficult for employers and employees and give them the freedom and flexibility to compete, grow, and succeed.
Passing Principled Proposals to Expand Growth, Opportunity, and Jobs
The Chamber hopes that 2008 can be a productive year legislatively and in the regulatory agencies. We will work for success in the following areas:
- Education and the Workforce
We must strengthen and reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act as well as the Workforce Investment Act and the Higher Education Act. These measures are critical for creating a successful and effective workforce and for empowering current and future workers.
- Transportation
The Federal Aviation Administration and the Airport and Airway Trust Fund must be reauthorized. Increased funding and modernization are needed throughout our aviation system to maintain safety and to move people and freight.
- Trade
The Chamber will continue to build congressional support for pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea and will seek a breakthrough in the Doha Development Agenda.
- Energy
We will advocate policies that expand exploration for affordable American energy as well as full implementation of the innovative technology provisions contained in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
- Intellectual Property
The Chamber will work to pass the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act--a bipartisan bill to turn the tide against intellectual property theft.
- Health Care
The Chamber strongly supports bipartisan legislation encouraging widespread adoption of Health IT and Small Business Health Plans to expand employer-based coverage.
- Capital Markets
We will work to secure a one-year delay in Section 404 compliance for smaller public companies while continuing to oppose proposals that would open the shareholder proxy process to further abuses by third-party special interests.
- Due Process Rights
The Chamber will push for Senate passage of the Attorney-Client Privilege Protection Act, which was passed by the House in November. This legislation will help protect businesses and all citizens from predatory and abusive prosecutorial tactics.
- Visa Reform
In the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, Congress must expand both temporary and permanent visa programs for all industries experiencing worker shortages.
- Small Business
The Chamber will lobby tallow small businesses to be reimbursed for attorneys' fees when successfully challenging the government's regulatory actions; work to pass the Small Business Liability Reform Act; and support a Small Business Administration reauthorization bill that includes strong and stable SBA 7(a) and 504 lending programs.
Stopping Harmful Election-Year Legislation
The Chamber will also lead the fight against enactment of:
- Workplace Mandates
We will aggressively oppose improper and undemocratic proposals to abolish secret ballot elections in union organizing drives. And we will oppose new mandates, including efforts to resurrect the anti-business ergonomics standard and require paid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
- Tax Increases
The Chamber will continue to fight all tax increases that punish success and target businesses, investors, entrepreneurs, and families. Such measures could drive an already unsettled economy into a recession.
- Protectionist Trade Bills
We will oppose punitive measures directed at China and other nations. These measures would hurt Americans by raising consumer prices and driving jobs tour global competitors.
- Trial Lawyer Earmarks
We will vigorously defend against trial lawyer-inspired attempts to expand liability for America's business community, including the overcriminalization of corporate conduct, limitations on the availability of federal preemption, and attacks on arbitration.
- Arbitrary Immigration Laws and Mandates
The Chamber, through the National Chamber Litigation Center, will continue to challenge inappropriate state, local, and federal immigration measures in the courts--while pushing Congress to pass immigration reform.
- Unworkable Environmental Proposals
The Chamber will continue to challenge federal and state climate change legislation, as well as EPA regulations, that would damage our economy or fail to recognize both the global nature of the problem and the importance of technology as a solution. We support innovative, commonsense approaches to preserve a clean and healthy environment.
- Bureaucratic Government Health Care Regulations
The Chamber opposes state and federal health care schemes that would damage the ERISA protections that underpin the employer-based health insurance system. We also oppose efforts to remove the noninterference provision from the Medicare Modernization Act or impose government price controls on prescription drugs.
Expanding Courtroom Advocacy and Legal Reform
In 2007, the National Chamber Litigation Center (NCLC) entered 125 cases on a wide variety of issues including punitive damages, class actions, and labor and employment. Our law firm will enter even more cases in 2008.
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear the Chamber's own lawsuit. In Chamber of Commerce v. Brown, the Court will decide whether a California statute that prohibits employers from speaking to their employees about union organizing is preempted by federal law. Other NCLC-supported Supreme Court cases could help rein in abusive securities litigation and excessive punitive damages awards.
While NCLC is battling in the courts, the Chamber's Institute for Legal Reform will fight in Congress, the state legislatures, and in the court of public opinion to curtail lawsuit abuse and make America's civil justice system simpler, fairer, and faster.
Advancing New Chamber Initiatives
In addition to legislative, regulatory, and courtroom advocacy, the Chamber will expand its broad-based initiatives:
The Chamber's Let's Rebuild America initiative will create public support for a massive program to repair, expand, and modernize America's critical transportation, energy, and high-tech infrastructure systems.
The Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness will work to maintain and advance America's leadership in capital formation by supporting capital markets that are the most fair, efficient, and innovative in the world.
Success in these efforts, as well as in our long-term mission to create a more competitive U.S. economy, depends on the Chamber's ability to further expand its membership base, financial resources, communications reach, grassroots depth, and staff expertise. In 2008, we will vigorously advance these organizational goals. The Chamber will start its own blog, expand its reach in the new and traditional media, deepen relationships with the nation's most active chambers and industry associations, and deploy an upgraded grassroots system to increase our lobbying and political clout.
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