Neil Bradley
Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer, and Head of Strategic Advocacy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Published
February 23, 2026
Last year, thanks to the leadership of the Trump Administration, we saw the enactment of permanent pro-growth tax policy as well as historic deregulation. These long-term Chamber priorities provide business with the certainty they need to expand and grow. These policy reforms also form the foundation for stronger economic growth.
At her State of American Business address last month, U.S. Chamber President and CEO Suzanne Clark laid out a path toward prosperity solidified by sound policy.
“Reaching and sustaining 3% growth is the fastest, surest way to raise living standards for Americans. And that is a goal we all share,” said Clark. “Making pro-growth policy choices will begin to alleviate the pressures and frustrations people are feeling today and ensure future generations of Americans enjoy security, mobility and opportunity.”
In 2026, we encourage the administration and Congress to add to their list of pro-growth policy achievements and to revisit those policies, specifically tariffs and restrictions on legal immigration, that are holding back growth. We also need our leaders to avoid costly government shutdowns that disrupt business.
Improve Affordability by Reducing Frivolous Lawsuits
When trial lawyers flood the legal system with frivolous litigation or demand millions of dollars in punitive damages it is everyday Americans who pay the price in the form of higher bills for insurance, medical care, even groceries. In fact, the average American family pays $4200 more in costs every year due to lawsuit abuse.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys protect the status quo, because today’s system makes them fabulously wealthy. But common-sense legal reform is long overdue, beginning with transparency of the third-party litigation funders who today are abusing the system for profit.
Modernize Permitting and Address Housing
Right now, it takes too long to build things in America. Outdated laws are holding back construction on the infrastructure our country needs to grow and innovate—and making projects more expensive.
How bad is it? It takes an average of 4.5 years for a project to obtain a federal permit. For roads or bridges, those projects take an average of 7.4 years, and for public transit, it takes 5.3 years.
The good news is that there is bipartisan momentum toward updating the outdated National Environment Policy Act (NEPA), which is in serious need of revision after more than 50 years. The Chamber’s Permit America to Build initiative is gaining support in Congress, and there is an opportunity for President Trump to lead on this issue.
Similarly, the country is falling short of building the housing communities need. To help solve this crisis, the Chamber partnered with the American Enterprise Institute to develop playbooks for more than 6,000 counties and cities in America that we’re sharing with our state and local partners. The playbooks contain location-specific insights into housing supply, affordability, migration patterns, homelessness, and more—to help policymakers, business leaders, and community stakeholders identify opportunities to unlock housing supply and strengthen America’s economic growth.
Making progress in both areas this year would have significant economic impact that brings new opportunities to Americans across the country.
Establish a Federal Framework for AI
Artificial intelligence has the potential to dramatically improve productivity, fueling stronger economic growth and supporting higher living standards. That said, there are understandable concerns around AI safety and impacts on the workforce.
With respect to AI safety and utilization, it is essential that we move forward with a federal framework that includes a pre-emption of state laws. A patchwork of 50 different and often conflicting state laws will stop AI development in its tracks and make it next to impossible for businesses, especially small businesses, to effectively utilize these new tools.
We know that President Trump agrees—his Executive Order “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence” demonstrates that. But we need Congress to act.
At the same time, it is important that state and federal policymakers work collaboratively with the business community to help ensure that individuals have the opportunity to improve and adapt their skills to changes in the workforce and the new opportunities AI will make possible.
Ensure that Infrastructure Investment Continues—and is Sufficient
Ensuring a safe, modern, and robust transportation network is essential to economic growth. From roads and bridges to public transit and airports, if we can’t move, we can’t grow. Federal investment is an important part of this equation, but the surface transportation bill is set to expire in September, putting future investments at risk.
Long-term investments will require reforms to the Highway Trust Fund which currently collects far less than what is needed to fund our existing infrastructure programs.
To help spur action, the Chamber’s Keep America Moving Initiative is building support for sustained investments.
More on Infrastructure:
The business community will continue to invest and create jobs. Pro-growth policies such as these will help ensure that our economy sees sustained economic growth and lower costs. We look forward to working with leaders in government this year to accomplish these goals.
About the author
Neil Bradley
Neil Bradley is executive vice president, chief policy officer, and head of strategic advocacy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He has spent two decades working directly with congressional committee chairpersons and other high-ranking policymakers to achieve solutions.
