The Political Affairs and Federation Relations division manages relationships with state and local chambers of commerce, trade associations and small businesses and has a membership presence in every state across the country.
We are focused on electing or re-electing pro-business candidates to Congress. That goal is supported by grassroots and lobbying programs to promote policy that positively affects businesses and the economy.
Beginning with the current Congress, we are revising our scorecard to more fully reward members of Congress for helping to advance pro-business policies while simultaneously encouraging members to reach the compromises necessary for effective governing.
Previously, a member’s annual How They Voted score solely reflected how consistently he or she voted with the Chamber’s position on legislation identified as important to the business community.
The Chamber will produce individual report cards for all members that will show how the member compares to the rest of the Congress, their party, and their delegation.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which endorsed Feenstra this month, has aired or reserved more than $206,000 worth of advertising on broadcast and cable television in the Des Moines and Ames media market, according to Advertising Analytics, a company that tracks ad spending.
State and national GOP groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Republican Jewish Coalition and National Right to Life have thrown their weight behind Randy Feenstra, a conservative state senator who has raised more money than King, and panned the veteran congressman as ineffective.
But since King lost his committee assignments last year, this election has shaped up differently. GOP state Sen. Randy Feenstra is hammering King over his ineffectiveness more than his intolerance. Republican leaders in the state, from Gov. Kim Reynolds to Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, have declined to endorse his reelection campaign. King is nearly out of campaign cash, while Feenstra is bringing in money and receiving support on the airwaves from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has spent $200,000 on the race, noted in a recent ad that King was removed from the Agriculture Committee, which could be a problem for voters in the rural district.
“We’re not attacking him for personal reasons or anything,” said Scott Reed, a strategist for the chamber. "It’s about the job he’s doing for the people in the 4th district. He can only vote yea or nay on the floor and has no relevance in the committees.”
Mr. King’s closest rival, Randy Feenstra, has been endorsed by mainstream Republican-leaning groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Right to Life Committee. A state senator, Mr. Feenstra has raised far more money than Mr. King, reporting $415,000 in cash on hand in the latest reporting period, compared to Mr. King’s $26,000. An internal poll that Mr. Feenstra released on May 11 showed Mr. King leading the field with 39 percent, closely trailed by Mr. Feenstra at 36 percent, a gap within the margin of error.
Scott Reed, the senior political strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said that polls showing Americans giving Mr. Trump positive marks on economic issues signaled a potential advantage heading into the election. “That will be the most important issue in the fall,” Mr. Reed said.
“For the Trump 30, anything Trump-related is in the danger zone,” said Scott Reed, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s senior political strategist.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which included King among its “spirit of enterprise” awardees just last year, voted unanimously to endorse Feenstra, and is spending heavily on TV ads that highlight his conservative bona fides and slam King’s ineffectiveness. National Right to Life is also backing Feenstra, in spite of King’s long and loud opposition to abortion rights.
“Kicked off his committees, King couldn’t defend President Trump during impeachment or help Iowa farmers,” a Feenstra ad says. “It’s been rough for Iowa farmers, and when we’ve needed him most, Steve King has let us down,” a U.S. Chamber of Commerce ad says.
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