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.
Generations of political operatives have been conditioned to start spending resources on major voter contact efforts in the final months of an election cycle, holding back the vast majority of advertising until swing voters are tuning in and the clock is running out.
Ashlee Rich Stephenson, national political director/vice president, U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The USMCA (United States Mexico Canada Agreement) will clear the Senate with bipartisan support and be signed into law in 2020 — delivering a generational victory for the American economy and solidifying an incredible political win for both sides of the aisle, along with the president, during what has been a polarized Congress.
In a letter emailed to her supporters this morning, Senator Susan Collins officially announced her intention to seek re-election to the United States Senate. In it, Collins wrote in her email, “The fundamental question I had to ask myself in making my decision was this: in today’s polarized political environment, is there still a role for a centrist who believes in getting things done through compromise, collegiality, and bipartisanship? I have concluded that the answer to this question is “yes,” and I will, therefore, seek the honor of continuing to serve as Maine’s United States Senator."
What Republican spending has taken place this year has largely come from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which accounts for more than half the $3.7 million spent defending Republican incumbents this year. The Chamber has spent $950,000 touting McSally in Arizona, $531,000 for Collins in Maine and $879,000 for Tillis in North Carolina.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Chamber began airing a television ad touting Tillis’s co-sponsorship of a bill intended to aid veterans’ employment opportunities. The Chamber spent more than $7 million to help Tillis’s 2014 campaign, its largest contribution of the cycle.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is up with another ad in Maine backing GOP Sen. Susan Collins. The ad, which the group says is a six-figure buy running through early December, praises Collins for working to expand apprenticeship and job training programs.
FIRST IN SCORE — AD WARS — The U.S. Chamber is keeping its television spending spree rolling, pushing out a new ad backing GOP Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina. The new ad, which the Chamber said is backed by a "substantial six figure buy in the Charlotte and Greensboro media markets," praises Tillis for "serving the needs of our nation's heroes" for co-sponsoring the BRAVE Act.
FIRST IN SCORE — AD WARS — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce extended its buy in Arizona, with a new buy placed on Thursday that brings total spending to $954,000, according to Advertising Analytics. They're also launching a new ad thanking GOP Sen. Martha McSally for working to pass the Drought Contingency Plan to help Maricopa County. The ad features state Sen. Sine Kerr praising McSally.
FIRST IN SCORE — AD WARS — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is going up with its first broadcast ad of the cycle, thanking Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) and promoting the USMCA. “No one has worked harder to lead the bipartisan effort to pass the USMCA,” the ad’s narrator says. The ad, which is also backed by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Arizona Manufacturers Council, is part of a television and digital campaign. The Chamber told Score the buy is a six-figure buy, and is just the first phase of their efforts. Advertising Analytics, the ad tracking firm, tracks over $427,000 in spending in Arizona, which may be home to the most expensive Senate race of the upcoming cycle.
FIRST IN SCORE — AD WARS — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is going up with its first broadcast ad of the cycle, thanking Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) and promoting the USMCA. “No one has worked harder to lead the bipartisan effort to pass the USMCA,” the ad’s narrator says. The ad, which is also backed by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Arizona Manufacturers Council, is part of a television and digital campaign. The Chamber told Score the buy is a six-figure buy, and is just the first phase of their efforts. Advertising Analytics, the ad tracking firm, tracks over $427,000 in spending in Arizona, which may be home to the most expensive Senate race of the upcoming cycle.
From shipping to staffing, the Chamber and its partners have the tools to save your business money and the solutions to help you run it more efficiently. Join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today to start saving.
Weekly insights and analysis from the intersection of government and business.
