Energy

Energy powers our economy and our lives. Without it, we are quite literally in the dark. Passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 was a critical first step toward securing America's energy, economic, and national security. However, policy alone cannot overcome the energy challenges that we face as a nation. Without access to affordable and reliable supplies of energy in the United States, U.S. businesses are forced to move elsewhere, taking U.S. jobs and support for the economy with them and impacting our global competitiveness. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to addressing America's energy challenges and finding ways to solve them. Read More

Financial Regulation

The Senate is considering the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) Act, legislation that would dramatically reshape consumer finance. This bill, said to be a response to the financial crisis, is set to be another government takeover of American business. Read More

Health Care

The United States has the world's best health care but a wasteful and inefficient system for delivering that care. Five consecutive years of double-digit premium increases have hit the business community hard, especially small firms. An estimated 45 million Americans lack health insurance. Access to affordable coverage is our highest health care-related priority.

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Labor

The U.S. Chamber strongly supports the right of workers to voluntarily join unions under fair and democratic rules. We are determined to block labor's legislative initiatives, expose abusive pension fund schemes, and oppose abusive union organizing tactics and state laws that pressure companies to unionize and instead focus on legislation that will protect American employees, employers and business. Read More

Taxes

The U.S. Chamber believes that a simpler, fairer, and less burdensome tax system that rewards saving and investment is crucial to extending the nation's productivity increases, which have rewarded us with sustained economic expansion, wage growth, and a higher standard of living. Read More

Transportation

America's transportation system, once a marvel of the modern world, is being stretched beyond its capacity and is falling into disrepair. A decaying surface transportation system costs our economy $63 billion annually in lost time and fuel. Congestion adds significant pollution to our air, and substandard roads claim thousands of lives every year. Read More

Trade

The United States faces a choice - to reach out and seize the benefits of international engagement, or retreat into isolationism. This choice is central to the competitiveness of the U.S. economy and millions of American jobs that are dependent on international trade. Trade is equivalent to more than a quarter of the nation's gross domestic product. One in five factory jobs depends on exports, and one in three acres on American farms is planted for hungry consumers overseas. Ninety-seven percent of America's exporters are small businesses, not large, multinational corporations. These numbers prove that we must focus on honing the global competitiveness of America's workers and companies for the future success of our economy. Read More