United States Chamber of Commerce

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The United States Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest not-for-profit business federation, representing

3,000,000 businesses (via its Federation of local chambers and association members. Actual direct membership is several tens of thousands.)
2,800 state and local chambers
830 business associations

The Chamber is staffed with policy specialists, lobbyists and lawyers. It is known for spending more money than any other lobbying organization on a yearly basis.[1]

1 Mission statement
2 Board of directors
3 On the issues
4 Affiliate Organizations
5 See also
6 External link

[edit] Mission statement

"To advance human progress through an economic, political and social system based on individual freedom, incentive, initiative, opportunity, and responsibility."

[edit] Board of directors

Tom J. Donohue, President and CEO
Gerald L. Shaheen, Chairman of the Board of Directors [2] and group President of Caterpillar Inc.
Maura W. Donahue, Immediate Past Chair and Chair of the Executive Committee[3]
John W. Bachmann, Past Chairman [4] and Senior Partner at Edward Jones Edward Jones Investments

[edit] On the issues

The Chamber is:

Supportive of George W. Bush's immigration reform plan
Pro-Energy Source Diversity
Pro-Social Security Reform
Pro-ANWR Drilling
Pro-Offshore Oil Drilling
Pro-Nuclear Power
Pro-Health Savings Accounts
Pro-globalization/free trade

Against taxation increase on businesses
Against rasies the [Minimum Wage]]
Anti-Net Neutrality
Against many supported Union polices
Anti-Environmental Regulation

Neutral on social questions such as abortion and gay marriage

The Chamber campaigned against the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

The Chamber has recently begun a campaign against the proposed Employee Free Choice Act [5]. They suggest the act will somehow hamper the formation of unions - however, the Chamber is decidedly anti-union - and the act is widely supported by organized labor [6].