Latest News from the US Chamber

Health Care

While the U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear the case that could ultimately determine the fate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), most Americans, especially small businesses, remain uncertain about what the new health care law means to them, their employees and families. This year, we were able to repeal the 1099 IRS reporting mandate from the law. Since complete repeal of the PPACA is unlikely, and not knowing how the Supreme Court will rule next summer, we must work strategically to repeal provisions such as the employer mandate, one of the most troublesome provisions in the health care law. Starting in 2014, a business with 50 or more "full-time equivalent” employees must provide employer-sponsored and government-approved health insurance for full-time employees or pay a $2,000 per employee fine. Additionally, if a business already offers generous health benefits that are deemed “unaffordable,” they will be fined $3,000 for each employee who instead opts into the new health insurance exchanges and receives a subsidy. This policy could cause employers to think twice before hiring, doing what they can to keep their workforce below the 50 full-time equivalent threshold. Bi-partisan legislation has been introduced in both chambers of Congress and, in 2012 we’ll work to repeal this harmful mandate. For more information, visit the U.S. Chamber’s Health Care Policies.

Labor Policy

In 2011 in the labor arena, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued dozens of controversial decisions that, taken together, make unionization easier, make it easier for unions to attack employers, and make it harder for employers to run their business without second-guessing from Washington. Among the NLRB’s worst decisions for business was one that gives significantly more deference to unions in “bargaining unit” determinations, making it easier for them to gerrymander the process to ensure union victory. The NLRB also complained that The Boeing Company was engaging in anti-union discrimination in its decision to build a new production line in South Carolina. While this matter has now settled, it established a dangerous precedent. The Board also finalized a rule requiring virtually all employers in America to post a biased notice of labor rights and will soon finalize a rule significantly shortening the time period for union elections and limiting employers’ due process rights. Everything changes in 2012, when the NLRB will likely be shut down for lack of a quorum, so focus will shift to the Department of Labor, where we expect a new regulation that will change disclosure rules to bully employers into making them less likely to exercise their free speech rights and speak to their employees about the consequences of unionization. Write to your Members of Congress about reining in the NLRB before it can further harm our economic recovery.

Trade

2011 proved to be a banner year for moving the U.S. Chamber’s trade agenda forward, and we look forward further gains in 2012. Bi-partisan majorities in Congress approved the long-debated trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama in October, marking the culmination of a long fight by the U.S. Chamber and other supporters of the deals. The three agreements are expected to boost U.S. exports to the three countries and create tens of thousands of new U.S. jobs by immediately eliminating nearly all tariffs and other barriers to U.S. exports of goods and services. In 2012, the U.S. Chamber will work with the Administration to push for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an agreement that would boost U.S. exports to eight Asia-Pacific nations — and possibly more. Furthermore, the U.S. Chamber is calling for a renewed focus on trade with Europe, and willbegin its advocacy on Congressional renewal of presidential trade promotion authority (TPA), allowing the President to ‘fast track’ trade deals to Congress for an up-or-down vote.As Russia joins the WTO this week, Congress will also face a vote in 2012 on whether to grant Russia permanent normal trade relations, without which U.S. companies will be at a sharp disadvantage in the growing Russian market. Enacting these elements of the trade agenda will be a key focus as we continue our efforts to grow the economy and create jobs.

Excessive and Costly Regulations Are Harming the Economy
From EPA and DOL to NLRB, numerous federal departments and agencies have proposed or rolling out new and costly regulations. Most regulations are necessary to ensuring there are clear rules for operating in a complex society. But excessively costly regulations are harming the economy and inhibiting job creation. “Regulatory uncertainty” is one reason employers are reluctant to hire and we’re witnessing a jobless recovery. Compliance costs harm small businesses—the jobs engine of the economy—the most. Businesses with fewer than 20 employees incur regulatory costs 42% higher than larger businesses of up to 500 employees. The good news is that for the first time in 65 years we’ve got a real shot at modernizing the federal rulemaking process. The bipartisan Regulatory Accountability Act would ensure that regulations are narrowly tailored, supported by strong and credible data and evidence, and impose the least burden possible. The bill has passed the House and has broad bipartisan support in the Senate. Another key piece of legislation, the REINS Act, would require congressional consent for any regulation with an economic impact of $100 million or more. Both bills will be alive and well in 2012 and we hope you’ll help us push them through the U.S. Senate.

Transportation and Infrastructure

The U.S. Chamber closes 2011 more positive than ever about the prospects for Congress passing long-term surface transportation bill. The U.S. Chamber helped secure the passage of H.R. 2887, which extended highway and transit funding into 2012 to prevent dramatic job losses and funding shortages nationwide. Two key authorization committees in the Senate marked up their portions of SAFETEA-LU reauthorization before the year end, and there appears to be bipartisan support for finding a revenue solution to support a two-year bill at current funding levels. In 2012, the U.S. Chamber will work to get a multi-year SAFETEA-LU reauthorization with at least current levels of funding and needed policy reforms; advocate for completing reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (FAA reauthorization); and improve and invest in the nation’s marine transportation system with the reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act. In addition, the Chamber will expand its efforts to open up markets for public-private partnerships in infrastructure. For more information visit our coalition website Americans for Transportation Mobility.

Travel and Tourism

The U.S. Chamber is committed to promoting and facilitating business and leisure travel to the United States. Travel and tourism—a sector dominated by small businesses—accounts for more than $700 billion in revenues annually and 7.4 million American jobs. Additionally, when business visitors travel to the United States they strengthen America’s role as the center of innovation and global commerce. The U.S. Chamber is working to expand the Visa Waiver Program and reform and streamline the visa application process to ensure a consistent, predictable, fair, and timely process without compromising security. The U.S. Chamber will also continue to support Brand USA, the private-public partnership established by the Travel Promotion Act to aggressively promote America as a travel destination. Through these efforts, we can help restore the U.S. share of the global travel market to its 2000 level of 17% and create 1.3 million jobs by 2020. For more info in this initiative, visit the U.S. Chamber Jobs Plan site.

Energy

This year the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy launched the Partnership to Fuel America to promote investment in critical North American energy projects. The first major initiative, the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline project, will create 20,000 construction jobs and over 100,000 long term jobs, resulting in more than $20 billion in additional private sector spending and as much as $5 billion in new local, state and federal tax revenues along the route. Unfortunately, the administration delayed its decision on permitting the pipeline until January 2013. Partnership to Fuel America will push to speed up the decision and put Americans back to work. The U.S. Chamber and the Institute for 21st Century Energy will continue to emphasize ways to maximize America’s growing domestic energy resources, including expanding oil and natural gas production on and offshore, ensuring the availability of our vast coal resources, expanding the use of nuclear energy, and fostering even greater development of unconventional oil and natural gas in the many emerging fields across the country.

2012 Regional Government Affairs Conference

Join us at the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas on Oct. 10-12, 2012 for our annual Government Affairs Conference. As a thank you for the work you do, and as an incentive for your participation, if you register between now and December 31st, we will knock $50 off the registration price, lowering it from $275 to $225. For more information and to register, visit our registration site or our Facebook site.

Hiring Our Heroes

Hiring our Heroes, the U.S. Chamber-led campaign to reduce high unemployment rates for veterans and military spouses, was a resounding success in 2011. Working closely with the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veteran Affairs, non-profits, veteran services organizations and local chambers of commerce, we have conducted 83 hiring fairs in 42 states. In just 9 months we have connected over 81,000 veterans and military spouses with 4,100 different employers, and more than 5,400 veterans and military spouses have gotten jobs. Next year, building on strong partnerships with the American Legion and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve we will significantly expand the campaign to reach 400 local communities across the U.S. If your chamber is interested in hosting a Hiring our Heroes event, visit www.uschamber.com/veterans for more information or contact Marady Leary at mleary@uschamber.com.

Free Enterprise Network (FEN)

Want to get your organization and members more engaged in the legislative and political process? Take advantage of a U.S. Chamber member benefit, the Free Enterprise Network(free to members at the Advantage Level). We will build out an independent grassroots website for your organization that is completely customizable and incorporates your organization’s branding. In addition to being able to upload any of your own content directly, our websites come fully loaded with advocacy and election related resources. To learn more about the program, please visit www.FreeEnterpriseNetwork.com or contact us at FEN@USChamber.com or 202-463-5604 .

Small Business Summit--2012

Join small business leaders from across the country to network, learn and advocate on May 21-23 at America’s Small Business Summit in Washington, DC.


Latest News from the US Chamber Health Care While the U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear the case that could ultimately determine the fate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), most Americans, especially small businesses, remain uncertain about what the new health care law means to them, their employees and families. This year, we were able to repeal the 1099 IRS reporting mandate from the law. Since complete repeal of the PPACA is unlikely, and not knowing how the Supreme Court will rule next summer, we must work strategically to repeal provisions such as the employer mandate, one of the most troublesome provisions in the health care law. Starting in 2014, a business with 50 or more "full-time equivalent” employees must provide employer-sponsored and government-approved health insurance for full-time employees or pay a $2,000 per employee fine. Additionally, if a business already offers generous health benefits that are deemed “unaffordable,” they will be fined $3,000 for each employee who instead opts into the new health insurance exchanges and receives a subsidy. This policy could cause employers to think twice before hiring, doing what they can to keep their workforce below the 50 full-time equivalent threshold. Bi-partisan legislation has been introduced in both chambers of Congress and, in 2012 we’ll work to repeal this harmful mandate. For more information, visit the U.S. Chamber’s Health Care Policies. Labor Policy In 2011 in the labor arena, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued dozens of controversial decisions that, taken together, make unionization easier, make it easier for unions to attack employers, and make it harder for employers to run their business without second-guessing from Washington. Among the NLRB’s worst decisions for business was one that gives significantly more deference to unions in “bargaining unit” determinations, making it easier for them to gerrymander the process to ensure union victory. The NLRB also complained that The Boeing Company was engaging in anti-union discrimination in its decision to build a new production line in South Carolina. While this matter has now settled, it established a dangerous precedent. The Board also finalized a rule requiring virtually all employers in America to post a biased notice of labor rights and will soon finalize a rule significantly shortening the time period for union elections and limiting employers’ due process rights. Everything changes in 2012, when the NLRB will likely be shut down for lack of a quorum, so focus will shift to the Department of Labor, where we expect a new regulation that will change disclosure rules to bully employers into making them less likely to exercise their free speech rights and speak to their employees about the consequences of unionization. Write to your Members of Congress about reining in the NLRB before it can further harm our economic recovery. Trade 2011 proved to be a banner year for moving the U.S. Chamber’s trade agenda forward, and we look forward further gains in 2012. Bi-partisan majorities in Congress approved the long-debated trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama in October, marking the culmination of a long fight by the U.S. Chamber and other supporters of the deals. The three agreements are expected to boost U.S. exports to the three countries and create tens of thousands of new U.S. jobs by immediately eliminating nearly all tariffs and other barriers to U.S. exports of goods and services. In 2012, the U.S. Chamber will work with the Administration to push for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an agreement that would boost U.S. exports to eight Asia-Pacific nations — and possibly more. Furthermore, the U.S. Chamber is calling for a renewed focus on trade with Europe, and willbegin its advocacy on Congressional renewal of presidential trade promotion authority (TPA), allowing the President to ‘fast track’ trade deals to Congress for an up-or-down vote.As Russia joins the WTO this week, Congress will also face a vote in 2012 on whether to grant Russia permanent normal trade relations, without which U.S. companies will be at a sharp disadvantage in the growing Russian market. Enacting these elements of the trade agenda will be a key focus as we continue our efforts to grow the economy and create jobs. Excessive and Costly Regulations Are Harming the Economy From EPA and DOL to NLRB, numerous federal departments and agencies have proposed or rolling out new and costly regulations. Most regulations are necessary to ensuring there are clear rules for operating in a complex society. But excessively costly regulations are harming the economy and inhibiting job creation. “Regulatory uncertainty” is one reason employers are reluctant to hire and we’re witnessing a jobless recovery. Compliance costs harm small businesses—the jobs engine of the economy—the most. Businesses with fewer than 20 employees incur regulatory costs 42% higher than larger businesses of up to 500 employees. The good news is that for the first time in 65 years we’ve got a real shot at modernizing the federal rulemaking process. The bipartisan Regulatory Accountability Act would ensure that regulations are narrowly tailored, supported by strong and credible data and evidence, and impose the least burden possible. The bill has passed the House and has broad bipartisan support in the Senate. Another key piece of legislation, the REINS Act, would require congressional consent for any regulation with an economic impact of $100 million or more. Both bills will be alive and well in 2012 and we hope you’ll help us push them through the U.S. Senate. Transportation and Infrastructure The U.S. Chamber closes 2011 more positive than ever about the prospects for Congress passing long-term surface transportation bill. The U.S. Chamber helped secure the passage of H.R. 2887, which extended highway and transit funding into 2012 to prevent dramatic job losses and funding shortages nationwide. Two key authorization committees in the Senate marked up their portions of SAFETEA-LU reauthorization before the year end, and there appears to be bipartisan support for finding a revenue solution to support a two-year bill at current funding levels. In 2012, the U.S. Chamber will work to get a multi-year SAFETEA-LU reauthorization with at least current levels of funding and needed policy reforms; advocate for completing reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (FAA reauthorization); and improve and invest in the nation’s marine transportation system with the reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act. In addition, the Chamber will expand its efforts to open up markets for public-private partnerships in infrastructure. For more information visit our coalition website Americans for Transportation Mobility. Travel and Tourism The U.S. Chamber is committed to promoting and facilitating business and leisure travel to the United States. Travel and tourism—a sector dominated by small businesses—accounts for more than $700 billion in revenues annually and 7.4 million American jobs. Additionally, when business visitors travel to the United States they strengthen America’s role as the center of innovation and global commerce. The U.S. Chamber is working to expand the Visa Waiver Program and reform and streamline the visa application process to ensure a consistent, predictable, fair, and timely process without compromising security. The U.S. Chamber will also continue to support Brand USA, the private-public partnership established by the Travel Promotion Act to aggressively promote America as a travel destination. Through these efforts, we can help restore the U.S. share of the global travel market to its 2000 level of 17% and create 1.3 million jobs by 2020. For more info in this initiative, visit the U.S. Chamber Jobs Plan site. Energy This year the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy launched the Partnership to Fuel America to promote investment in critical North American energy projects. The first major initiative, the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline project, will create 20,000 construction jobs and over 100,000 long term jobs, resulting in more than $20 billion in additional private sector spending and as much as $5 billion in new local, state and federal tax revenues along the route. Unfortunately, the administration delayed its decision on permitting the pipeline until January 2013. Partnership to Fuel America will push to speed up the decision and put Americans back to work. The U.S. Chamber and the Institute for 21st Century Energy will continue to emphasize ways to maximize America’s growing domestic energy resources, including expanding oil and natural gas production on and offshore, ensuring the availability of our vast coal resources, expanding the use of nuclear energy, and fostering even greater development of unconventional oil and natural gas in the many emerging fields across the country. 2012 Regional Government Affairs Conference Join us at the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas on Oct. 10-12, 2012 for our annual Government Affairs Conference. As a thank you for the work you do, and as an incentive for your participation, if you register between now and December 31st, we will knock $50 off the registration price, lowering it from $275 to $225. For more information and to register, visit our registration site or our Facebook site. Hiring Our Heroes Hiring our Heroes, the U.S. Chamber-led campaign to reduce high unemployment rates for veterans and military spouses, was a resounding success in 2011. Working closely with the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veteran Affairs, non-profits, veteran services organizations and local chambers of commerce, we have conducted 83 hiring fairs in 42 states. In just 9 months we have connected over 81,000 veterans and military spouses with 4,100 different employers, and more than 5,400 veterans and military spouses have gotten jobs. Next year, building on strong partnerships with the American Legion and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve we will significantly expand the campaign to reach 400 local communities across the U.S. If your chamber is interested in hosting a Hiring our Heroes event, visit www.uschamber.com/veterans for more information or contact Marady Leary at mleary@uschamber.com. Free Enterprise Network (FEN) Want to get your organization and members more engaged in the legislative and political process? Take advantage of a U.S. Chamber member benefit, the Free Enterprise Network(free to members at the Advantage Level). We will build out an independent grassroots website for your organization that is completely customizable and incorporates your organization’s branding. In addition to being able to upload any of your own content directly, our websites come fully loaded with advocacy and election related resources. To learn more about the program, please visit www.FreeEnterpriseNetwork.com or contact us at FEN@USChamber.com or 202-463-5604 . Small Business Summit--2012 Join small business leaders from across the country to network, learn and advocate on May 21-23 at America’s Small Business Summit in Washington, DC.
Chamber Happenings - January 11, 2012