Is the U.S. Chamber Tone Deaf to the Greater Business Community?
Normal 0 0 1 468 2673 OmniStudio 22 5 3282 11.1282 0 0 0 By Eileen Kessler In Washington, there is a battle being waged between the White House and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over which best represents the interests of corporate America—the U.S. Chamber or business leaders themselves. Recently, as the U.S. Chamber lost some members over its antipathy to climate change legislation, Valerie Jarrett, President Obama’s senior adviser and a key business liaison, expressed the administration’s frustration. “Does [the U.S. Chamber] still represent the community’s interests?” she asked. Throughout my 30 years in business, I’ve questioned the U.S. Chamber’s positions. I realized long ago that it does not represent my views or interests. From its opposition to family leave legislation, a public option in the pending health reform bill, and minimum wage increases, to its silence on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, many of the U.S. Chamber’s positions take an exceptionally narrow view of g
