A new U.S. Chamber study shines a light on sue and settle cases.
What's an award luncheon without a Small Business Exporter of the Year? A bummer, that's what.
When it comes to longevity, small business is often the tortoise in the race. And we all know how that particular story turned out.
In an unusual move, a Rhode Island judge seeks "creative ideas" from environmental groups on how to punish a gas company.
Spending nearly half a million dollars on cameras and DVRs is a drop in the bucket compared to what grocery store owner Rafael Cuellar would spend on an abusive lawsuit.
The United States suddenly has a bold new trade agenda filled with ambition and possibility.
Five successful entrepreneurs talk about the future of startups, scaling their businesses, and branding for the longevity.
U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue says opportunity and success comes from the free enterprise system -- not the government.
Which states are best positioned to grow, create jobs, and prosper in the coming five to 10 years?
Small business owners should tackle the big task of getting a major contract "one bite at a time."
A California couple is challenging a 64-year-old federal raisin-marketing program that can require raisin farmers to fork over to the government a portion of their crops, often for no payment or below the cost of producing the raisins.
Obamacare is forcing restaurants to make difficult decisions on employees and prices.
Dan Sjolseth started his auto body repair business out of his three-car garage nearly 30 years ago. Today, he also has a mechanical business and operates out of a 20,000 square-foot garage.
America's Small Business Summit speaker and head of The Boston Beer Company Jim Koch discusses his company's program to help small businesses.
This small business participated in an Extreme Home Makeover project, helping bring together 5,000 volunteers, including 1,200 trade volunteers.
Three years in, and the Department of Labor still hasn't completed a study on how the health care law’s tax penalties on employers will affect workers’ wages.
The 30-hour rule in the health care law is making us into a nation of part-timers, says small business owner Bill Gouldin.
Praetorian owns and operates 25 websites focused on specific public safety markets, including firefighter rehabilitation, first responder grants, and volunteer firefighting. All told, its websites reach 2.5 million unique visitors each month
The owners of two retail pet supply stores in Rochester, New York, learned how to compete against big box competitors.
Taxes don’t have to be a scary, all-consuming blob, if Congress would listen to small business owners and fix the issue.
The Chamber supports a bill to address the ongoing legal chaos that surrounds the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
This commercial architecture design firm in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth offers a flexible work environment.
Berks Fire Water Restorations, Inc. specializes in the restoration and reconstruction of residential and commercial properties damaged by fire, mold, sewage, smoke, storm, water, wind, or other damage.
What are the biggest challenges facing the airlines and its manufacturers? FreeEnterprise.com asked the CEOs of some of the industry’s biggest players.
In a true trouncing, the #1 seeded employer mandate wins this year's bracket.
In an interview with Fortune’s Geoff Colvin, Novartis CEO Joseph Jimenez discusses the need to get federal spending on health care under control and how cuts would affect reimbursements and innovation in the pharmaceutical industry.
While the aviation industry has weathered the recession and is on pace to be profitable this year, it still faces too many taxes and regulations, unstable energy prices, and an outdated air traffic control system, according to top industry CEOs speaking at the U.S. Chamber’s 12th Annual Aviation Summit .
The future of the federal agency that oversees union elections and investigates charges of unfair labor practices is in flux following an important legal win for the employer community.
Over six in ten Americans think undocumented immigrants should be given a path to citizenship, according to a survey released by the Brookings Institution and the Public Religion Research Institute.
A regulatory deluge strains an already broken system.
“You work hard, you’re honest, you take risks, and you see the rewards,” Jorge Moran says about his adopted homeland.
A video from the American Immigration Lawyers Association underscores how current U.S. immigration laws make it difficult for many immigrant entrepreneurs to contribute to the nation’s growth.
When it comes to the health care law, it's “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.”
Later this year, the US will produce more oil domestically than it imports for the first time in 18 years.
The obstacles he faced in starting The Boston Beer Company led Jim Koch to create a micro-loan and mentoring program for small businesses in the food and hospitality industries.
Marvin and Laurie Horne are caught in the government's crosshairs over a New Deal agricultural marketing program that requires them to hand over a large portion of their crop without any compensation.
A local steelworkers union tries to strong arm a community college for training nonunion workers.
Congressional leaders are moving ahead with immigration reform, as talks between the business and labor communities continue to proceed, albeit at a much slower pace.
The Chamber is pursuing a fresh set of reforms to meet needs unaddressed by the health care law.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce offered conditional support for expansion of the Internet-based system that tracks the legal status of potential employees.
A new study commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce shows that the EPA’s methods for determining the impact of its air quality regulations on jobs are seriously flawed.
One of the world's leading manufacturers has more than 1,400 employees working in the United States on nonimmigrant visas.
Federal employees performing union work while on the clock at their government jobs cost the U.S. taxpayer more than $155 million in 2011.
Need an ambulance or medical treatment on the scene of a car accident? It's going to cost you.
A small business owner finds time to run a blog focused on the manufacturing industry in his region.
The business group supports tougher enforcement and pathway to legal status.
Attendees at a U.S. Chamber event tackled the question of how to ensure that post-secondary degrees have real labor market value.
With more than 800 million unique visitors going to Google’s video platform each month, YouTube is fast becoming the silver screen of the World Wide Web.
After spending a decade in the corporate world, Danny O'Neill started his own business selling what he loves - coffee.
U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue lays out the "plans, partnerships and pay-fors" to put infrastructure investment on the right track.
With only mild growth for U.S. economy at the end of last year, economists agree steady job growth, a robust energy market, and an improving housing market will drive the recovery forward this year.
America has been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, according to panelists at the Kauffman Foundation's State of Entrepreneurship event.
Just like the classic song “Hotel California” by The Eagles, unions are trying to make sure workers in Michigan “can check in any time you like, but you can never leave.”
Because of the example the state has set, North Dakotans must play a critical role in convincing federal lawmakers to seize the opportunities the country has in developing America’s energy resources.
Energy boom’s ripple effect impacts many industries beyond energy, including hotels, restaurants and railroads.
Retiree, health care costs are draining state budgets.
A casual comment from a neighbor led to a new design in potters kilns and the creation of Skutt Ceramic Products, a third-generation family business founded more than 50 years ago.
Business and chamber leaders in Fayetteville, Arkansas fought to pass a bond to build their new $93 million high school.
Here’s a glimpse at a few key players in the 113th Congress who will have a role in determining the fate of such issues as energy development, comprehensive tax reform, and financial regulation.
Do you know what it takes to create an engaging Facebook post that keeps your “friends” coming back to your page for more?
Congress needs to focus on immigration, education reform to create a "vibrant and broad middle class," Florida senator says.
Manufacturing jobs are coming back to the United States. Why and how do we get more of them?
In general, small business revenues did not fare well in 2012, according to Intuit's inaugural 2012 Employment and Revenue Summary Report.
A coalition of business, faith, and law enforcement leaders calls for lawful, rational, and workable immigration system.
Eighty-two percent of small businesses think that the U.S. economy is on the wrong track, according to the U.S. Chamber’s quarterly small business survey.
Tom Donohue outlined the Chamber’s policy agenda during his annual “State of American Business” address and unveiled a five-point American Jobs and Growth Agenda.
Young workers, family pets will face higher health care costs under President Obama's health care law.
The slow recovery -- rather than discouraging enterprise -- may actually be the ideal time to make major moves towards the free enterprise dream.
Top schools have adapted their curricula by offering more courses on entrepreneurship, and they’re encouraging innovation by adding contests and awards pitched to young visionaries.
Scholars and analysts talk about issues impacting free enterprise, the U.S. economy, and businesses.
Do you want to add your voice to the debate in the nation’s capital? The U.S. Chamber provides a number of ways for small businesses and local and state chambers of commerce to become involved in the public policy debate.
A couple's two adult sons rescued the family's struggling speaker repair business.
Small businesses are scrambling to mitigate the impacts of the health care law, including dividing their business into separate entities.
Some 800,000 energy-related jobs are expected in nonproducing states by 2020.
From a business perspective, the foremost goal of U.S. trade policy should be to tear down barriers so that companies can start exporting to all markets. By that measure alone, the North American Free Trade Agreement has been an unqualified success.
States are doing their best to prepare for the worst case scenarios that might come out of the fiscal cliff negotiations.
A new type of litigation financing is helping propel a wave of lawsuits in the United States.
Among other accomplishments in 2012, the Chamber successfully lobbied for an infrastructure spending bill and legislation to enhance capital formation needed to build new businesses and create jobs.
Study shows 3.5 million new jobs by 2035
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe last week, Small Business Administration chief Karen Mills claimed that she has not heard one case of the president’s health care law hurting small business. To which we say, "really?"
An economist, corporate CEO, and small business owner share their perspectives on the fiscal cliff.
Despite investing millions of dollars and hundreds of man hours to get their candidates elected, labor unions lost big when it came to American voters.
Is your business ready to move to the next level? The answer to that question mostly depends on how much money you have in your wallet. Many businesses are hard-pressed for cash and expansion requires additional funding.
Power company workers from Decatur Utilities drove hours from Alabama to lend a hand in New Jersey restoring electricity to the thousands who desperately needed it, only to be told by the local power company workers union they were not welcome unless they signed a union agreement.
Shovels. Gloves. Brooms. Flashlights. These are just a few of the surprisingly mundane everyday household items that are needed by New York businesses recovering from Hurricane Sandy.
The EPA is continuing in its efforts to decimate the entire coal industry and the companies that supply the jobs it creates.
On Dia de las Muertos, Latin American families honor deceased friends and family members. So it’s only fitting that we take a moment today to honor an adult desk toy that is, alas, no longer. That’s right—Buckyballs are no more, thanks to a heavy-handed federal agency.
The man behind the iconic “You’ve Got Mail” reminder says he knows the “secret sauce” that built the American economy.
The Chamber's Monopoly of Mediocrity tour is designed to raise awareness and motivate discussions about education reform.
Congress returns November 13 for an abbreviated postelection session dominated by tax and spending issues. But with just 16 working days on the congressional calendar for November and December, the outlook for progress is bleak.
Entrepreneur Jason Duff takes time out of his busy schedule to act as an advocate for small businesses.
This particular Halloween is about much more than ghosts, goblins and zombies – it’s also about huevitos de leche.
There’s some good news about holiday retail sales this year.
After being laid off from her telecommunications job, Kim Ormsby's efforts to save money on diapers led her to start her own business.
When it comes to adhering to the President’s Executive Order on regulatory review, many agencies within his administration are slacking, according an official from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Litigation is a calculated gamble – you place your bets, you take your cards, and you try to play the best hand you can. But what happens when an uninvolved bystander decides to back one of the players, putting a big pile of brightly colored chips right in front of them?
Prof. Jan Rivkin says businesses can help reinvigorate the United State's lagging competitiveness by investing in the "commons" -- those resources that companies need to run a business.
The EPA and Justice Department are ratcheting up enforcement of the Clean Water Act, imposing expensive fines and billions in infrastructure upgrades that will undoubtedly be passed on to taxpayers.
Businesses of all sizes are worried about the U.S. economy and American businesses competitiveness in the global market, according to two new surveys.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has suddenly developed a case of cold feet when it comes to one company’s plans to export natural gas.
Foreign governments use a variety of unfair practices to keep out exports of American goods and services. Left unchecked, these barriers pose a significant threat to growth.
Wyoming has the country’s most business-friendly tax climate. That's the finding of the “2013 State Business Tax Climate Index,” released by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.
The biggest obstacle to entrepreneurship is simply facing the risk.
Mexico is the most energy secure country among the top 25 large energy users, according to a groundbreaking new report by the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy.
A new international holiday encourages us to rethink, share and learn from failure.
Recent high-profile cyberattacks have renewed congressional interest in passing a stalled cybersecurity bill supported by the U.S. Chamber and the business community, according to the chair of the House Intelligence Committee.
The mood of the nation’s small business leaders is predominantly uncertain.
U.S. taxpayers are footing the $137 million bill for federal employees to perform union work while on the clock at their government jobs, according to Professor Mallory Factor in the Wall Street Journal.
Officials in Fauquier County, Virginia, are threatening to fine the owner of a farm for selling produce and crafts without a special license and for hosting a 10-year-old’s birthday party without an appropriate permit.
The origins of Steve Greenstein’s first company read like a classic Hollywood story where the struggling hero has a chance encounter with a Hollywood bigwig that leads to a starring role in a blockbuster movie.
Uncertainty about future taxes is threatening one developer's plan for $75 million in new hotel and restaurant projects.
Citing uncertainty, government spending, a burdensome regulatory system, and rising health care costs, more than half of respondents said that they would not start a business today.
Small business owners are nothing if not resourceful. Whether it's a slight tweak to their business model or a complete overhaul of their products or services, many business owners are finding that they have to innovate and reinvent themselves to stay in the game.
Nearly half of the projected 2.14 million job losses expected to arise from the mandatory spending cuts under sequestration would come from small businesses.
Patrick Byrne talks about the skills gap, school vouchers and the future of the online retail industry.
Even with almost 13 million Americans looking for work, many businesses say they can’t find workers to fill positions.
Small business owners talked to FreeEnterprise.com about how impending tax increases will impact their business.
Congress will fail to head off drastic defense spending cuts before they are scheduled to automatically begin taking effect in January, according to one expert.
U.S. manufacturing might be staging a comeback, but the overall sentiment among the industry has actually gotten less optimistic, according to a new survey.
Theresa Kern of MA Steel Erectors Inc. wants to buy another plant and expand her business. Doug Harmon of Twin City Die Castings Co. wants to reinstate the 401K match his company used to offer employees before the recession. But both small business owners are holding off on investing in their businesses and creating jobs because of uncertainty over taxes.
Businesses demand action as deadline draws near.
The discovery of a rare spider not seen in more than three decades has halted a San Antonio highway construction project indefinitely.
Without congressional action on the fiscal cliff, the U.S. economy will most certainly be in a recession by next summer.
Nobody said being an entrepreneur is not easy. But the young entrepreneurs just named to the 2012 Empact100 list sure do make it look easy.
If the country’s progress falters, the implications for the region—and for the global economy—could be severe.
It’s time to write the next chapter in the U.S.-Russian relationship and pass legislation establishing Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with the newest member of the World Trade Organization, according to Obama Administration officials.
The world’s largest economy fell for the fourth consecutive year in the World Economic Forum's ranking of economic competitiveness.
This infographic from Intuit weighs the benefits and drawbacks to buying a franchise or starting a business on your own.
Moving is one of those stressful life events, right up there with divorce and changing jobs. It’s not much fun and nobody likes it. Unless you happen to be John M. Kane.
Put away the party hats and noise makers: It’s going to be a not-so-happy New Year, according to an updated budget and economic outlook from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.
You know that phrase: “it take a village to raise a child?” Well, entrepreneur Nick Friedman argues it’s going to take a village (and then some) to raise the American economy back up to where it needs to be.
With a “fiscal cliff” of automatic tax increases and spending cuts set for January 1, 2013, businesses are reevaluating their future investment and hiring plans.
Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer discussed the U.S. Chamber’s Hiring Our Heroes campaign and its’ new guide to personal branding in this weekend’s Parade magazine.
“If you support business, I’m for you even if you’re a Democrat,” says Jim Wordsworth, the owner of J.R.’s Goodtimes Inc.
National Retail Federation (NRF) President Matthew Shay reads the tea leaves on behalf of retailers who want to know whether spending in July and August is a good indicator of what’s to come later in the year and finds that the answer is, “maybe.”
Sen. Scott Brown talks about his most important race for the September cover of Free Enterprise magazine.
Like that wooden puppet who dreams of becoming a boy, President Obama dreams that his health care law will someday be loved.
You may think street smarts are enough to be a successful entrepreneur, but being an alumni from one of these colleges might give you a leg up in the world of would-be tycoons.
Weighing in at one ton and nearly the size of a car, NASA’s Curiosity rover, flawlessly stuck its Mars landing early Sunday morning.
To (mis)quote supermodel and "Project Runway" host Heidi Klum, when it comes to small business, “One day you’re in. The next day, you’re out.”
When it comes to the U.S. economy and growth, expect more of the same. That was the message today from U.S. Chamber Chief Economist Marty Regalia speaking at the Quarterly Economic Roundtable Series hosted by the National Chamber Foundation, the Chamber’s public policy think tank.
On April 29, 1969, U.S. President Richard Nixon gave closing remarks at the Chamber’s 57th annual meeting. Nixon said that he was the only person to address the Chamber’s annual meeting as a congressman, senator, vice president, and president other than President Lyndon Johnson.
Public attitudes towards big business are on the upswing, according to the results from a new Public Affairs Council survey.
Despite their concerns about the economy, small business owners remain upbeat, according to the monthly survey by SurePayroll Inc., provider of online payroll services.
House Majority Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy has a new video to highlight the effects of President Barak Obama’s planned tax hike on a small business owner in Washington, Pennsylvania.
The business community is calling for stronger EU-U.S. ties.
A new national education campaign highlights shale energy's benefits.
Patricia Owen went from selling Estee Lauder products to owning her own day spa.
It’s hard to believe considering the heat wave gripping most parts of the country, but summer is half over. And if you’re a seasonal business, it’s time to start thinking ahead to life after the summer vacationers pack up and leave town.
Now that the Supreme Court has decided the health care law is here to stay, businesses of all sizes are regrouping and trying to decide what to do next to keep their costs from soaring.
Be sure to look both ways before crossing the street because a food truck is no doubt heading to a corner near you. There’s a food truck revolution afoot, with hundreds of culinary caravans hitting the roads every lunch hour.
They’re called the Working Dead, a play on the popular AMC zombie series, The Walking Dead, which just came back to life last week (pun intended).
After a year spent fighting for his political life, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) is ready to get back to normal.
The U.S. Chamber established its Accreditation program in 1964 at the request of progressive chambers of commerce across the country that wanted to stand out from the crowd.
Steve Van Andel and Doug DeVos head Amway, a $10.9 billion direct selling company started by their fathers in 1959. Van Andel, U.S. Chamber vice chairman, sat down with Free Enterprise to discuss growth and innovation, overseas markets, and regulatory hurdles.
Think the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the constitutionality of the health care law provides greater certainty for small business owners? Think again.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. That’s why BBQ restaurant owner and caterer Tom Seaton of Johnson City, Tennessee, came to Washington, D.C.—to help put out some legislative and regulatory fires.
While no one knows for sure how or if Congress will address the pending fiscal cliff – the combination of tax hikes and spending cuts scheduled to take effect at the end of the year - one thing’s for sure: there’s a growing consensus that scheduled cuts to the defense budget are going to cost the nation lots of jobs.
Worms ... Viruses ... Hackers ... Cybercrime in the United States is on the rise at troubling rates. And cyberattacks aren’t just problems for big companies.
Some of the rules currently being written by regulatory agencies as part of the Dodd-Frank Act threaten businesses ability to manage risk, daily cash flow, raise capital, and ultimately grow and create jobs, according to financial experts attending a U.S. Chamber event.
While the United States is home to some of the world’s greatest institutions of higher learning, a comprehensive review of public colleges and universities across the country shows that the system is far from elite.
American small business owners must be exhausted, and with good reason, according to this infographic from The Sage Group, LLC.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is taking on what he calls an “urgent threat to political speech,” and is making the case for a renewed defense of “the freedom to organize around the causes we believe in, and against any effort that would constrain our ability to do so.”
Declines in U.S. education performance are jeopardizing U.S. national security, including the country’s ability to compete in a high-skill global marketplace, according to a recent report by the Council on Foreign Relations.
While states are on the rebound from the recession, the uncertainty coming out of Washington is still inhibiting economic growth, according to a bipartisan panel of the nation’s top governors.
Gov. Scott Walker discusses his recall election, and how the free enterprise system will return America's economy to prosperity.
Everybody loves a good Cinderella story, and small business owners are no exception. Facebook, and Instagram are just two businesses that have hit the big time, and business owners large and small are looking to replicate that success.
Things are definitely buzzing in the Beehive state, thanks in part to Gov. Gary Herbert's (R-UT) zeal for reform.
Delaware Governor Jack Markell (D) has a pretty simple prescription for attracting businesses to his state: give them a skilled and educated workforce.
Iconic American company and U.S. Chamber member Zippo Manufacturing Inc. of Bradford, Pennsylvania is celebrating a huge milestone today: their 500 millionth lighter. June 5th also happens to be the birthday of the late George Blaisdell, Zippo's founder who died in 1978.
Nick Akins is CEO of American Electric Power (AEP), one of the nation’s largest electricity generators with more than 38,000 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity, serving more than 5 million retail consumers in 11 states in the Midwest and South Central areas of the country, sat down with FreeEnterprise.com during a visit to the U.S. Chamber to discuss energy policy and innovation.
Free Enterprise recently interviewed Gov. Dave Heineman for a story on our upcoming Jobs Summit here at the Chamber on June 13. We were talking about what makes Nebraska a great state for jobs, and of course, the conversation veered towards progress on the Keystone XL pipeline.
If one New York state senator has his way, free speech will go the way of New Coke and Bill Cosby’s sweaters – a distant memory.
With the economy finally starting to pick up, small businesses are looking for more capital, and they might best be served looking to smaller banks.
It takes a lot more than two men to run the Two Men and a Truck franchises in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. It takes a savvy woman owner.
It’s a man’s world….unless you are going to the salon. But New York state officials are cracking down on salons over what they call gender-pricing discrimination.
The head of Wisconsin's largest business trade association says he has no choice but to carry out a campaign to educate voters on the consequences of more taxes and regulations.
Say you’re a techie person, someone who is fluent in the ways of JavaScript, or Perl, or Ruby or some other gem-sounding programming language. You have a good idea. You know how to create the program. But you don’t know how to describe your idea in an elevator pitch. Or you are not sure whether you should incorporate your new company as an S-Corp or an LLC. That’s where accelerators can help. They’re like the gas pedal on your car.
Small business owners visit Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers about uncertainty over taxes, spending, and health care.
Each year, the America’s Small Business Summit ends with what’s known as the Rally on the Hill. This is an opportunity for the hundreds of attendees to meet with their members of Congress and staff and educate them on the issues that really matter to small business. Understandably, it can be a pretty overwhelming experience.
Congratulations to Heritage Homes, the winner of our 2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam's Club®.
The legislative theme heading into the November election is congressional inaction, according to U.S. Chamber experts in transportation, education and labor and immigration policies told attendees to the second day of America’s Small Business Summit 2012.
When it comes to funding your business, it’s all about relationships, according to a diverse panel that made up the access to capital breakout session at America’s Small Business Summit 2012.
Entrepreneur and creator of the Chicken McNugget Ed Rensi is worried. The former McDonald’s CEO says small businesses and entrepreneurs are being strangled by layers and layers of local, state and federal regulations.
Entrepreneur and The New York Times best-selling author Gary Vaynerchuk will be speaking at the U.S. Chamber's America's Small Business Summit on May 21. He will discuss how to take advantage of the current business environment while preparing to succeed as it changes and evolves into what Vaynerchuck has termed “The Thank You Economy.” Below is an excerpt from his best-selling book of the same name.
The industry needs pro-growth strategies and policies, and human capital before businesses can fully realize their potential.
School bake sales may become a thing of the past.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but an ugly picture on your company website could easily send potential customers running.
School boards can be largely dominated by special interests, such as vendors seeking district contracts, employee unions, and single-issue advocacy groups that have their own agendas.
Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, tells the story of when he played the French horn in Spain.
When FASTSIGNS International CEO Catherine Monson was approached by the producers of CBS’s “Undercover Boss,” she knew exactly how she wanted to be disguised. “I wanted to be a Goth rocker chick,” Monson told the Dallas Business Journal.
Startups, long viewed as a driver for innovation and job growth, are now accounting for a much smaller share of U.S. businesses than they used to. A new report from the Kauffman Foundation, using data from the Census Bureau’s Business Dynamics Statistics, shows that the startup rate in 2010 fell to an all-time low of 7.87% from 8.10% in 2009.
Some of the best small businesses in the country share the secrets of their success.
Seven finalists compete for the 2012 DREAM Big Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam's Club®.
Seven finalists compete for the 2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam's Club®.
Seven finalists compete for the 2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam's Club®.
Ski Butlers, a full service ski and snowboard rental and delivery service in Park City, Utah is one of seven finalists competing for the 2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award, presented by Sam's Club®.
Lakeland Feed and Supply of Hamilton, Montana is one of seven regional finalists compete for the 2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam's Club®.
Renfro Foods, a family run business known for its salsas and relishes is one of seven finalists for the 2012 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award.
While it may seem like the country is headed in the wrong direction or not recovering fast enough, the nation's proud legacy of free enterprise and entrepreneurship should engender optimism, says Steve Van Andel, chairman of Amway.
Day-after-day, businesses across the country are quietly pursuing initiatives that end up being social game-changers, says Catherine Keller, Director of Communications & Outreach, Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC).
Optimism among small business owners remains positive, according to the monthly survey by SurePayroll Inc., provider of online payroll services.
To support struggling small businesses, people commit to spending at least $20 in a store, responding to a call sent out over social media.
A new generation of women CEOs are waiting in the wings and are ready to take over the corner office, according to this story in the Wall Street Journal.
Ah, spring. A time of birds chirping, flowers blooming anew, and a 5% increase in retail foot traffic compared to last year, according to this very spring-like infographic on Intuit’s blog.
Nick Akins grew up wanting to be a drummer in a rock-and-roll band. So it’s no surprise that the head of American Electric Power (AEP) dropped a few references to Bob Dylan and George Harrison during his speech at the U.S. Chamber.
The Senate has begun voting on a bill that would dramatically streamline the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in an effort to save the agency from bankruptcy.
A lot of small business owners will tell you that they started their business because they found a niche market that wasn’t being fulfilled. But what if your niche revolves around only one day of the year? That’s what happened to a store called the Christmas Attic in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.
With Social Security sliding closer to insolvency, it’s more important than ever to protect the retirement security of America’s workforce and preserve the ability of employers to provide flexible and comprehensive compensation to employees.
Struggling to gain access to capital due in part to burdensome financial regulations, the Sterns told their story on Fox Business News.
Blink and you might miss them. They’re the sponsored advertisements on the right hand side of your Facebook page. Or the promoted tweets above your stream on Twitter.
We over here at Free Enterprise love salsa. A lot. So when our friends over at America’s Power posted a YouTube video called “Salsa Todd,” our ears perked up.
Johnson talks openly about entrepreneurship, opportunities for minorities, and the challenges of regulations, taxes, and deficits.
Success breeds success. At least that’s the hope of a number of start-ups that decorate pillows, t-shirts, magnets, ceramic tiles, and of course, iPhone covers with your Instagram photos.
Robert Patton and his brothers tapped a common source of capital when starting their electronics company--their father. But going global required a new plan.
While small business confidence is improving, it hasn’t yet impacted hiring trends, according to the results of the U.S. Chamber’s quarterly Small Business Outlook Survey released today.
Representatives from the aviation industry, government officials, and system users gathered to rally behind important aviation issues this week.
There’s more to Brazil than just great soccer players and supermodels.
Texas may be known for having strong women, particularly on the basketball court (go Lady Bears!), but when it comes to executive positions at mid-cap companies, it hasn’t exactly been a slam dunk for women.
As health care costs continue rising, businesses are discovering that a modest investment in employees’ health and well-being is a significant cost saver and productivity enhancer.
The U.S. Chamber honored 248 lawmakers for their support of pro-growth legislation.
The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce in Maryland may appear to resemble any one of thousands of county chambers around the country, but a proud history linked to an early 20th century president and a recent emphasis on advocacy make it anything but ordinary.
The U.S. Chamber’s Tom Donohue has a simple message for financial regulators implementing Dodd-Frank: slow down.
If you thought preparing your tax return for 2011 was a painful exercise, just wait. Individuals and small businesses are staring down the barrel of a bevy of tax increases, new taxes, and expiring deductions scheduled to take effect at the beginning of next year
America has become a cleaner, safer, less polluted place due in large part to collaboration between private sector, consumers and the government.
To bring more international travelers to the United States “we need to put the welcome mat back out,” and reduce the “hassle factor” of visiting the United States without compromising security, according to U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue.
Not surprisingly, there are not a lot of electronics engineers with experience in the radiation detection industry in the small West Texas community of Sweetwater. So when a Mexican engineer who had an undergraduate engineering degree and a graduate business degree from the University of Texas accepted an offer of employment from Ludlum Measurements, Inc., Vice President Mick Truitt was thrilled.
“Two years ago we were told the health care bill would have to be passed so we could find out what was in it. Two years is long enough to know that our worst predictions have come true" - Tom Donohue, U.S. Chamber
Federal agencies are being pressured by environmental activists.
Sharpen your pencils. We’ve got a quiz for you. As part of its American Jobs and Growth Agenda, the Chamber is running this ad in newspaperson the importance of rebuilding America’s roads, bridges, airports, seaports, water facilities, and transit systems.
Hiring a veteran is a national security imperative and an opportunity for companies to gain a competitive advantage, the U.S. Chamber’s Kevin Schmiegel told members of a House Appropriations subcommittee today.
While women have made steady and incremental gains, they need to “saddle up and speak up to move up" to top leadership positions in the corporate world.
Despite successes, immigrant entrepreneurs face obstacles.
President Warren G. Harding’s address to the U.S. Chamber on the final day of its 10th annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on May 18, 1922, was the first documented presidential radio broadcast.
A D.C. law, the Wildlife Protection Act of 2010, requires that rats and other vermin not be killed but captured, preferably in families; no glue or snap traps can be used; and the rodents must be relocated. The law has drawn criticism from Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who worries that the law may result in entire rodent “families” being relocated across the Potomac River into Virginia.
Entrepreneur Julian Mann is a bit like a modern day James Bond. His hobbies include racing sailboats, SCUBA diving, and snowboarding. He interned at a small little outfit you may of heard of called NASA.
John Meyer isn’t involved in the oil or gas industry. He doesn’t own a pipeline or construction business. But as the owner of Office Products Center in Winner, South Dakota, Meyer knows that his state needs jobs, and that the influx of workers and dollars generated by the Keystone XL pipeline expansion from Canada to the Gulf Coast would energize his state and region.
If there is an oracle on energy, Daniel Yergin is it. His new book, The Quest, surveys the modern energy industry and the geopolitical and technological forces that are reshaping it.
The steady decline in the quality of surface, air, and water transportation systems costs the U.S. economy $1 trillion a year in lost economic growth.
Inspiration hits entrepreneurs at different times—in the park during lunch, in the shower, or, in the case of Carolyn Rafaelian, in the car driving to Rhode Island after meeting with buyers in New York.
When it comes to the critical issue of cybersecurity, Congress should work to reduce the fragmented and often conflicting burdens that are placed on industry instead of adding to the regulatory burden of American businesses, saaid Tom Ridge, chair the Chamber’s National Security Task Force.
The best way for the United States to stay competitive is to “still be ahead of the curve, have better products, and sell them globally,” says U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue.
American businesses have what it takes to create jobs in the United States, and restore American confidence and competitiveness, according to GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt.
Small businesses across the country can breathe a sigh of relief after a pledge from the Internal Revenue Service that it would not enforce a new onerous data collection and paperwork burden.
With Washington stuck in election gridlock, it’s up to state and local governments to promote policies that foster entrepreneurship and accelerate economic growth, according to governors and leading academics from the Kauffman Foundation.
Gov. Dave Heineman says Nebraska lawmakers have done their part and are ready to move ahead with the Keystone XL pipeline as soon as officials within the Obama Administration agree to an alternative route rather than an entirely new application.
In an early and aggressive election year move, the U.S. Chamber launched a multistate television ad and grassroots communications blitz in 12 congressional districts and in 8 states with 2012 Senate races.
Imposing more rules and regulations on money market mutual funds is unnecessary and threatens to wipe out a vital and safe source of business financing, according to experts at a recent event hosted by the U.S. Chamber’s Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness.
When is a poster not considered an innocent proclamation of pre-teen musical tastes? When it involves a government agency overstepping its bounds and requiring employers to post mandatory notices advertising the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) ideological views about unionization.
The 2010 health care law continues to pile on bureaucracy and confusion as employers and health insurance providers come up against looming deadlines while trying to navigate unclear rules, exacting mandates, and undefined provisions.
When it comes to the economy, the housing market, and the Obama Administration’s policies, it’s Groundhog Day all over again.
At the seventh annual meeting of Chamber delegates in 1919, Chamber President Henry Wheeler pointed out the “necessity for greatly improving its headquarters.” The Chamber’s Building Committee chose the corner of H Street N.W. and Connecticut Avenue N.W., directly across Lafayette Park from the White House. The committee paid $775,000 for the 35,000-square-foot lot, which was the former location of Daniel Webster’s home.
Family-owned Stewart Brothers Drilling Company diversified its business to withstand changes in the mining industry over the course of several decades.
Immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs and strengthen the economy, and the United States should tailor immigration laws and policies to encourage the best and the brightest to create businesses on U.S. soil, according to a new joint report issued by the U.S. Chamber and the American Immigration Council (AIC).
The small town of The Dalles, Oregon, has a large impact on Washington, D.C., because of a committed group of local business and civic leaders.
How the president's speech rhetoric and policy prescriptions stack up against his record and the U.S. Chamber's jobs plan.
President Obama says tonight’s State of the Union Address will focus on building an economy “that’s built to last.” So what does that mean? Does the president have a plan to put Americans back to work? Because the business community does.
FreeEnterprise.com caught up with former U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow to gain insights into Europe's financial crisis, the U.S. debt crisis, and U.S. competitiveness.
Editorial pages across the country, including those that frequently support the administration's policies, are joining business, organized labor, and government in heavily criticizing the president's decision to formally reject a permit for the construction of the 1,700-mile Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups are increasing their pressure on President Obama to issue a permit for the construction of the 1,700-mile Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, which could create as many as 250,000 jobs by 2035.
The Chamber's Tom Donohue outlines a growth and jobs agenda at the 2012 State of American Business.
With Congress on holiday recess, President Obama last week unilaterally moved forward with several controversial recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Board.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute of Legal Reform (ILR) published its list of the Top Ten Most Ridiculous Lawsuits of 2011, as voted on by the public. Topping the annual list was a case filed by a kidnapper against his victims for not helping him evade the police.
Serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and pro sports franchise owner Ted Leonsis talks about what drives him.
Indiana Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels isn’t running for the nation’s highest office, but that doesn’t mean he’s going away quietly.
In a pair of recent energy policy decisions, the Obama administration erected more roadblocks to job growth and more abundant domestic energy supplies.
The idea to create the Chamber first took shape when President William Howard Taft, in a speech before Congress on December 7, 1911, addressed the need for a “central organization in touch with associations and chambers of commerce throughout the country and able to keep purely American interests in a closer touch with different phases of commercial affairs.”
A new outreach initiative by the U.S. Chamber seeks to educate and foster opportunities for the nation’s growing number of women-owned businesses.
In a last minute Christmas present for organized labor, the National Labor Relations Board issued a rule that will lead to speedier union elections and make it easier for unions to gain members.
The U.S. Chamber reacts to news that the Environmental Protection Agency has moved ahead on a rule to restrict emissions that could threaten America’s electricity reliability, global competitiveness, and job creation.
Roberto Guerrero fought back against a frivolous ADA lawsuit.
Brett and Carey Baker are the full-time faces behind Part-Time Pros, a staffing company that unites talented professionals with companies that have full- and part-time needs. The business is growing—up 450% since inception—but just a few years ago, the husband-and-wife team considered shutting the company’s doors.
Siding with the U.S. Chamber, the Senate last week sent a clear message that structural changes to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) are needed before a director is confirmed to lead it.
Senate Democrats failed to muster enough votes to bring to the floor the nomination of Richard Cordray as head of the CFPB.
America’s job creators are asking for more time to comply with an expensive new EPA rule that could threaten electricity reliability and hurt businesses of all sizes.
Over opposition from the business community, the National Labor Relations Board, in a 2-1 vote, advanced portions of a proposal to speed up union elections November 30.
The House has set the stage for a showdown with the Senate and the Obama Administration over legislation to make the regulatory process more transparent and accountable.
The House voted 253-167 in favor of HR 3010, the Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA) on December 2. The bill now heads to the Senate.
The RAA would amend the Administrative Procedure Act to require that all agencies base their regulations on evidence and put forward reasonable alternatives to any rule put forward.
The U.S. Chamber has come out in support of a bill aimed at forcing the Obama administration to make a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline within 60 days rather than wait until 2013 to rule on the $7 billion project.
The House is closing in on two U.S. Chamber-supported bills that would improve how federal agencies promulgate regulations and make it more difficult for the costliest proposed regulations to take effect.
The Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 3010) would amend the Administrative Procedure Act to require that all agencies base their regulations on evidence and put forward reasonable alternatives to any rule they put forward. It is expected to be brought up on the House floor at the end of the week.
The U.S. Chamber is accelerating its voter education activities in key states this week, doubling down with new television ads in Ohio and Montana.
The Ohio ad, titled “Stop Hiding,” highlights Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D) dismal 9% voting record with the U.S. Chamber. The ad refers to Brown’s support for increased energy taxes and his vote for the 2010 health care law.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the House of Representatives are moving in opposite directions on the issue of whether or not to allow speedy union elections.
The NLRB on November 30 will hold a public session where it is expected to vote to speed up the union election process, which the Chamber and other business groups argue would effectively deny employers and employees their free speech rights.
At ILR’s 12th Annual Legal Reform Summit in October, dozens of political, legal, and business leaders discussed trends in lawsuit abuse, including third-party litigation financing.
For the first time in five years, the U.S. trade agenda is taking on a new focus.
The shift comes after large bipartisan majorities in Congress approved the long-debated free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama on October 12, 2011, marking the successful culmination of a long fight by the U.S. Chamber and other supporters of the deals.
UPDATED November 21, 2011
President Obama today signed legislation to repeal a requirement that federal, state, and local governments withhold 3% of payments to their contractors beginning in 2013. The move marks the successful culmination of a years-long lobbying, grassroots, and advertising campaign by the Chamber, its members, and other business groups to erase the onerous mandate.
With just under a year to go until the 2012 elections, the U.S. Chamber is squaring off against a powerful and well-funded coalition of labor groups by launching a new television ad campaign to ensure that voters are educated on important issues affecting the economy.
The ads are airing on network and cable television in 15 markets across Iowa, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington state.
Legislation to tackle online intellectual property theft moved ahead this week as the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing to discuss the issue of rogue websites.
Representatives from the Motion Picture Association of America, Pfizer, MasterCard, the AFL-CIO, Google, and the Register of Copyrights testified at the November 16 hearing.
On Veteran’s Day, First Lady Michelle appeared at the U.S. Chamber and praised its program to help military veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment in their local communities.
In a decision the U.S. Chamber denounced as “politics trumping jobs,” the Obama Administration announced that it will delay a decision on the construction of a 1,700 mile oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
Abundant and available private capital should be considered as a resource for infrastructure investments when traditional funding is unavailable or less efficient, according to transportation advocates attending the U.S. Chamber’s Infrastructure Investment Forum.
Congress needs to tune out the demands of special interests intent on preserving their favored sections of the tax code and come up with a comprehensive tax reform plan that will increase growth and revenues, says U.S. Chamber Chief Economist Marty Regalia.
“Let the Congress, which supposedly has some expertise, come up with a plan and put it out there,” Regalia said during a November 4 panel discussion in Washington, D.C. “Put together a package that works and put it out there for reaction.”
Yet another congressional attempt to raise taxes was shot down this week when Senate Republicans filibustered a so-called jobs bill touted by President Obama.
On November 3, Republicans successfully blocked the Rebuild American Jobs Act, which would provide $60 billion for transportation infrastructure projects. The action marked the third blow to President Barack Obama’s jobs agenda.
Legislation to repeal a rule that would withhold 3% of government payments to contractors is gaining steam, passing the House with strong bipartisan support and the Obama Administration’s sign-off.
from ILR
At a time when states are facing tight budgets and sluggish economic growth, a new working paper released by the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) shows that actions taken by states to improve their legal environments can produce real economic dividends.
The deepening legal conflict over the fate of the health care law is adding another layer of uncertainty for employers, and the U.S. Supreme Court should move quickly to resolve the issue, according to an amicus brief filed by the National Chamber Litigation Center (NCLC), the Chamber’s public policy law firm.
To arm small business owners against ever-growing cyber threats, the U.S. Chamber has joined up with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to launch a free online toolkit to help businesses develop a cybersecurity strategy.
In their first attempt to advance individual pieces of the president’s jobs bill, Senate Democrats fell short of the 60 votes needed to move forward a $35 billion package for states and localities to hire and prevent the layoffs of government workers. The vote was 50-50.
A major piece of the Obama Administration’s health care reform law has unraveled and is being targeted for full repeal by the business community
Unless you are a government contractor, you may not have heard about 3% withholding. But for Terry Neimeyer, CEO of KCI Technologies Inc., a government contractor, it’s a little-known issue with big implications.
Construction and commercial janitorial services may be a male-dominated industry, but Shandra Spicer is setting out to change that.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is a little known 76-year-old independent agency whose members wield enormous influence over the workplaces of America’s private employers. Though designed to be an impartial mediator between organized labor and management, the current NLRB is exhibiting an anti-business bias illustrated by everything from attempting to limit the ability of employers to exercise their free speech rights to giving them less time to respond to unionizing efforts.
Proposed legislation in the Senate to renew the landmark education reform law known as No Child Left Behind is lacking in rigor and threatens to stall, or even reverse, educational improvements in the decade since the original legislation was enacted, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
John Riccitiello is a gamer.
The 51-year-old CEO of Electronic Arts, one of the biggest video game companies in the world, plays Scrabble online with his wife.
He plays The Sims Social, EA’s new Facebook game that recently edged out FarmVille as the second most popular game on Facebook, with his 17-year-old daughter.
Congress’ approval of free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama could not have come at a more important time for the ailing U.S. economy and millions of unemployed Americans, according to the U.S. Chamber.
Despite being the nation’s leading job creators, fewer small businesses plan to hire additional employees over the next year, according to the U.S. Chamber’s quarterly Small Business Outlook Survey.
The third quarter Small Business Outlook—a nationwide survey of more than 1,330 small business owners—found that only 17% of small businesses expect to add employees over the next year. That number is down from 19% in July.
The House took a major step toward protecting manufacturing jobs last week, approving a bill that would provide much needed relief to manufacturers, who face a host of excessive and unmanageable costs in order to comply with EPA’s “Cement MACT” suite of rules.
The House passed H.R. 2681, the Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011, in a mostly party-line 262-161 vote on October 6.
In 2010, 33 small business owners from both political parties were elected to Congress. That’s more than three times the number elected in 2008.
They come from all over the country and all walks of life. Rep. Bobby Schilling (R-IL) and his family own and operate Saint Giuseppe’s Heavenly Pizzeria in Moline, which employs eight people.
Until 2007, Rep. Richard Hanna (R-NY) owned and operated Hanna Construction, which grew over 27 years to employ more than 450 people.
After five years of stops and starts, the stage has been set for the long-awaited approval of U.S. free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea.
The House Ways and Means committee cleared the three deals on October 5, just two days after President Obama submitted the deals to Congress for approval. The full House could approve the deals as early as next week, with the Senate moving soon after.
Some of the nation’s largest and most influential business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are urging the joint deficit reduction committee to go beyond its mandate to trim the national debt by $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion.
U.S. immigration policies that turn away foreign high-skilled workers constitute “national suicide,” and reforming those laws would unleash a torrent of innovation, growth, and job creation, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said during an immigration reform event at the U.S. Chamber.
Nobody would characterize small business owner John Reidy as shy. Especially when it comes to educating lawmakers about the hurdles he faces as co-owner of a full-service alarm and electrical contracting company near Chicago. “I need to let these guys know how I feel. I feel like I’m under siege as a small business person,” Reidy says. “I take some satisfaction in knowing I’ve expressed my opinion and hope it can affect some change.”
In a rare display of bipartisanship and with the full support of the U.S. Chamber, members of the Senate and House introduced legislation to restore needed checks and balances to the regulatory process and give job creators the certainty they need.
The United States must develop its abundant domestic energy resources or risk falling behind its competitors, U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue said in a major policy speech delivered at the Global Business Forum in Banff, Canada.
The Senate removed the largest stumbling block to passage of free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea by voting to renew a retraining program for workers displaced by trade.
The Senate on September 22 voted 70-27 to renew the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program along with a bill to extend the General System of Preferences (GSP), which provides duty-free tariff treatment to specific products imported from certain countries. The U.S. Chamber supported both TAA and GSP.
The U.S. Chamber is lashing out against President Obama’s long-term deficit reduction plan that relies heavily on imposing new taxes on America’s job creators.
“While we recognize that addressing our deficit and debt problems should include tax reform that establishes a broader base and lower rates, real tax reform is different than simply subjecting businesses to tax increases,” says Caroline Harris, U.S. Chamber chief tax counsel. “Raising $1.5 trillion in new taxes will not produce economic growth or prosperity.”
The U.S. Chamber is using every tool in its arsenal—litigation, lobbying, and paid media--to slow down the creeping tentacles of an overreaching government agency intent on proposing regulations that empower unions at the expense of employees and employers.
With the economy struggling, many in the business community are focused on policies to increase customer demand and create jobs. But some business leaders refuse to lose sight of their mission to better prepare young Americans for high-quality jobs, a challenge they see as essential to long-term economic growth and competitiveness and one that can get lost in the mix.
Home to dyeing and spinning mills some 35 years ago, today the Village of Saxapahaw, North Carolina, is a dramatically different, though vibrant, community where visitors and residents take delight in, among other things, a general store famous for its goat burger, a pub specializing in “intensely seasonal” gourmet fare, a Pilates studio, and a main street ablaze with pink and white flowers every April.
In Washington, any single member of Congress can avoid attention by blending in with his or her 534 colleagues. But for the 12 members of the bipartisan congressional supercommittee tasked with trimming $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion from the nation’s debt, the national spotlight and the pressure that comes with it are unavoidable.
With small business opposition to a key provision of the health care law growing, the U.S. Chamber joined members of Congress at a Capitol Hill press conference to support immediate repeal of the employer mandate provision.
The U.S. Chamber is stepping up its efforts to ensure that pending trade bills, including a controversial bill to provide assistance to American workers displaced by trade, pass Congress in the coming weeks.
“We’re going to do everything we can to get these deals done in the next six to eight weeks,” said John Murphy, U.S. Chamber vice president for International Affairs, at a briefing for reporters on September 8.
Approximately 2.9 million jobs and $360 billion in additional GDP would be created over a two year period if earnings held abroad by U.S. companies could be lured back to the United States, according to a study released by the U.S. Chamber.
In a victory for America’s job creators and a big first step in what needs to be a broader regulatory reform effort, President Obama has requested that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson withdraw a potentially disastrous ozone standard.
A continued heavy dose of regulation and uncertainty played a big factor in zero net new jobs being created in August, according to U.S. Chamber Chief Economist Marty Regalia.
As the expiration date for federal legislation authorizing investment in roads, bridges, and transit systems approaches, U.S. Chamber officials, labor union leaders, and the Obama Administration have joined together to call for timely renewal of the program.
Last week, the Chamber was named a 2011 “Small Business Influencer Champion” by Small Business Trends and Small Biz Technology. The award, determined by more than 125,000 online votes and a judging panel, “honors companies, organizations, and people who have made a significant impact on the North American small business market.”
Even as the administration touts its efforts to streamline or eliminate duplicative or conflicting regulations, some agencies are moving full steam ahead with burdensome and costly newly proposed rules.
The U.S. Chamber is urging the new deficit reduction super-committee to seize the “opportunity to put the country on the right fiscal road – a road to balance and sustainability,” by reforming entitlements and overhauling the tax code.
National safety and preparedness has improved in the 10 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but there is still much work to be done, according to the current and former heads of the Department of Homeland Security.
Before the debt ceiling increase was even signed into law, many members of Congress had already left town for the August recess, moving eagerly to a more popular topic: JOBS.
This recess, the U.S. Chamber’s Small Business Nation and Friends of the U.S. Chamber are helping small business supporters reach out to their members of Congress on key issues important to business.
The 12 members who will serve on a special bipartisan, bicameral committee on deficit reduction have been named by the leaders of the House and Senate (see complete list at the end of this article).
With the U.S. credit rating on shaky ground, stock markets in chaos, and Congress fleeing Washington D.C. after passing the deficit package, America’s small business are feeling unsettled this summer, and are tightening their belts.
That uncertainty has translated into a plunge in economic confidence. According to the Wells Fargo-Gallup Small Business Index, the percentage of owners anticipating that their revenues would increase over the next 12 months fell to 42% in July, down from 49% in April and 54% in January.
The U.S. Chamber and other groups are urging the Obama administration to proceed with caution on a Department of Education plan to grant waivers to provisions of No Child Left Behind.
With the landing of the Atlantis space shuttle at the Kennedy Space Center in July, NASA ended its 30-year space shuttle program, leaving Florida’s Space Coast to face an uncertain future in a rocky economic environment. But one local chamber of commerce is determined not to let the region lose its highly skilled workforce.
It was just a normal day. That’s what small business owners Michael Davis and Seth Pehr remember about the morning of September 11, 2001.
Davis had just opened a second flower shop on Hudson Street, about a mile and a half away from his original shop, Elan Flowers, on Duane Street. “The opening night party for the Hudson shop was that night, and I was out shopping for the party,” he says.
America is on the verge of an energy renaissance. It’s a renaissance built on technological advances in energy exploration and extraction, continued advances in renewable energy and nuclear power, and an abundance of domestic natural gas and oil reserves off the coasts and on federal lands.
The underlying weaknesses in the nation’s energy security have reasserted themselves in 2011 and, unless things change, will continue to hamper the United States for decades into the future, according to an updated study by the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy.
The Index of U.S. Energy Security Risk, now in its second year, calculates the country’s 2010 energy security risk index at 98 out of 100. That’s a 6.5-point increase from 2009 and the fourth-highest score since 1970.
New data show that despite the administration’s promise to streamline and eliminate regulations, its foot is still firmly on the gas—and small business owners and consumers are the ones getting run over.
In an August 2 memo he handed out to fellow lawmakers last week, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) claimed that the administration in July alone increased regulatory costs by an additional $9.5 billion by proposing 229 new rules and finalizing 379 rules.
Entrepreneur Mike Callihan had a successful business, American Data Products, creating custom business forms, but he saw the writing on the wall. “The form business was dying a slow death with more and more businesses switching to online forms. I knew I had to find something else,” says the owner and operator of Cincinnati-based Document Destruction.
The Chamber greeted passage of a bipartisan compromise bill to increase the nation’s debt ceiling as the beginning – not the end - of a process to get the nation’s fiscal house in order.
The U.S. tax code has become “a maze of increasingly complex credits, deductions, exclusions and exemptions” and needs to be reformed, according to House Ways and Means Chairman David Camp (R-MI).
Despite President Obama’s promises that his health care reform bill would rein in costs and let people keep the insurance they have, the law is having the opposite effect, according to one franchise restaurant owner.
The current national energy policy is like a game of that arcade favorite “Whac-A-Mole” in which energy businesses are having to try to whack at a seemingly endless onslaught of regulations that can pop up from anywhere at anytime, according to Marvin Odum, president of Shell Oil Company.
During the 2010 elections, one campaign phrase resonated across the country again and again: “Where are the jobs?”
Nearly a year later, with the economy slowly starting to rebound, the question remains, “Where are the jobs?”
With two government agencies—the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Department of Labor (DOL)—charging ahead on a course to increasingly destabilize employers’ rights, the U.S. Chamber is urging Congress to consider legislation to rein them in.
As unions push the federal government to grant them more power and influence over the economy, the opposite is happening in the states. Many states have worked on legislation to promote job growth, new business formation, and fiscal solvency by reining in both public sector and private sector unions. The U.S. Chamber’s Workforce Freedom Initiative (WFI) has partnered with several state chambers on this effort.
A U.S. Chamber index that measures the effectiveness of the nation’s transportation infrastructure was a mix of good and bad news this year.
The good news? In 2009, the latest year data was available, the Transportation Performance Index (TPI) spiked upward to 56.6 above the 2008 level of 52.82, which is the largest improvement in a single year since 1990, the first year the index measured performance.
from ILR
The U.S. Chamber is applauding a film that documents how the greatest system of justice in the world is being compromised by greed and corruption.
Despite the sluggish economy and the many challenges presented by excessive regulations and taxes, young entrepreneurs are discovering solutions at the local level and remaining upbeat about the future, according to many of the more than 100 of them who participated in a July 13 event hosted by the U.S. Chamber's Campaign for Free Enterprise.
It’s time for Congress to rein in executive branch agencies and restore proper checks and balances to the regulatory system, according to William Kovacs, U.S. Chamber senior vice president of Environment, Technology, and Regulatory Affairs.
The most important role the government can play in helping create jobs is to remove government-imposed impediments to growth and reduce uncertainty, according to U.S. Chamber President Tom Donohue and the results of the Chamber’s most recent quarterly survey of small businesses.
American workers can expect to pay more out of their paycheck to cover health care costs due to the new health care law and rising health care costs overall, according to a new independent study released by the Coalition for Affordable Health Coverage (CAHC) at July 12 event hosted by the U.S. Chamber and CAHC.
Millions of Americans eager to see the administration pursue a robust jobs agenda took to Twitter last week to have their voices heard during President Obama’s first Twitter Townhall by posing a simple question: “Will you help businesses and free enterprise create #jobs by getting government out of the way?”
Congressional negotiations over the pending free trade agreements took a couple of hard turns last week as the U.S. Chamber kept up pressure to move the deals through Congress.
Governors of every state are facing similar economic challenges but are taking different steps to grow their state’s economies, create jobs, and compete globally. Free Enterprise recently talked with four governors about what they are doing to tackle unemployment and soaring deficits and what the federal government can do to help.
Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL)
More than 100 employers, including financial giants Bank of America, Citi, and Goldman Sachs, connected with more than 1,500 job-seeking military veterans and their spouses on June 23 for a U.S. Chamber-sponsored Hiring Our Heroes job fair at Pier 86 in New York City.
While the Obama Administration continues to pursue policies that will only provide short-term energy relief, Congress has moved ahead on two U.S. Chamber-supported bills that will boost domestic production of oil and significantly increase America’s energy and economic security.
The administration announced this week that it will release 30 million barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an attempt to lower oil prices.
In a move that blatantly benefits labor unions at a cost to America’s job creators, the Obama Administration has proposed two new rules that would limit the ability of employers to exercise their free speech rights and give them less time to fight unionizing efforts.
As part of the U.S. Chamber’s Project on Regulatory Reform, former Indiana Governor and Senator Evan Bayh and former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card held a press conference last week to preview the launch of their bipartisan, nationwide tour to educate Americans on the need to restore balance, restraint, and common sense to the regulatory process.
After the event, Card and Bayh gave an exclusive interview to Free Enterprise magazine.
States that have invested in education and infrastructure, reined in onerous taxes and regulation, developed basic industries such as energy, agriculture, and manufacturing, and supported small business and expanding companies are coming out ahead during this tough economy, according to a study released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The U.S. Chamber is urging members of the House to pass legislation that would speed up the patent application process.
A great divide has emerged in the United States between the education and skills of the American workforce and the needs of our nation’s employers. Even with high unemployment, employers looking to hire are struggling to find the right people.
To fill the personnel gap, smart employers are turning to largely untapped talent pools, including, military veterans, people with disabilities, and baby boomers.
This year’s America’s Small Business Summit was very social, and we’re not talking about the networking that took place among the more than 500 attendees, sponsors, speakers, and U.S. Chamber staff.
Summit participants armed with smart phones, laptops, and iPads used social media to promote their advocacy efforts and report up-to-the-minute summit action to their friends, followers, and fans.
The U.S. Chamber has unveiled the newest and most effective tool yet in its trade education arsenal—an interactive website that provides an unprecedented amount of information on exports and the jobs they support.
With more than $1 billion worth of goods traded between the U.S. and Mexico every day, a secure and efficient U.S.-Mexico border is a priority for the U.S. Chamber and the American business community.
However, delays and other inefficiencies at the border cost the U.S. and Mexican economies an estimated $7.2 billion in gross economic output and an estimated 62,000 jobs.
As chief counsel of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Office of Advocacy, Winslow Sargeant’s job is to represent the interests of small businesses before Congress and the executive branch, a position for which he is well qualified given his experience in the worlds of entrepreneurship and risk.
Pizza is not usually considered a healthy eating choice, but Naked Pizza is proving otherwise.
“The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly,” refers to more than just the 1966 spaghetti western starring Clint Eastwood. It’s the name of a new U.S. Chamber interactive web feature that illustrates the state of America’s education system.
Nearly 600 small business owners, state and local chamber representatives, and association leaders, gathered in Washington, DC, May 23-25, for America's Small Business Summit to lobby their elected officials, learn about issues, network, and pick up tips for improving their businesses. Below are some of the highlights, with links to content:
The U.S. Chamber is mounting an aggressive multi-pronged effort to address some of the most costly and egregious mandates in the new healthcare law to make coverage more affordable for small businesses.
A sweeping tax withholding requirement intended to close the government contractor tax gap will instead have a negative impact on millions of honest taxpaying businesses, farmers, doctors and hospitals, as well as state and local governments, according the U.S. Chamber and a coalition of supporters.
What would Washington look like if lawmakers had run or worked for a small business? There would be less waste and abuse, a culture of accountability, and a greater focus on the long-term health of the economy, said Carly Fiorina at America’s Small Business Summit today. A new perspective in Was
A bipartisan group of senators is getting involved in one of the U.S. Chamber’s key issues—the fight to crack down on websites dedicated to online piracy and counterfeiting.
Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the PROTECT IP Act on May 12. This measure would provide an enhanced legal tool against rogue sites that steal American jobs and threaten consumers’ health and safety.
The U.S. government’s policies on taxes, regulations, energy development, and infrastructure investment are creating uncertainty for businesses, driving U.S. companies overseas, and making the United States a less attractive destination for foreign investment, according to U.S. Chamber Chief Economist Marty Regalia.
The House and Senate took very different approaches to addressing gas prices this week, with the House passing two more Chamber-backed bills designed to increase domestic energy production and put Americans back to work and the Senate moving toward increasing gas taxes.
The U.S. Chamber joined Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), several members of Congress, and numerous trade associations in denouncing the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) actions to force Boeing Co. to move its’ newly built aircraft assembly line in South Carolina to Washington state.
from BCLC
U.S. businesses big and small are responding to the crisis in Japan following the 8.9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that rocked the island nation on March 11.
The U.S. Chamber’s Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) continues to receive and communicate the latest information about the on-the-ground situation, provide information on how companies can help, and track corporate donations. So far, according to BCLC’s Corporate Aid Tracker, global business assistance for Japan has exceeded $298 million.
For small business advocate Francis Delaney, the pen is regarded as mightier than the sword when it comes to defending business.
A long-time member of the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, Delaney has chaired and served on the chamber’s Government Relations Committee for 25 years and has frequently testified at the state capital in Hartford. “The reason I joined the chamber was to get involved with this committee,” Delaney says.
Big changes have come to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)—and it’s not good news for businesses.
For years, the NLRB, which oversees union organizing elections and investigates unfair labor practice charges for most private sector workers under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), had been deadlocked with one Republican and one Democratic member and three empty seats.
If timing is everything, Janine Popick will admit that her timing was bad—even horrible. Just as other Internet companies were closing their doors when the tech bubble burst in 2001, Popick was opening her email marketing firm, VerticalResponse in San Francisco.
The good news: the economic recovery remains on a sustainable, moderate course and should contribute to continued job growth.
The bad news: uncertainty caused by the U.S. government’s policies on taxes, regulations, energy development, and infrastructure investment, as well as the weak housing
As Congress prepares to tackle legislation reauthorizing the 10-year-old education reform bill known as No Child Left Behind, it must not turn back the clock to the days when billions of federal dollars were spent without any expectations for student results or return on taxpayers’ investment, U.S. Chamber officials warned.
The House passed the first of three Chamber-backed bills to ease restrictions on offshore oil drilling in an attempt to increase domestic supplies, create jobs, and stabilize gas prices.
An overwhelming majority of small business owners think the United States and the national economy are “on the wrong track,” and want Washington to “get out of the way,” according to the U.S. Chamber’s inaugural Small Business Outlook Survey.
The headline is a quote from small business owner Phil Kennedy, who runs his family’s business, Comanche Lumber Company, in Lawton, Oklahoma. Kennedy participated with Bill Miller, U.S. Chamber senior vice president of Political Affairs and Federation Relations, and Marty Regalia, senior vice pres
Businesses that use consumer friendly arbitration clauses in their contracts may face fewer class-action lawsuits due to a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in a case supported by the U.S. Chamber.
With the number of airline passengers expected to increase by 36% increase by 2015 and with huge increases in cargo as well, additional investment in the nation’s aviation infrastructure is essential, according to participants at the U.S. Chamber’s 10th Annual Aviation Summit.
All the world’s a stage for Stagecraft Industries. And if you’re watching a performance at a high school or local theater, there’s a good chance you’re seeing Stagecraft’s craft at work.
Regulatory abuse is occurring in a number of federal agencies. But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just might be the largest offender of them all, seeking to expand its powers and put forward big, aggressive, and expensive proposals that threaten economic growth and job creation.
The CEOs of Jet Blue Airways, U.S. Airways, FedEx Express, and Cessna Aircraft Co. said that their industry is looking for leadership from the president. “We need the president to embrace the aviation industry,” Jack Pelton, Chairman, President, and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company said at today’s 1
In 2011, Free Enterprise talked with the Wisconsin Congressman about addressing America's fiscal challenges.
UPDATED MAY 24, 2011: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on May 24, 2011, presented Red Frog Events with the 2011 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam’s Club®. The award honors the Chicago-based events company, which specializes in the active entertainment industry, for showcasing exemplary business practices in the areas of community involvement, employee development, and customer service.
Seven years ago, the U.S. Chamber brought together some 324 small business owners, state and local chamber executives, and association heads for a two-day event at Chamber headquarters in Washington, D.C. Today, America’s Small Business Summit is the business community’s premier annual small business event. And Gary Mabrey, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce serving Johnson City-Jonesborough-Washington County, Tennessee, has had a front row seat—and substantial role—in that evolution.
President Obama has made a push to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)—also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB)—and the U.S. Chamber is weighing in with a call for improved accountability for school systems, rewards for effective teachers, high standards for students, and real choices for students and parents.
Employers in hiring mode should not discount workers with disabilities, according to business leaders attending a half-day summit hosted by the U.S. Chamber and the US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®)
Congress can create tens of thousands of clean energy and energy efficiency jobs without spending any federal funds by streamlining the broken permitting process for new energy projects and better utilizing a government program to retrofit federal buildings with energy efficient equipment, says Bill Kovacs, U.S. Chamber senior vice president of Environment, Technology, and Regulatory Affairs.
President Obama’s plan to rein in the national debt includes raising taxes on successful small businesses.
If the United States is going to be competitive in the global economy, business leaders must step up and play a more forceful role in shaping the way science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is designed and delivered, according to a new U.S. Chamber report.
The U.S. Chamber applauded Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan, noting that it is an “important first step in bringing our deficit down and getting our fiscal house in order,” U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue said.
The nation’s trade agenda received a significant boost last week when U.S. and Colombia negotiators reached agreement on labor and judicial reforms that opens the door for congressional approval of the long-pending U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.
As regulators move aggressively to write and implement hundreds of regulations required by the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (also known as Dodd-Frank), the U.S. Chamber and businesses are urging them to “get it right,” and encouraging lawmakers not to ignore other pressing issues impacting capital markets competitiveness left unaddressed or caused by the legislation.
from NCLC
If the nation’s courts rule that the health care law’s individual mandate is unconstitutional, then the entire law becomes suspect and must be reexamined because it is impossible to sever the mandate from the rest of the law, according to a friend-of-the court brief filed April 4 by the U.S. Chamber's National Chamber Litigation Center (NCLC).
Congress has sent President Barack Obama the first piece of legislation officially repealing part of the health care law.
The president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy criticized President Obama’s remarks on energy security last week and called on Congress to reverse federal policies that have restricted development of America’s natural energy resources.
A one-time boost of some 750,000 net new jobs nationwide and the creation of some 50,000 new businesses every year could occur if every state were to achieve a perfect score on an employment regulation index released by the U.S. Chamber’s Workforce Freedom Initiative.
Former government employee and U.S. Army veteran Tony Jimenez had to overcome self-doubts and fears to start his own IT firm. “Everyone who starts a company tells you how hard it is, and everyone else talks about the failures. Those stories are everywhere. Success stories are more rare,” Jimenez says.
The successful construction of 351 energy projects stalled by legal and regulatory roadblocks could produce an immediate $1.1 trillion boost to the economy and create 1.9 million jobs annually, according to a new study. Over 20 years, the projects would add $3.4 trillion in GDP, including $1.4 trillion in employment earnings, and an additional one million or more jobs per year.
Testifying before Congress is surreal and exhausting, yet exhilarating, according to small business owner Bill Feinberg.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Feinberg, president of Allied Kitchen and Bath Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In February, Feinberg testified before the House Small Business Committee, explaining to the committee that the employer mandate in the health care law could keep his family company from growing and hiring more employees.
Because sources of business capital are so interconnected, over-regulating any one type of financing such as private equity or venture capital would have the unintended consequence of limiting financing for small businesses and consumers, according to a new U.S. Chamber report.
Federal agencies have been given a tremendous amount of discretion in issuing rules, regulations, and guidance documents with very few checks and balances, according to speakers at a recent U.S. Chamber event.
The March 22 event, Restoring Balance to the Regulatory Process, looked at the current regulatory environment and options for reform, bringing together government officials of current and past administrations, academic experts, and public policy advisors.
At a time when government agencies are spewing senseless regulations, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) appears to have gotten it right with a new set of regulations to amend the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Enforcement Guidance document, issued by the EEOC on March 24, restores a more appropriate interpretation of the ADA without imposing undue burdens on the business community, according to the Chamber.
At an event at the U.S. Chamber yesterday, Professor John Graham, former Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), drew back the curtain on the complex rule-making process and provided an insider's view of how regulat
U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue on March 15 announced the Chamber’s support for a national infrastructure bank to help finance the reconstruction and modernization of the nation’s aging infrastructure system.
In a sign that Congress is trying to reclaim its rightful authority from a fast encroaching Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a key House panel on March 16 passed a Chamber-supported bill to block the agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.
For the second year in a row, real estate issues was the leading nationwide service request among legal service plan members of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., in 2010.The 342,000 requests for the real estate-related legal service inquires represented approximately 16.2% of the total estimated 2.1 million legal service requests for 2010.The other top five legal service requests were:
Businesses Subject to Mandates, PenaltiesAs the harsh realities of the burdensome health care reform law begin to emerge, the U.S. Chamber and its small business members are ramping up efforts to repeal the entire law or, at the very least, its most troublesome provisions.
Small Businesses Improve Their CommunitiesSmall businesses may be struggling these days, but that hasn’t stopped them from supporting their local communities and those in need.Fine Earth, LLC—A Dream Come True Park“We strongly believe that being involved in our community is essential to the success of our business and the success of those around us,” says Chad Layman, owner of Fine Earth, LLC, a landscaping company in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
President Obama Talks of Shared ResponsibilityU.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters looms large behind President Barack Obama and his senior advisors as they walk back to the White House following the president’s speech at the Chamber on February 7, 2011. Official White House Photo: Pete Souza
A love of the mountains and the outdoors—along with a couple of donated commercial sewing machines—led Gary Schaezlein and his college friend and business partner Jeff Jones to start Western Mountaineering 40 years ago.
We at the Chamber think our President and CEO Tom Donohue is eminently quotable, but it’s always nice to see that other’s think so, too.
In an editorial published in Baking Management magazine, Robb MacKie, president and C.E.O., American Bakers Association discusses the new Congress and the need
A U.S. Chamber team of policy experts, lobbyists, and lawyers is leading the fight against the growing cascade of excessive health care, workplace and labor regulations.
Bills to repeal an onerous reporting mandate and reform the medical liability system each moved one step closer to a full vote after passing out of their respective House committees. The U.S. Chamber supports both bills.
Business and labor came together as U.S. Chamber President Tom Donohue and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka urged Congress to invest more in America’s infrastructure.
In sharp contrast to his call last month for a corporate tax overhaul and a better business environment, President Obama’s proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning in October calls for over a trillion dollars in tax increases for businesses of all sizes and sectors over the coming decade.PHOTO credit: (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Fight Online Theft from Global IP Center on Vimeo.
The U.S. Chamber is appealing to Congress to pass legislation that would provide more resources and personnel to go after websites dedicated to counterfeiting and piracy, also known as rogue websites.
Ahead of its trade trip to Colombia and Panama, the U.S. Chamber and its members called for action on pending trade agreements with the two countries, imploring the administration to show a “sense of urgency.”U.S. exports to Colombia and Panama have more than doubled over the past five years.
Following a nationwide dialogue with business and community leaders, the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy has unveiled a realistic, five-part energy plan that features a practical approach to the nation’s energy challenges.
In a widely anticipated speech to the U.S. Chamber, President Obama characterized the task of spurring job growth, innovation, and U.S. competitiveness as a shared responsibility between government and the private sector.The Chamber’s Tom Donohue greets President Obama before his speech at Chamber headquarters on February 7.
Concerned that some independent federal agencies were not included in President Obama’s recent executive order to review their regulations, Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue sent a letter to 13 agencies asking them to voluntarily review their books for unreasonable regulations.
Small businesses everywhere cheered as the Senate passed a U.S. Chamber-supported amendment that would repeal the 1099 reporting requirement contained in the 2010 health care reform law.
Regulations, Health Care Among PrioritiesU.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue delivered his annual State of American Business speech at Chamber headquarters on January 11, 2011. Following his remarks, Donohue and Bruce Josten, Chamber executive vice president for Government Affairs, fielded reporters’ questions on a range of issues. Below are excerpts of that press conference, edited for clarity and length.
Due in part to a strong lobbying and grassroots campaign orchestrated by the U.S. Chamber, Congress passed and President Obama signed into law a comprehensive tax package that stopped job-killing tax hikes scheduled for January 1, 2011.
With a laser-like focus on creating jobs in the United States, the U.S. Chamber is calling on Congress to quickly pass the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS).“This agreement will create thousands of new jobs, advance our national goal of doubling exports in five years, and demonstrate that America is once again ready to lead on trade,” Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue says about the most commercially significant trade agreement in nearly two decades.
The U.S. Chamber last week ramped up its efforts to move the nation closer to achieving a shared Chamber and administration goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015.
During his January 25 State of the Union address, President Obama offered a number of proposals designed to jumpstart the sluggish economy, create more U.S. jobs, and sharpen U.S. competitiveness. Below are the key proposals and the Chamber’s reaction.U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.Photo: Joshua Roberts/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Count restaurant owner Scott Womack among the many small business owners nationwide who say they can’t afford the steep fines and mandates loaded upon them by the new health care law.Restaurant owner Scott Womack urges Congress to repeal the employer mandate in the health care law during a House Ways and Means hearing on January 26.Photo: David Bohrer / © U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The head of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reassured members of the business community that a new federal agency created to protect consumers will not “devise new hoops for already stressed businesses to jump through.”
FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz discussed the new regulatory framework facing businesses at a National Chamber Foundation event on Jan. 20. Photo: Ian Wagreich
The U.S. Chamber last week welcomed President Obama’s push to roll back excessive regulations that could hinder economic growth and highlighted the need for further reform.
The House on January 19 pushed through legislation to repeal the 2010 health care reform law, which the U.S. Chamber says has discouraged job growth, increased costs, and put undue burdens on small businesses.
by Sheryll Poe Last week, I had the good fortune to interview newly sworn in Speaker of the House John Boehner in his new office. The interview was for the U.S. Chamber's monthly member magazine Free Enterprise and will be the cover story of our February issue. Speaker Boehner was a great host and
The U.S. Chamber is partnering with the Obama Administration to help provide small businesses with the access to capital and expertise they need to increase their exports and create American jobs.“Global Access provides financing tools to minimize the risk of exporting so more American small businesses can grow their companies and create new jobs,” says Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred Hochberg. Photo: Ian Wagreich
Just 24 hours after being sworn in as Speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) sat down with Free Enterprise staff writer Sheryll Poe to discuss repealing the health care law, cutting federal spending and taxes, and curtailing federal regulation.
Due to the tragedy in Arizona last weekend, the House has postponed its January 12 scheduled vote on legislation to repeal the health care reform law enacted last year.
A lawsuit against Oprah and President George W. Bush alleging that they implanted a camera into a woman with the intention of reincarnating her tops the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform’s (ILR) list of most ridiculous lawsuits of 2010 as chosen by respondents to the Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Year Poll.
As part of a new partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The Latino Coalition (TLC) will host a “B2B National Procurement Matchmaking” event during the 2011 America’s Small Business Summit that will connect hundreds of small business owners with procurement officers from government agencies and Fortune 500 companies.
Just before Christmas, Congress easily passed a bill strongly supported by the U.S. Chamber that will spare all Americans a tax increase in 2011.
U.S. Chamber Expands Agenda for a Nation at RiskVowing to work above the partisan fray in Washington, D.C., Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue put forth an agenda for the Chamber over the next three to five years that includes working with the administration and Congress to stem the rising tide of regulations, expand trade, and increase the voice of small business in Washington.Photo: Ian Wagreich
When it comes to participating in the electoral process, many state and local chambers remain on the sidelines for fear of upsetting members or creating political adversaries. But for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and its vice president of government and public affairs, Gene Barr, the 2010 elections were too important to keep quiet.
Pies & Plates is known for its tasty treats, especially its gooey butter cake, says owner Cindee Murphy. Photo: Ian Wagreich
No, the "cupcake challenge" is not an eating or cake decorating contest. The "cupcake challenge" refers to the challenge women entrepreneurs face when they have a "cute" business idea, such as a cupcake bakery or a line of baby bottles. Oftentimes, when these entrepreneurs go to the bank to get fina
No, the "cupcake challenge" is not an eating or cake decorating contest. The "cupcake challenge" refers to the challenge women entrepreneurs face when they have a "cute" business idea, such as a cupcake bakery or a line of baby bottles. Oftentimes, when these entrepreneurs go to the bank to get fin
"It is true of the nation, as of the individual, that the greatest doer must also be a great dreamer.” —Theodore RooseveltAs the grandson of an Italian immigrant and the first to attend college in his family, Michael MacNair, president and CEO of MacNair Travel in Alexandria, Virginia, says that he always knew he would end up in the travel industry. A lifelong love of travel led him to study Spanish and business in college and attend business school in Madrid.
Small businesses and their communities must partner together to prepare for disaster relief and recovery and economic development, according to panelists at the breakout session sponsored by the U.S. Chamber’s Business Civic Leadership Center here at America’s Small Business Summit. The session wa
“It is true of the nation, as of the individual, that the greatest doer must also be a great dreamer.” —Theodore RooseveltThe Lys transformed a small doughnut store that they bought in 1984 into a wholesale bakery with national and international distribution.
Small businesses can minimize the impact of H1N1 flu in the workplace by encouraging sick employees to stay home and by having a business continuity plan in place, according to small business CEO and U.S. Chamber Small Business Council member Harold Jackson.
An Interview With SBA Administrator Karen Mills As a Wall Street veteran and venture capitalist, Karen Mills may be the right person at the right time to lead the Small Business Administration. Sheryll Poe, uschamber.com staff writer, sat down with Mills to discuss the small business economic recovery effort.uschamber.com: How does your background as a venture capitalist translate into your duties at the SBA?
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will not support the Obama Administration’s suggestion to temporarily extend the current surface transportation funding bill instead of reauthorizing it, with greater investment, for a full six-year period, according to Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue.
A well-ma
Don Begneaud, Begneaud Manufacturing in Lafayette Louisiana, talks about the recession, and ramping up sales.
Andy Begneaud, Begneaud Manufacturing in Lafayette Louisiana, talks about building a workforce and cutting health care costs by creating understanding.
Joe Mateo from Magnus Environmental in Delaware, talks about a having a rough winter and creating a new product line in cleaner fuels. His best tip, keep on trying, think new, think different.
Ken Parham, from General Shale Brick, talks about developing new markets to fight the recession and seeing a glimmer of hope in housing.
At America's Small Business Summit James Artz from Amarillo talked about the economy and the need to keep costs down.
At America's Small Business Summit I had a chance to talk with Angela Wende from CETRA on dealing with the recession, staffing and finding new markets.
At America's Small Business Summit last week Sheryll Poe caught up with Mark Viator, President of Partnership Strategies in Southeast Texas.
Why exactly is Texas faring better than some? Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore, writing in the Wall Street Journal, have an idea:
Here's the problem for s
People who think the world trade agenda is on its last leg need not worry—there are plenty of items to discuss, according to panelists at today's "Next Steps for the American Trade Agenda" conference at Chamber headquarters - webcast here.
Chamber Senior Vice President Myron Brilliant moderated th
Taxes, Health Care Rank High Among PrioritiesFay Hobbs-Carter stopped offering health care insurance to her employees because of the expense.U.S. Chamber members cite taxes, health care, legal reform, and intellectual property as their top policy priorities, according to the results of the U.S. Chamber's biennial National Business Agenda survey.
The U.S. Chamber's Steven Law on Fox's Happening Now discussing the "Employee Free Choice Act"
No matter who wins the presidency, there will be change in the nation's labor policy, according to campaign advisors for Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama. William Kilberg, an advisor to McCain, and William Samuel, an advisor to Obama, outlined the differences in their candidate's labor proposals
The Chamber last week laid out before the House Small Business Committee a comprehensive list of tax code improvements that would encourage small business growth. Read the complete testimony and our letter to Chairwoman Velazquez.
Several of the Chamber’s recommendations were included in legislatio
by Sheryll PoeNo one wants an audit, and no one wants to be scammed. Well, the IRS has launched a campaign to educate self-employed and small business taxpayers about their federal tax responsibilities and help them avoid common pitfalls. They are offering tips for keeping good financial records, c
Representatives from environmental and business groups wrangled over the potential economic impact of controversial climate change legislation currently being considered by Congress during a panel discussion at the Chamber last Friday. The discussion, which included a keynote address by James L. Co
The Chamber’s small business members came out in full, and vocal, force during the "Marketing to Expand Your Business" breakout session at America's Small Business Summit.
The standing room-only crowd of business owners wowed marketing expert Beth Goldstein, an adjunct professor at Boston Universi
Health representatives from the three presidential campaigns traded barbs as they offered differing visions of the future of the U.S. health care system at the annual meeting of the U.S. Chamber’s Council on Small Business.
Dr. Nicole Lurie, representing Sen. Barack Obama’s (D) campaign, Dr. Gail
Wellness Programs Improve Your Bottom LineIn the face of rapidly rising health care costs, companies are coming up with innovative ways to lower their insurance costs while improving their employees' health.
