United States Chamber of Commerce

The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is the largest lobbying group in the United States. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urging of President William Howard Taft and his Secretary of Commerce and Labor Charles Nagel. It was Taft's belief that the “government needed to deal with a group that could speak with authority for the interests of business”.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce claims to represent 3 million businesses and is funded primarily by multinational corporations.

The current president and CEO of the Chamber is Suzanne P. Clark. She previously worked in the Chamber from 1997 to 2007, and returned in 2014, holding multiple executive roles before being named the organization's first female CEO in February 2021.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was founded at a meeting of delegates on April 22, 1912. Two prior business engagements between the U.S. and Japan were an essential catalyst for the creation of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In 1908, Eiichi Shibusawa invited the first official, the modern day U.S. business delegation to visit Japan. This delegation was led by the prominent banker/economist Frank A. Vanderlip and sixty business representatives from the West coast states of California, Oregon, and Washington. The goal was to bridge their nations diplomatically and to promote increased business and commerce.

The idea of a national institution to represent the unified interests of U.S. business first took shape when President William Howard Taft, in a message to 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."

 In 1913, President Taft spoke at its first banquet at the Willard Hotel, where he called for the organization to lobby for comprehensive currency legislation and to support the Commission on Economy and Efficiency. During its first year in existence, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's membership consisted of 297 commercial organizations and 165,000 firms and individuals. The U.S. Chamber's staff grew drastically in just ten years of being created. In 1912, there were only four employees. However, by the time 1921 came along, the number of employees had risen to three hundred.

Throughout its history, the United States Chamber of Commerce promoted the nation's business and economy. The Chamber's first referendum in January 1913 called for the planning of a National Budget. This calling for a National Budget created The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921. From there, the Chamber worked to aid the U.S. Government during both World Wars and through the Great Depression. 

During the 1960s, the Chamber thought of the business community in a different way. They didn't have a World War to fight, however, a war against crime and poverty. 

During the oil crisis of 1973, the Chamber pushed for expanding domestic production. This entailed oil and gas exploration, as well as coal mining, and the Trans Alaska Pipeline. In 1981, the Chamber launched the Let's Rebuild America campaign to help support President Reagan's Economic Recovery and Tax Act. With increased globalization in the 1990s, the Chamber promoted expanding opportunities for the export of American goods and services in hopes of creating jobs for Americans.

Over 100 years later, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

One of the primary goals of the U.S. Chamber is to serve as a powerful voice for the business community. It advocates for policies that support free enterprise, innovation, and competitiveness, with a focus on reducing government regulations and barriers that may impede business growth. By engaging with policymakers and lawmakers at the federal, state, and local levels, the Chamber seeks to create an environment conducive to entrepreneurship and job creation.

The U.S. Chamber is also dedicated to advancing trade and global commerce. It believes in the importance of international markets for American businesses and works to expand opportunities for trade through initiatives such as the promotion of trade agreements, advocating for fair trade practices, and supporting American exports. This goal aligns with the Chamber's vision of ensuring that U.S. companies can compete effectively in the global marketplace.

The U.S. Chamber places a strong emphasis on innovation and economic prosperity. It strives to foster an environment where businesses can thrive, invest, and innovate. This includes advocating for pro-growth tax policies, investments in infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and a regulatory framework that encourages innovation. By championing these causes, the U.S. Chamber aims to strengthen the economic foundation of the United States, drive job creation, and enhance the overall well-being of the American people.

As of October 2010, the Chamber had a worldwide network of 115 American Chambers of Commerce affiliates located in 108 countries. The US Chamber says that a relative handful of the Chamber's 300,000 members are non-U.S.-based (foreign) companies. The Chamber has emerged as the largest lobbying organization in America. The Chamber's lobbying expenditures in 2018 were nearly 30 per cent larger than those of the second-biggest spender, the National Association of Realtors at $72.8 million.

The chamber of commerce's impact on the local economy can be difficult to measure. The Schapiro Group reports that once consumers know that a local business is a chamber member, they are more likely to patronize that business. For example, people were 49% more likely to buy insurance from an insurance company and 40% more likely to eat at a restaurant owned by chamber members.

Its endeavours have been focused the last few years on the Corporate Citizenship Center, a leading resource for businesses dedicated to making progress. The Center for Education and Workforce is the place for business leaders to tackle the most pressing education and workforce issues facing our country. 

Emerging Issues group helps the business community prepare for the future through events, research, and programs that educate the public about how the world is changing, and what those changes mean for employers, employees, and the broader community. Hiring Our Heroes is a nationwide initiative to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful employment opportunities.