CH A MB E R O F CO M ME R C E
O F T H E
UN IT E D ST A T E S OF AM E R IC A
October 15, 2009
To:
President’s Advisory Group and National Account Members
From:
David Chavern
We understand that you may have received e-mails, letters and others communications from
various groups asking your company to withdraw its support from the Chamber.
Please note that these calls against the Chamber are part of a broad-based, multi-source
campaign against us being carried out by our normal adversaries – trial lawyers, activist
unions, environmental extremists, etc. It is a “corporate campaign” in the classic sense,
where interest groups are looking for public leverage to force us to do things against our
members’ interests. (In fact, we are going to be sending you some additional information in
the near future about the scope and objectives of this campaign.) Frankly, these efforts are
simply the result of how effective we have been in opposing Card Check, as well as certain
aspects of proposed healthcare, capital market and climate change legislation.
Our efforts to fix these key pieces of legislation are not going to stop – business needs health
care reform that focuses on reducing costs, we need (as our Capital Markets Commission
Report over two years ago called for) modernization of financial regulation across-the-board,
and we need and continue to call for comprehensive climate change legislation.
The Chamber also intends to continue being successful, so we expect the negative messages
to your company may continue. In all circumstances, I and other Chamber staff are available
to provide you with more background on our policy positions, along with help in any
responses that might be warranted. I do apologize, though, for any annoyance and
inconvenience these efforts against us might cause you.
Thank you very much for your continued support.
Please let Tom Donohue or me know if you have any questions or comments.
Many thanks -- David
David Chavern
Chief Operating Officer
US Chamber of Commerce
(202) 463-3101
dchavern@uschamb