U.S. Chamber’s 2022 Accomplishments on Behalf of Business

On January 11, 2022, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual State of American Business event, where we explored the year’s theme: Competition for the Future.

As we get ready for another year of advocating for the American Business community, we wanted to take the time to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year. Here is how we have led American business community in the competition for global leadership, talent, ideas, and a better business environment.

Throughout 2022, the U.S. Chamber has advocated in Congress for federal policies that allow businesses to support jobs, growth, and opportunity.

We defeated the original “Build Back Better” reconciliation effort and successfully lobbied members of the House and Senate to reject $2.6 trillion in harmful tax increases from the final bill.

We have held agency heads and regulators accountable, challenging overreach and defending the rule of law at every turn, in every agency, and with every tool at our disposal.

Across the country, we have influenced debates on key issues alongside our state and local chamber partners. 

Meanwhile, we’ve also continued to advance our competition agenda and advocate across the core themes we discussed during State of American Business.

Competition in the Marketplace

Competition in the marketplace brings the best ideas to life and to people and communities everywhere. But despite the clear innovation, resilience, and dynamism of our economy, we have some leaders who think the government needs to step in and impose a heavy hand.

The U.S. Chamber has fought back and advocated for the policies businesses need to do all the things society trusts, expects, and needs them to do.

Defended competition and pushed back against government overreach in the courts.

• Suing the FTC for unlawfully withholding public records, seeking accountability and transparency from the agency.
• Suing the SEC to stop its reversal of a 2020 proxy advisor rule, the result of which would create disincentives for companies to go, and stay, public. 

Released a study demonstrating that industrial concentration in the U.S. is declining—not increasing—debunking the myth that underpins the anti-competitive agenda some in the administration and Congress are pursuing.

Launched social media and ad campaigns to rein in rogue regulators.

• 5.8 million
  Ad impressions highlighting the FTC’s anti-competitive agenda
• 2.7 million
  Ad impressions exposing the CFPB’s agenda to radically change the nature of the financial services industry

Competition for Global Leadership

Competition for global leadership pushes us to engage with the world for our own security and prosperity and to lead in the world for its advancement. Many of the most pressing challenges confronting businesses right now have not existed in the modern economic era—let alone all at once.

The U.S. Chamber has advocated around the world to help the American business community navigate this volatile global environment.

Helped secure bipartisan passage of the CHIPS and Science Act in Congress to increase semiconductor manufacturing capacity in the United States.

• 240
  State and local chambers and business associations rallied by the Chamber to urge Congress to swiftly act on CHIPS Act.

Convened business and government leaders from across the country and around the world.

Hosted 50 heads of state and government and hundreds of minister- and ambassador- rank officials during:  

• State of American Business: Drew 17,000+ registrants representing all 50 states and nearly 150 countries 
• The Chamber’s Global Forum: Engaged thousands of business and government leaders from 125 countries  

• CEO Summit of the Americas: Convened a dozen heads of state and 500 business leaders from across the hemisphere 
• India Ideas Summit: Featured a dozen Cabinet ministers and hundreds of C-suite executives seeking ways to expand bilateral commerce 
• COP27 in Egypt: Engaged with international leaders to underscore the critical role of business innovation in addressing climate change 
• Transatlantic Business Works Summit: Featured an array of U.S. and European officials and business leaders 
• U.S.-Africa Business Forum: Brought together U.S. and African heads of state and business leaders to advance trade and investment partnerships and bolster the continent’s tremendous potential for innovation and entrepreneurship

The CEO Summit of the Americas included 13 heads of state and 500+ business and government leaders from across the Western Hemisphere. On the U.S. side, notable guests included:

• President Joe Biden 
• Vice President Kamala Harris 
• Secretary of State Antony Blinken 
• Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra 
• And former Secretary of State John Kerry 

The Chamber Global Forum brought together thousands of participants from 125 countries. Notable guests included:

• President of Senegal and Chair of the African Union Macky Sall 
• President of Ecuador Guillermo Lasso 
• Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo 
• And heads of the OECD and WTO 

Advocated for our members with high-level meetings in more than 20 countries, including in:

• Germany, representing the American business community at the B7 meeting in Berlin 
• Egypt, bringing more than 70 executives from nearly 40 American companies to explore investment opportunities in GreenTech  
• Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, bringing two dozen executives together with government leaders from the region for meetings and investment forums 
• Mexico, holding bilateral meetings with AmCham partners and national business and government leaders 
• Bangladesh, leading 36 executives from more than 20 companies to meet with the prime minister and more than a dozen cabinet officials and government leaders 
• Brazil and Colombia, hosting bilateral meetings with AmCham partners and business leaders

Coordinated the business community’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and advocated for increased domestic energy production for the U.S. and our allies.

• $1 Billion+
  Private-sector aid to Ukraine tracked through the Chamber Foundation’s Corporate Aid Tracker.

• Led the call for our federal leaders to stop thinking about energy policy as a binary choice between domestic energy production and climate mitigation.

Led calls for the administration to reduce tariffs and embrace a market-opening trade agenda.

• Highlighted the costs tariffs impose on American families.
• Advocated for our federal leaders to pursue agreements with new trade partners to support and grow the 40 million American jobs that depend on trade.

Competition for Talent

Competition for talent has become mission critical for every type of business and our economy. Simply put, failing to address the worker shortage and close the skills gap means less economic growth and a lower standard of living for all Americans.

The U.S. Chamber is addressing the immediate challenge of filling open jobs and helping build the workforce of tomorrow with people who have the right skills.

• 1,800+
  Media mentions for our workforce content
• 1.4M+
  Shares of our workforce content

Launched 10 new data centers to identify the scale and causes of the worker shortage and mobilize business and government to swiftly address the crisis. 

• The America Works Data Center captures the trends on job openings, labor force participation, quit rates, and more.
• The Immigration Data Center demonstrates how our woefully inadequate immigration system is contributing to our workforce struggles.

Educated lawmakers and the public on the severity of the worker shortage and actionable solutions.

• Published unique employer roadmaps for businesses to discover solutions to common workforce challenges, including childcare solutions and second chance hiring programs.

Implemented innovative new solutions to help businesses overcome the worker shortage crisis.

• Held 19 in-person and 95 virtual events through the Chamber Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes initiative to get veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses into the workforce.
• Piloted a virtual TPM Co/Lab to deliver the Chamber Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management Academy in a virtual format, driving partnerships with education and training providers.
• Generated 20+ blogs, guides, and articles providing insights on childcare, immigration, second chance hiring, innovative benefits, and more, with coverage in 168 local and national media stories. 

Competition of Ideas

Competition of ideas fosters the civil discourse and constructive exchange of views that lead to common ground and real solutions. Too often, however, consequential debates are dominated by the extremists because they are the loudest and most outrageous and drown out the many voices of reason.

The U.S. Chamber’s number one goal this election cycle was to grow the ranks of business champions who advance pro-growth policies that move the American economy forward.

Unveiled our reimagined voter education program to support pro-business candidates and identify voters who share our economic priorities.

• Conducted nearly 160 interviews or meetings this cycle with candidates seeking the Chamber’s support.
• Held 52 in-district events and endorsed 26 Republicans and 4 Democrats in key House toss-up races, boosting their campaigns through events with local businesses and chamber partners, earned media, and other support.
• Ran voter education campaigns in more than 15 priority races and refreshed and updated our national “Chamber constituent” predictive analytics program to further enhance all advocacy efforts for targeting and grassroots engagement.
• 70+ of our pro-business endorsed candidates were elected or reelected to the Senate or House of Representatives.
• Launched our inaugural Free Enterprise Forum, inviting future freshmen members of Congress for policy and leadership discussions on key business issues critical in the next legislative session.

Unveiled new initiatives to increase civics education.

• Launched the Civics Trust through the Chamber Foundation to increase civic literacy, skills, and participation in schools, workplaces, and communities.
• Announced the inaugural Chamber Foundation's Democracy Forward Summit, taking place in December, to highlight the private sector’s role in shaping the future of our democracy.
• Held the inaugural National Civics Bee, where nearly 1,000 middle school students participated in competitions across Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, New Mexico, and Texas.

Increased the U.S. Chamber’s thought leadership in emerging industries and on top business priorities.

• 20 Million
  Reached approximately 20 million people through the Chamber Foundation’s Path Forward program in 2022, where President and CEO Suzanne Clark spoke with experts on practical recommendations to help businesses of all sizes and sectors navigate challenges and disruptions stemming from the pandemic.

• Launched the bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Commission, which held hearings across the U.S. and in the UK to address how the U.S. can lead the world in the adoption of AI technologies and enact sound regulations to harness its potential.
• Released a nationwide survey and economic analysis showing how technology platforms are critical to small business growth—and that small businesses that utilize technology outperform their peers and are more optimistic about the future.
• Unveiled the Small Business Bill of Rights summarizing the basic rights business owners in America require and calling for the policies to support America’s 32.5 million small businesses.

Competition for a Better Business Environment

Competition for a better business environment is what drives the U.S. Chamber in our work to help our members serve customers, solve problems, and strengthen society.

From preserving the rule of law and fostering a healthy legal climate to advocating for policies that grow the economy and fighting back against a nationwide increase in crime, the U.S. Chamber is helping create the conditions businesses need to improve society and people’s lives.

Highlighted the impact of inflation on businesses and called for immediate steps to provide relief.

• Defeated the original “Build Back Better” reconciliation effort and successfully lobbied members of the House and Senate to reject $2.6 trillion in harmful tax increases from the final bill, including provisions that would have raised the corporate and personal tax rates, taxed capital gains at personal income rates, established a global minimum tax, and imposed a tax increase on pass-through businesses.
• Pushed back against efforts by policymakers and the administration to blame businesses for inflation.
• Urged policymakers to focus on expanding domestic energy production, growing the workforce, eliminating tariffs, and increasing the housing supply as ways to reduce supply-side inflationary pressures.
• Penned comments, letters, articles, and op-eds providing facts around inflation and highlighting opportunities for the administration and Congress to address the root causes.

Gave the business community an impactful voice in the courts.

• 3,000 amicus briefs filed—a new milestone over the Chamber Litigation Center’s history
• 7 victories in the Supreme Court
• 17 mentions in opinions or oral arguments
• 30+ moot courts to help our members prepare and win

Defended the rule of law and strengthened the legal system.

• 80+ anti-arbitration provisions defended against this Congress.
• Advocated for fairer enforcement practices by the U.S. Department of Justice.
• Argued for the European Parliament to advance safeguards against the third-party litigation funding industry.
• ILR’s voter education program secured key victories in six state attorney general races and seven State Supreme Court races in the midterm elections.

• 8
  Major state legislative victories secured
• 12
  Significant liability-expanding state proposals blocked

Shaped key debates as the 117th Congress came to a close.

• Successfully called on Congress to avert a catastrophic rail strike that would have cost our economy $2 billion per day.
• Secured enactment of various legislative priorities:
• Prevented Congress from enacting antitrust legislation that would have expanded the powers of federal regulatory agencies, including the FTC.

Led the fight against organized retail theft and crimes and proposed actionable solutions.

• Successfully advocated for legislation to be included in the end-of-year spending bill to stop the sale of stolen goods on online marketplaces, update the definition of organized retail crime, and increase criminal penalties.
• Launched a national campaign calling attention to the growing problem and how to fix it.
• Ran TV ads in key states ahead of the election.
• Established uschamber.com as the number one source on how to combat organized retail theft and launched a social day of action involving local chambers and businesses from around the country.

Looking Ahead: 2023 State of American Business

This is just a snapshot of some of the ways the U.S. Chamber has advocated on behalf of the businesses we serve.

Across our 300+ policy priorities, we are working every day to preserve competition and protect the free enterprise system that has made the U.S. economy dynamic, diverse, resilient, and strong.

Join us for the 2023 State of American Business on Thursday, January 12, 2023. Register here.​