The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today announced the launch of a new State and Local Policy Initiative to work in coordination with state and local chamber partners on issues of national significance.
To lead the Initiative, the Chamber has tapped the former Parliamentarian of the U.S. House of Representatives, Tom Wickham. Tom's 25-year tenure in the House provides him with deep knowledge of a very broad set of issues and a strong track record of working with political leaders in both parties. He will join the U.S. Chamber as Senior Vice President for State and Local Policy.
“From data privacy to worker classification to discriminatory taxes to energy regulation, increasingly, policy issues of significant importance to the business community are migrating from statehouse to state house and from the federal government to state governments and vice-versa," said Tom Wickham, Senior Vice President for State and Local Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Many of these policies have outsized impact on the national economy and even local governments are considering policies that have implications well beyond their borders. This new initiative will improve strategic coordination, collaboration, and information sharing to help advance pro-business policy and stop policy that undermines the free enterprise system and job creation, irrespective of where those policies are under consideration.”
The State and Local Policy Initiative will:
- Identify top offensive and defensive priorities on issues of national significance that are being considered at the state or local level
- Serve as a resource, especially concerning policy and communications, to state and local chamber partners as they engage on high priority issues
- Offer high-level insight on state-specific policy issues to members
- Provide national attention to state policy trends
- Connect members who operate in multiple states to our state and local chamber partners
- Coordinate unified responses to state-level policies that pose national threats, such as the A.B. 5 independent contractor law in California.
As a nonpartisan House official for over 25 years, whose expertise is recognized by leaders of both parties, Wickham provided essential guidance to leadership, committees, and members as part of the development and execution of legislative strategy. In leading an office that reviewed every measure that came before the House, he commanded a broad range of subject matters covering all aspects of government policy. Wickham counseled speakers of the House, vice presidents, and countless members of Congress on their constitutional and statutory responsibilities during numerous high-profile legislative events. Wickham’s experience and deep policy knowledge will be put to good use as the Chamber’s State and Local Policy Initiative leader.
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