United States Chamber of Commerce

Not to be confused with United States Department of Commerce.

United States Chamber of Commerce
FoundedApril 22, 1912; 112 years ago (1912-04-22)
FounderCharles Nagel
Typebusiness association & advocacy group
53-0045720[1]
Legal status501(c)(6)[1]
Location
MethodPolitical lobbying, public relations
Suzanne P. Clark
SubsidiariesUS Chamber of Commerce Foundation 501(c)(3),
National Chamber Foundation 501(c)(3)
Revenue (2015)
$174,119,090[1]
Expenses (2015)$175,893,100[1]
Employees470[1] (in 2015)
Websitewww.uschamber.com Edit this at Wikidata

The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is a business association advocacy group. It 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.[2][3] It was Taft's belief that the "government needed to deal with a group that could speak with authority for the interests of business."[4]

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce claims to represent three million businesses, but this claim is often contested.[5] It is funded primarily by multinational corporations.[5][6]

The current president and CEO of the Chamber is Suzanne P. Clark.[7] She worked for USCC from 1997 to 2007[8] and returned in 2014, holding multiple executive roles before being named its first female CEO in February 2021.[9][10][11][12]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Chamber of Commerce of the USA. Guidestar. December 31, 2015.
  2. ^ Judis, John B. (2001). The Paradox of American Democracy: Elites, Special Interests, and the Betrayal of Public Trust. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-415-93026-0.
  3. ^ Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs. "U.S. Chamber of Commerce". 2001-2009.state.gov. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  4. ^ Lamb, Karl A. (1971). The People, Maybe: Seeking Democracy in America. Wadsworth Publishing Company.
  5. ^ a b "Top lobbyists in the US". Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  6. ^ Lipton, Eric; McIntire, Mike; Jr, Don Van Natta (October 21, 2010). "Top Corporations Aid U.S. Chamber of Commerce Campaign". The New York Times. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  7. ^ Stych, Anne (February 11, 2021). "Suzanne Clark named CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  8. ^ Hohmann, James; Hamburger, Tom. "Chamber announces Clark as new president; Donohue to remain as CEO". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  9. ^ Gangitano, Alex (June 5, 2019). "Chamber of Commerce top aide takes over as president". The Hill. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  10. ^ "Suzanne Clark". U.S. Chamber of Commerce. May 20, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  11. ^ "Suzanne P Clark, Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America: Profile and Biography". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  12. ^ Hamburger, Tom. "Chamber of Commerce elevates first woman to CEO role". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 19, 2021.