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United States Chamber of Commerce
| United States Chamber of Commerce | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 501(c)(6) |
| Year founded: | 1912 |
| Website: | Official website |
The United States Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership organization that aims to advocate for pro-business policies at the federal level. The organization is based in Washington, D.C., and has seven regional offices across the country. Members include businesses, local chambers of commerce, trade and professional associations and organizations representing American business interests abroad.[1][2]
Background
According to its website as of August 2025, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said its mission was to advocate "for policies that help businesses create jobs and grow our economy."[1]
The group was established in 1912, when President William Howard Taft asked for a group of business community representatives to work with the government on business affairs.[2] The organization's initial work concerned infrastructure and transportation, with the group supporting the creation of the Federal Trade Commission in April 1914. During the Great Depression, the organization supported the Revenue Act of 1938. After World War II, they supported further infrastructure development, advocating the creation of the U.S. Department of Transportation in 1966.[2]
In 1994, the organization supported the signing and implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) after what the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called one of the "most extensive grassroots communications and lobbying campaigns in its history."[2] According to the Chamber of Commerce's website, the group began lobbying the federal government in 1997. Their website said that the group's "primary mission is to win legislative victories for business on Capitol Hill."[2]
Leadership
As of August 2025, Suzanne P. Clark was the president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Neil Bradley was executive vice president, chief policy officer and head of strategic advocacy.[3]
For a full list of members of the Board of Directors as of August 2025, click here.
Work and activities
Legislative and lobbying activities
The Chamber has advocated for public policy initiatives in the following issue areas, according to its website:[4]
- Antitrust
- Climate Change
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Economy
- Employment Policy
- Energy
- Environment and Sustainability
- Finance
- Health Care
- Immigration
- Improving Government
- Infrastructure
- Intellectual Property
- International
- Lawsuits
- Regulations
- Retirement
- Security and Resilience
- Small Business
- Space
- Tariffs
- Taxes
- Technology
- The Business of Diversity
- Travel
- Workforce
The Chamber's 2025 priorities included reducing federal government regulation, helping business participate in the global economy and keeping policies enacted in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2018 in place.[5]
In 2024, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $76,380,000 on lobbying expenditures in the U.S. Congress, according to data compiled by OpenSecrets.[6]
Political activity
2024 elections
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce PAC spent $518,764 during the 2023-24 election cycle, according to OpenSecrets.[7]
2020 elections
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed a number of incumbent U.S. House members for re-election in 2020, including 23 first-term House Democrats.[8] CNN reported this was "the largest number of House Democrats the Chamber has endorsed in at least over a decade."[8] House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said at the time that "it is hypocrisy that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce would endorse these Democrats that are part of this socialist agenda that is driving this country out and is fighting this president."[9] After the election, the U.S. Chamber said on its website that "the ideas and policies Members of Congress support are what matter, not the party designation after their names."[10]
2018 elections
Endorsement of Mary Glassman (D) in CT-5
The day before the August 14 Democratic primary for Connecticut's 5th Congressional District, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Mary Glassman over Jahana Hayes. According to the Daily Kos, this was the first time the U.S. Chamber had endorsed a candidate in a Democratic primary since it backed U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) in 2010.[11]
2016 elections
Donald Trump trade speech
After a speech from Donald Trump on June 28, 2016 regarding international trade deals, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said on Twitter that "under Trump's trade plans, we would see higher prices, fewer jobs, and a weaker economy," and pointed to the positive aspects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the potential benefits of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).[12]
Trump responded to the Chamber's criticism by reasserting his opposition to NAFTA and the TPP. "They’re a special interest that wants to have the deals that they want to have,” said Trump at a rally in Maine the following day. "They want to have TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, one of the worst deals, and it’ll be the worst deal since NAFTA.”[13]
Save the Senate initiative
The Chamber introduced the Save the Senate initiative in May 2016 in order to boost fundraising for Republican candidates and maintain a Republican majority in the United States Senate. The initiative attempted to bolster candidates at the congressional level. The Wall Street Journal identified the following Republican leaders in the Save the Senate movement:[14][15]
- Former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney
- Former Governor of Florida Jeb Bush
- Former Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina
- Former Governor of Mississippi Haley Barbour
- Former U.S. Senator Bob Dole
- Former Republican National Committee chairman Mel Martinez
- Former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman
Amicus brief activity
The U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, a nonprofit affiliated entity of the United States Chamber of Commerce, files amicus curiae briefs in courts throughout the country. The group files amicus briefs "representing the broad views of the business community in important litigation throughout the country,"[16]
According to the organization's website, the Chamber filed amicus briefs in the following U.S. Supreme Court cases in 2025:
| Amicus briefs filed by the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center in the U.S. Supreme Court, 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2025[17] | ||
| ||
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's revenues and expenses for the 2019 to 2023 fiscal years, according to documents submitted to the Internal Revenue Service and compiled by ProPublica.[18]
| Tax Year | Total Revenue | Total Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $196,544,960 | $197,575,321 |
| 2022 | $209,504,516 | $207,053,672 |
| 2021 | $203,890,689 | $191,533,816 |
| 2020 | $229,706,305 | $169,020,709 |
| 2019 | $173,180,785 | $171,209,864 |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms United States Chamber Commerce. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce homepage
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Facebook
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Twitter
- FreeEnterprise.com homepage
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation homepage
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "About," accessed August 18, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "USCC Timeline," accessed August 18, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "Leadership," accessed August 18, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "Topics," accessed August 18, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "State of American Business 2025: All Business Is Local," accessed August 18, 2025
- ↑ OpenSecrets , "U.S. Chamber of Commerce," accessed August 18, 2025
- ↑ OpenSecrets , "PAC Profile: U.S. Chamber of Commerce," accessed August 18, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 CNN , "Pro-business Chamber of Commerce is backing 23 vulnerable House Democratic freshmen for reelection," September 1, 2020
- ↑ NPR , "Nation's Largest Business Lobby Backs Vulnerable Democrats For Reelection," September 19, 2020
- ↑ U.S. Chamber of Commerce , "The Facts About the Chamber’s Political Endorsements," May 3, 2021
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Morning Digest: The surest way for indicted GOP congressman to get off the ballot? Plead guilty," August 14, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Chamber of Commerce rips Trump's trade speech in real time," June 28, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Donald Trump Assails U.S. Chamber of Commerce Over Trade," June 29, 2016
- ↑ Market Watch, "U.S. Chamber of Commerce launches ‘Save the Senate’ bid," May 31, 2016
- ↑ Newsmax, "US Chamber of Commerce to raise money for Senate races," May 31, 2016
- ↑ https://www.uschamber.com/program/us-chamber-litigation-center/what-we-do U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, "About," accessed August 18, 2025]
- ↑ U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, "Case Search," accessed August 18, 2025
- ↑ ProPublica, "Chamber Of Commerce Of The United States Of America," accessed August 25, 2025
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