Demanding that legislative logjams be overcome, U.S. Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Thomas Donohue recently urged Congress to advance reforms for health care, taxes and infrastructure spending.
Urging in an open letter that “Promises were made; promises must be kept,” Donohue called on legislative leaders to encourage consensus.
“In … addition to looking for candidates who support free enterprise, we will be focusing on individuals with a demonstrated willingness to govern,” he said in a reference to midterm elections.
The letter made clear that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce plans to assess 2018 congressional hopefuls according to their support of free enterprise and their efforts in advancing tax reforms. In addition, the chamber will reach out to relevant businesses, grassroots groups and other nationwide constituents, Donohue said.
“We are a quarter of the way through this Congress, but we are not yet where we need to be on key issues like health care, tax reform and rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure,” the letter stated in part. “Promises were made; promises must be kept.”
He argued that gridlock was not a partisan problem. “The problem isn’t just on the left, the right, or the center," Donohue said. "It spans the political spectrum.”
Donohue’s letter concluded with a warning for elected officials in Washington, D.C.: “Failure is not an option.” It was addressed both to current members of Congress and to candidates.
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