The clients of the USCC are the big international corporations and Wall Street. Collectively, they loathe Trump's MAGA agenda from immigration control to renegotiated trade deals to support of small businesses, and especially to the president taking on China.
Betrayal by the US Chamber of Commerce
Next to the presidential election, the focal point in November is on races for the House. Should the Republicans take control, power would be stripped from such dangerous people as Nancy Pelosi (speaker of the House), Adam Schiff (chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence) and Jerry Nadler (chairman of the House Judiciary Committee), thus preventing a continuation of the politics of personal destruction aimed at President Trump. Should the Democrats maintain their majority in the House, however, expect a rerun of 2016–2019.
Also, should the election results be contested or severely muddled, the composition of the House after January 2021 could well determine who gets the presidency under the Twelfth Amendment.
Given what is at stake, it is disheartening although not surprising to see the U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsing 23 Democrat candidates for the House. What makes this more galling is that these 23 are freshmen congressmen and considered highly vulnerable. This prompted House minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to swear off any USCC endorsement, saying: "It is hypocrisy that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce would endorse Democrats that are part of this socialist agenda that is driving this country out, and it's fighting the president."
There are several reasons why Tom Donohue's USCC is doing this. Kimberly Strassel of the Wall Street Journal speculates that it's a combination of a dubious strategy plus a bow to political correctness. On political correctness, the organization is under pressure from high-tech companies and Wall Street to focus on climate change, diversity, raising energy taxes, and the like. The Chamber's website already celebrates things like Black Lives Matter and Women's Equality Day. Endorsing these at-risk Democrats and possibly preventing a GOP takeover of the House is further proof that the Chamber is "woke."
As for the Chamber's strategic thinking, Strassel sees it as trying to make nice with swing-seat Democrats in the absurd hope they will reciprocate when it comes to voting on issues important to the USCC. Furious local members from around the country see the Chamber's leadership as being extremely gullible to think these Democrats will ever stand with business when the chips are down. They're right.
Although Strassel doesn't mention it, it's hard to believe that Donald Trump doesn't figure prominently in the Chamber's calculation. It will do anything to prevent the president's re-election, whatever the consequences to free markets, the country, and its own credibility. The clients of the USCC are the big international corporations and Wall Street. Collectively, they loathe Trump's MAGA agenda from immigration control to renegotiated trade deals to support of small businesses, and especially to the president taking on China.
What's likely to befall the USCC is this. It will alienate much of its local membership and the Republican Party. And when Trump wins in November, the USCC will become even a greater pariah in Washington than it is now. And for what? The vain hope the radical Dems might cooperate with its business agenda? Endorsing these 23 vulnerable Democrats was a foolish move by a foolish organization. It seems Joe Biden isn't the only one suffering from dementia. The 82-year-old Donohue might be as well.
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