Under Donohue, Chamber Became One of the Most Destructive Forces in American Politics
Statements of Public Citizen Experts
Note: Tom Donohue, who has run the U.S. Chamber of Commerce since 1997, will step down as president immediately and as CEO in 2022. Public Citizen runs the U.S. Chamber Watch program.
“Over the past several decades, under Tom Donohue’s leadership, the Chamber of Commerce has been one of the most destructive forces in American politics. It has served as a gun for hire, representing the most extreme demands of any corporate member and disserving both large and especially small business interests in a robust economy that works for all Americans. Nothing has been more harmful to business interests, the American people and the planet than its shameful opposition to policies to address the climate crisis. It would be great if the Chamber offered a mea culpa for the damage it has inflicted, but all signs suggest its purported effort to become more bipartisan is a tactical move only, not a real shift in orientation.”
– Robert Weissman, president
“Tom Donohue’s legacy is cementing the Chamber of Commerce as a partisan, megacorporation-driven entity. His election spending and policy choices have pulled the Chamber far from the ‘mom and pop’ small business the Chamber of Commerce purports to represent.”
– Lisa Gilbert, vice president of legislative affairs