Why it's Time to Fight the U.S Chamber of Commerce

The U.S. CHAMBER Infographic: Why it's time to fight the U.S. Chamber of Commerce DOESN'T SPEAK FOR ME What is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce? The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a corporate front group. It spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year to sway politicians and it's The Chamber blocking every attempt to gets 55% of its funding from 16 make progress on climate. anonymous Tom Donahue, President & CEO corporate donors $132,000,000 The amount the U.S. Chamber spent on lobbying in 2010. That's more than the second, third and fourth largest lobbying groups combined. 94% Of the $32 million the U.S. Chamber spent on the 2010 midterm election, 94% went to candidates who are to climate deniers climate deniers. And this isn't the first time the U.S. Chamber has been wrong: ACCESSIBLE World War II McCarthyism Civil Rights Disabled Rights Clean Air The Chamber fought against U.S. involvement perpetuating in WWI. ..tried to defeat the Clean Air Act and undermine ..joined Joseph .lobbied McCarthy in against key planks of the Civil Rights Act. ..opposed the passage of the Americans with the Red scare. Disabilities Act. the EPA. Why take on the Chamber Now? The Chamber is vulnerable. The U.S. Chamber's power comes from a claim that it Number of represents 3 million local businesses, but it doesn't. businesses the U.S. 3,000,000 Chamber claims to represent Businesses like Apple, Nike and Microsoft are leaving their positions within the U.S. Chamber, and local chambers of commerce in Seattle, New Number that the U.S. Chamber actually represents 200,000 York and San Francisco are umber that provide the majority of the U.S. Chamber's cutting their ties, too. 16 The Chamber is on the run. funding Now's the time to turn up the heat. How do we stop the Chamber? By proving that it doesn't speak for American STEP 1: Talk to small businesses. business. When hundreds of local chambers of commerce and thousands of small businesses speak out, the U.S. Chamber wili be exposed for what it is: a STEP 2: corporate front group. Get businesses to talk to their local chamber of commerce If it can't claim to "speak for American business," the U.S. Chamber's political power will be greatly weakened. So now's the time. Go to STEP 3: chamber.350.org and help Get local chambers to split with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce businesses across the country declare "The U.S. Chamber Doesn't Speak For Me!" Let's get started: Go to chamber.350.org The U.S. CHAMBER 350.org DOESN'T SPEAK FOR ME Sources: ThinkProgress. http://thinkprogress.org/2010/11/23/uschamber-obama/ Rolling Stone, Jan. 19, 2011. "12 Politicians and Execs Blocking Progress on Global Warming." http://rolingstone.com http://www.fixtheuschamber.org/sites/default/files/a_u.s._chamber_watch_report_-_november_2010.pdf Mother Jones, 10/14/09 http://motherjones.com/mojo/2009/10/yo-chamber-commerce-you-speakin-me