Page 19 - THE SOUTH CHINA BUSINESS JOURNAL
P. 19
icle by Michelle Russo, On the
Chief Communications changing
Officer, U.S. Chamber of culture in
Commerce Washington…
On the us “One of the things that made
chamber's work this more difficult is all the rules,”
with the trump Donohue explained. “The House,
administration… the Senate and the White House
all have 300 to 400 pages of rules of
To be sure, the Chamber still how people can have lunch together,
has many areas of common who can run a party, whether you
ground with Trump and can eat with a fork or a toothpick. ...
congressional Republicans. It has made it more difficult. It used
They’re very happy with the to be that you go fight up on the Hill
president’s judicial nominees and ... and then, at 8 o'clock, everybody
the tax cuts, and officials have finishes and somebody would say,
good relationships with many ‘Let's go get a hamburger and a beer.’
people inside the administration. We don't do that anymore!
And they’re still looking to work “We miss the camaraderie and the
with Trump even on areas where ability to do that sort of thing, and
they’re not really in agreement, ... I think it would be better if we
such as immigration. had a little more flexibility here – if
we treated people a little more like
they're honest brokers and they're
honest representatives and they're
not out to try to lie, cheat and steal.
I think better of the members of the
Congress. … It's just really silly.”
skewed the ratings so that it’s On the US $68 million in revenue, $11 million of
hard for Democrats to get good CHAMBER'S debt, and 279 employees. Audited
numbers. This year the Chamber growth… revenue numbers provided by the
is adding two other components. group for the past 15 years show that
One relates to sponsoring annual revenue has fluctuated in a
something the business band between $202 million and $270
community supports. The other million over the past decade.
relates to sponsoring bills across
party lines..." The Chamber, which has 499 “I've now been here 22 years, and
full-time employees, reports a 95 we have gone through stages, like
“If anybody here ever thought percent renewal rate among member any company or any organization,”
of themselves as working for a companies that pay $100,000 or more Donohue said. “In the beginning,
partisan place, they should stop,” in annual dues. it was trying to stabilize the
said Suzanne Clark, the president organization that had gone through
of the Chamber. Last year, the Chamber reports some challenges. Then we went
taking in $233 million of revenue through a period where we began
Chamber leaders say and ending the year with no debt. vigorous growth. Now we're going
they hope these changes Donohue, who is in his early 80s, has into the next period where we’re
lead to more Democratic led the group since 1997. The year looking to the future.”
congressional endorsements in he took over, the Chamber reported
2020 and beyond.
South China Business Journal 16
Chief Communications changing
Officer, U.S. Chamber of culture in
Commerce Washington…
On the us “One of the things that made
chamber's work this more difficult is all the rules,”
with the trump Donohue explained. “The House,
administration… the Senate and the White House
all have 300 to 400 pages of rules of
To be sure, the Chamber still how people can have lunch together,
has many areas of common who can run a party, whether you
ground with Trump and can eat with a fork or a toothpick. ...
congressional Republicans. It has made it more difficult. It used
They’re very happy with the to be that you go fight up on the Hill
president’s judicial nominees and ... and then, at 8 o'clock, everybody
the tax cuts, and officials have finishes and somebody would say,
good relationships with many ‘Let's go get a hamburger and a beer.’
people inside the administration. We don't do that anymore!
And they’re still looking to work “We miss the camaraderie and the
with Trump even on areas where ability to do that sort of thing, and
they’re not really in agreement, ... I think it would be better if we
such as immigration. had a little more flexibility here – if
we treated people a little more like
they're honest brokers and they're
honest representatives and they're
not out to try to lie, cheat and steal.
I think better of the members of the
Congress. … It's just really silly.”
skewed the ratings so that it’s On the US $68 million in revenue, $11 million of
hard for Democrats to get good CHAMBER'S debt, and 279 employees. Audited
numbers. This year the Chamber growth… revenue numbers provided by the
is adding two other components. group for the past 15 years show that
One relates to sponsoring annual revenue has fluctuated in a
something the business band between $202 million and $270
community supports. The other million over the past decade.
relates to sponsoring bills across
party lines..." The Chamber, which has 499 “I've now been here 22 years, and
full-time employees, reports a 95 we have gone through stages, like
“If anybody here ever thought percent renewal rate among member any company or any organization,”
of themselves as working for a companies that pay $100,000 or more Donohue said. “In the beginning,
partisan place, they should stop,” in annual dues. it was trying to stabilize the
said Suzanne Clark, the president organization that had gone through
of the Chamber. Last year, the Chamber reports some challenges. Then we went
taking in $233 million of revenue through a period where we began
Chamber leaders say and ending the year with no debt. vigorous growth. Now we're going
they hope these changes Donohue, who is in his early 80s, has into the next period where we’re
lead to more Democratic led the group since 1997. The year looking to the future.”
congressional endorsements in he took over, the Chamber reported
2020 and beyond.
South China Business Journal 16
