U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue vowed, in a speech on Wednesday, to make the long-stalled immigration bill a reality in 2014, Politico reported this week. “We’re determined to make 2014 the year that immigration reform is finally enacted. The chamber will pull out all the stops — through grass-roots lobbying; communication; politics; and partnerships with unions, faith organizations, law enforcement, and others,” Donohue said in a speech at the chamber’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
A comprehensive immigration overhaul was passed by the Senate last year, but Republican leaders in the House of Representatives have not been willing to bring that bill to the House floor, citing a lack of support in the Republican cause for some provisions of the bill.
Donohue said that the 2014 mid-term elections would not change the political landscape for the bill. “I think Democrats and Republicans alike would like to go home and run for office with something they got done that’s significant. And I believe we’re two-thirds of the way there. Four hundred thirty-five people have to go home and run for office, and I think we’re going to get this done,” he said.
In his remarks, Donohue also said he is confident that Republicans would fall in line to approve legislation to give Obama fast-track authority on trade agreements and downplayed concerns that conservative Republicans would join with Democrats to block the bill. “Trade promotion authority will pass,” Donohue told reporters following his speech at the chamber. Trade promotion authority (TPA) allows the president to submit trade deals to Congress for a straight up-or-down vote without any amendments.
Donohue did acknowledge a tough fight ahead, and he expects it to take some for the bill to be passed. But, it is essential to pass the measure, he said, so that the White House can complete talks on a list of trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement with Japan and 10 other nations and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with 28 nations of the European Union. Without TPA, it is difficult for final trade agreement to be agreed upon by other countries, unless there is assurance that Congress will not change trade agreement provisions, Donohue pointed out.
The U.S. Chamber will also support the growing campaign to roll back rules that restrict U.S. energy exports. In his speech, Donohue laid out an energy agenda that includes easing regulations and opening up international markets for U.S.-produced oil and gas. His comments are likely a preview of the 60 recommendations due out from the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy on January 15, which he said were designed “to help our country seize its energy potential and unleash benefits across our entire economy.” The U.S. Chamber has not rolled out an ambitious outline for U.S. energy policy since 2008.
“There will be a marked difference in the set of things we are proposing,” said Karen Harbert, head of the Institute for 21st Century Energy. “They will run the gamut from federal policies to things we think we can accomplish if government would get out of the way….With those recommendations, there’s a chance for the United States to fully capture the flag and really become not only competitive in the energy landscape, but to be an energy super power, if we let ourselves,” Harbert said.
