The US Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday named Suzanne Clark as its next chief executive, one of the most powerful roles in business, ending a 24-year tenure for Thomas J. Donohue.
Ms. Clark will run a bitterly divided Washington as the Chamber, the country’s largest lobby group, seeks to cement the transition from a staunch Republican ally to promoting bipartisan moderation.
“I don’t know a single member of Congress who doesn’t want more jobs,” she said in an interview on Tuesday. “And 10 million people are unemployed. So the Chamber has a single economic agenda and we will work with anyone who wants to push it forward. “
Ms. Clark, who first joined the Chamber in 1997, will be the first woman in its 109-year history when her appointment takes effect on March 11th.
“I want to have earned the job on the cause and through hard work, and I think I did,” said Ms. Clark. “I am also very aware that I have to break through glass ceilings and be a role model for my own 14-year-old daughter.”
Mr. Donohue, a former executive director of the American Trucking Associations, helped the chamber build its coffers and political power, and established it as a powerhouse in Washington. For much of his tenure, that power focused on supporting the Republican Party, including political issues. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the chamber allocated around $ 308,000 to Republicans and just over $ 1,000 to Democrats for the 2016 election.
These ties broke under President Donald J. Trump, with whom Mr Donohue openly fought. When the Republican Party became more extreme, the Chamber offered its support – and financial power – to the Democrats. In 2019, it changed its politician scorecard to encourage bipartisanism, and last year it approved 23 House Democrats for re-election – a move that worried some in its ranks. The group put in about $ 550,000 for Republicans and a little over $ 200,000 for Democrats in the 2020 election.
Ms. Clark’s background can help move the chamber to the center. After an initial period there, she worked in the private sector for seven years, including with the Potomac Research Group and the National Journal Group.
“Once you sign the front of a paycheck, your mindset changes,” Ms. Clark said.
Since her return to the Chamber in 2014 and her promotion to President in 2019, Ms. Clark has increased her responsibility and visibility both internally and externally. She helped launch the Equal Opportunities Initiative, which aimed to fill gaps in racial wealth, and tried to strengthen relationships with tech companies and small businesses. During the pandemic, she advocated liability protection for employers and warned of the risk of a “K-shaped” economic recovery. She has also had a number of conversations with experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Bill and Melinda Gates.
“She has been my trusted partner over the past few years, leading the team and strategizing for the Chamber’s bright future,” Donohue said in a statement. “As CEO, she will continue the transformation necessary to serve our members in complex times.”
Ms. Clark’s greatest challenge could be a balancing act between Republicans, dismayed by the group’s new Democratic allies, and Democrats, who have historically viewed this as antagonists of the progressive agenda.
So far, the Chamber has warmly welcomed President Biden and announced its support for market-based solutions to climate change and praised his immigration policy plans. It also backed Mr Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, though its outlines, which include a proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $ 15, are still being eradicated. The board has said it is opposed to a $ 15 minimum wage, an issue Mr Donohue discussed with Mr Biden the previous Tuesday.
“A federal number is a political choice, not an economic choice,” said Ms. Clark.
Other potentially divisive issues – such as tax increases – have yet to be tested.
“This economy is in a difficult position and we have 10 million people out of work,” said Ms. Clark. “And this – as a moment to make job creation and difficulties for families more difficult by considering tax increases – seems absurd.”
Comments are closed.