Axios released a story Sunday revealing a sign that has popped up on the steps of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that equates President Donald Trump to former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The members of the conservative business association might not be as receptive about the comparison.
While some local and state chambers tend to be less political and attempt to straddle partisan lines, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce doesn't care who it infuriates with its right-leaning lobbying and political contributions. In the year that ushered in a slew of Democrats who took over the U.S. House, the Chamber of Commerce gave 79 percent of its donations to Republican candidates.
"The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business organization representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions," The Chamber's website said. "Our members range from mom-and-pop shops and local chambers to leading industry associations and large corporations. They all share one thing in common—they count on the Chamber to be their voice in Washington, D.C."
Some of those giant members include Google, Facebook, Abbott, Uber and more. When it comes to Google, the company has operated under the motto "Don't be evil," a philosophy that frequently surfaces in the news whenever the company does something unfortunate. Google's political donations for 2018 were even-handed with 49 percent going to Democrats and 50 percent going to Republicans. Yet, with a motto like that, it's unclear how they have hitched their wagon to the Chamber of Commerce and with it Donald Trump.
The same can be said for Uber, a company that depends on people of color and immigrants who are generating millions for their company on a daily basis. Uber gave significantly more contributions to Democrats over Republicans, yet the company has decided it is fine with the right-wing slant of the Chamber.
Abbott is a pharmaceutical company that touts the importance of science, something the Republican Party has fought against for decades. "Under the pioneering leadership of Dr. Abbott, our company was among the founders of the scientific practice of pharmacy, expanding its business to meet rising global health needs by championing new areas of medical research," the company's website says. While they're known for migraine drugs, HIV and cancer medications, they're now also aligned with the right-wing chamber.
Facebook has had its own problems, but for all of the times they've been shouted down by conservatives as a left-leaning outfit, it's association with the Chamber certainly dispells that myth. As fake news attacks against Hillary Clinton were able to propagate on its platform, Facebook gave the majority of its donations to Democrats.
The Chamber is desperately trying to encourage a massive infrastructure project. Trump and the Democrats are already on board, despite the Chamber refusing to support Democrats in the 2018 election. Instead of kissing up to moderate Republicans or even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, they're begging Trump to play nice.
a href="https://www.axios.com/chamber-of-commerce-trump-reagan-infrastructure-bill-68c70b1f-0667-4e22-8810-e6540355dd4b.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Read the report from Axios.