Interviews
Core competitive challenges to drive growth & prosperity
09 Jan '08
3 min read
Speaking before an assembly of business leaders, Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue said that American lawmakers must use the coming year to proactively address a series of pressing issues that have the potential to unleash the U.S economy or, if left unaddressed, cripple it.
In his annual State of American Business speech, Donohue called on Congress to enact aggressive reforms and initiatives in areas ranging from education and energy policy to federal immigration laws and the aging transportation infrastructure.
“As we meet here today, the country's future is clouded by Washington's failure to seriously address the core competitive challenges that will drive growth, opportunity, and prosperity in the 21st century,” Donohue said.
“The world has changed and so too must our policies and practices. The Chamber, along with many of you, has been actively speaking out on these challenges for years. Progress has been made on some issues, but overall, a culture of complacency and neglect has defined our national response. And that is not the America we know.”
In his critique, Donohue cited the failure so far of the Congress to reauthorize and strengthen the “No Child Left Behind” Act. He also noted the promotion of energy proposals and policies that condemn high fuel prices and carbon emissions while continuing to impose restrictions that discourage the production of clean, diverse domestic energy.
In addition, Donohue warned against a federal trend to over-regulate, over-litigate and over-tax the U.S. capital markets thus driving overseas the very money needed for renewed domestic investment and new jobs.
In his annual State of American Business speech, Donohue called on Congress to enact aggressive reforms and initiatives in areas ranging from education and energy policy to federal immigration laws and the aging transportation infrastructure.
“As we meet here today, the country's future is clouded by Washington's failure to seriously address the core competitive challenges that will drive growth, opportunity, and prosperity in the 21st century,” Donohue said.
“The world has changed and so too must our policies and practices. The Chamber, along with many of you, has been actively speaking out on these challenges for years. Progress has been made on some issues, but overall, a culture of complacency and neglect has defined our national response. And that is not the America we know.”
In his critique, Donohue cited the failure so far of the Congress to reauthorize and strengthen the “No Child Left Behind” Act. He also noted the promotion of energy proposals and policies that condemn high fuel prices and carbon emissions while continuing to impose restrictions that discourage the production of clean, diverse domestic energy.
In addition, Donohue warned against a federal trend to over-regulate, over-litigate and over-tax the U.S. capital markets thus driving overseas the very money needed for renewed domestic investment and new jobs.
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