Two Democratic Senators Call for Probe of Chamber of Commerce
Two Democratic Senators Call for Probe of Chamber of Commerce
(Bloomberg) -- Two key Democratic senators on Wednesday called on congressional officials who oversee federal lobbying disclosures to investigate whether the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is violating transparency laws.
Senators Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a presidential candidate, called on the secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House to determine if the chamber, is adequately disclosing which of its members fund and participate in its lobbying, according to a statement.
Warren and Whitehouse, in a letter to the secretary, Julie Adams, said they had reviewed the the powerful business group’s lobbying reports between 2008 and 2019 and found incomplete information about its “affiliated organizations” or members that finance and direct its advocacy.
“It is our understanding that policy and lobbying decisions within the chamber are made by member companies that participate on one or more internal chamber policy committees,” the senators wrote in the letter, which was dated Wednesday.
“As the chamber spends more on federal lobbying than any other entity, its failure to comply with the law would raise questions regarding Congress’s ability to track the efforts of special interests to influence public policy,” Whitehouse and Warren said. “Powerful interest groups should not be allowed to flout transparency requirements designed to promote public confidence in our government.”
The chamber said in a statement that it complies with federal disclosure requirements.
“The question to be asked of Ms. Warren and Mr. Whitehouse is whether they are filing similar complaints of non-profit organizations including their progressive allies who regularly engage in their constitutional right to petition our government,” the organization added. “Or, is this just another attempt to silence those with whom Ms. Warren and Mr. Whitehouse disagree?”
According to the House clerk, organizations like the Chamber of Commerce should disclose member companies that actively participate in lobbying efforts. That includes selecting individual lobbyists, determining priorities among issues and developing strategies. The guidance says that if a company’s employees serve on a committee responsible for an organization’s lobbying decisions, it’s taken an active role in the advocacy, requiring disclosure.
In their letter, Warren and Whitehouse cite information provided by member companies and the chamber’s website, which says some of them get to serve on committees that “help define chamber positions.”
--With assistance from Max Berley.
To contact the reporters on this story: Naomi Nix in Washington at nnix1@bloomberg.net;Bill Allison in Washington at ballison14@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sara Forden at sforden@bloomberg.net, John Harney
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