2021 Vistage on the Hill with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the leading advocacy group for business on Capitol Hill. In addition to supporting local chambers, USCC analysts engage and influence business-related policies though their relationships with lawmakers. Vistage maintains an active relationship with the USCC team. As part of that partnership, every July we spend a day with their top analysts discussing the most pertinent issues. In advance of our 2021 event, I presented the USCC team with an overview of the most significant leadership issues that our community is facing, based on our recent member research.

Those issues set the agenda for USCC presenters: economic policy, tax and infrastructure, trade, diversity and inclusion, and small business policy. The day closed with an interactive town hall, where USCC analysts had the chance to ask questions and learn from our Member Excellence Award winners. It truly was a dynamic day, and we’ve captured the USCC’s insights exclusively for the Vistage community here.

I invite you to watch the sessions most important to you:

• Economic outlook and policy
• Infrastructure 
• Trade
• Equality of opportunity
• Small business policy

Economic Outlook & Policy

Download USCC Economic Outlook & Policy slides

Key Takeaways

• The economy is good and will remain strong over the next several years.
• Inflation is rising. It is the biggest potential downside risk for growth right now.
• Watch the workforce. It is the No. 1 concern for businesses right now.

About the speaker:

Curtis Dubay, senior economist in the Economic Policy Division at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, tracks the condition of the economy, analyzes the impact of public policy on economic growth, and runs the Chamber’s Chief Economists Committee. The committee consists of chief economists from member businesses. It helps the Chamber formulate economic policies and provides analysis to policymakers in Washington, D.C. Previously, Dubay was senior economist at the American Bankers Association where he worked on tax issues and followed the economic trends affecting the banking industry. Prior to ABA, he was a research fellow in tax and economic policy at The Heritage Foundation. There he researched and published on tax and economic policy issues.

Infrastructure Policy

Download USCC Infrastructure Policy slides

Key Takeaways

• Infrastructure modernization is critical for long-term economic growth and improved quality of life.
• Congress is closing in on bipartisan solution.
• Contact your Senators and urge them to support the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

About the Speaker

Ed Mortimer serves as vice president of Transportation and Infrastructure at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Mortimer oversees the development and implementation of the Chamber’s transportation infrastructure policy and represents the Chamber on Capitol Hill as well as before the administration and industry organizations. He also leads the Americans for Transportation Mobility (ATM) Coalition, a collaborative effort by business, labor, transportation stakeholders, and concerned citizens to advocate for improved and increased federal investment in the nation’s aging and overburdened transportation system.

Trade

Download USCC Trade Presentation slides

Key Takeaways

• Turmoil and sudden changes in U.S. trade policy are out; careful review and cautious action are in as the Biden administration slow-walks trade.
• The Biden team has promised a “worker-centric” trade policy that prioritizes the goals of organized labor.
• The Trump tariffs that Biden inherited are not going away quickly but may do so in time — which means higher costs for materials like steel, lumber and goods from China.

About the Speaker
John G. Murphy directs the U.S. Chamber’s advocacy relating to international trade and investment policy. Since joining the Chamber in 1999, Murphy has led its successful campaigns to win congressional passage of trade agreements with a dozen nations, including Colombia, Panama, and South Korea in 2011, as well as Trade Promotion Authority in 2015. Murphy also plays a key role in the Chamber’s advocacy for international business priorities before Congress, the administration, foreign governments, and the World Trade Organization.

Equality of Opportunity

Download USCC Equality of Opportunity slides

Key Takeaways

• To keep up with demand and embrace changing needs, we’ll have to think differently about the workforce of the future, and equality of opportunity is absolutely tied to that.
• The Chamber’s Equality of Opportunity Initiative is rooted in data and continues to by driven by a data-centered approach as soon in the EOI Agenda.
• The Chamber is mobilizing a large network of businesses, state and local chambers, and associations to drive policy change.

About the Speaker

Latricia Boone serves as Vice President of the Equality of Opportunity Initiative at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She brings more than 2 decades of experience and leadership in advocacy, public policy, and communications. Specializing in strategic partnerships, coalition building, grassroots campaigns and mobilization, stakeholder engagement, project management and strategic communications and planning, Latricia has held key positions in the corporate, nonprofit, government and education sectors. Prior to joining the Chamber, she served as Senior Director of Partnerships at Leadership for Educational Equity, where she led a national partnership strategy focused on investing in the development of a diverse pipeline of civic leaders. Before LEE, she was the Director of Congressional Advocacy for the National Urban League, where she collaborated with the Urban League’s affiliate offices and grassroots members to grow the organization’s legislative and policy influence through a multi-level national advocacy program. 

Small Business

Download USCC Small Business Briefing slides

Key Takeaways

• Impressive startup activity for likely employers during pandemic could turn around decades-long entrepreneurship slump.
• Government should not micromanage Main Street’s recovery.
• The worker crunch is pressuring short-staffed small businesses.

About the Speaker

Thomas M. Sullivan is vice president of small business policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Working with chambers of commerce and the U.S. Chamber’s nationwide network, Sullivan harnesses the views of small businesses and translates that grassroots power into federal policies that bolster free enterprise and reward entrepreneurship. He runs the U.S. Chamber’s Small Business Council, engaging those members on a regular basis to increase small business input and involvement in Chamber activities.

Related Resources

• Wall Street Journal / Vistage Small Business Monthly CEO Survey
• 2020 Vistage on the Hill with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce