McCarthy, Scalise tackle U.S. Chamber after group backed Democrats

The 2 highest-ranking Republican leaders within the House of Representatives are going to war with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as the brand new Congress takes shape.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise are each refusing to fulfill with the the Chamber after the lobbying group endorsed a handful of Democrats up to now two elections, clearly making an enemy of the powerful congressional leaders.

“The priorities of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce haven’t aligned with the priorities of House Republicans or the interests of their very own members, they usually shouldn’t expect a gathering with Speaker McCarthy so long as that is the case,” Mark Bednar, a chief spokesman for McCarthy, told CNBC in an announcement.

Scalise also won’t meet with the Chamber, based on spokeswoman Lauren Positive.

“Washington has radically shifted away from the pro-business philosophy of most local Chambers across America,” she said. Positive also took aim on the Chamber’s move to endorse Democrats running for House seats and said that “unless the Chamber gets back to their traditional pro-business roots, they shouldn’t expect to have any engagement with Majority Leader Scalise’s office.”

Denying the Chamber access could also prompt other House Republicans to dam the nation’s largest business organization.

The Chamber has continued to actively lobby Capitol Hill despite the continuing battle with top Republicans. The group spent slightly below $21 million on lobbying within the fourth quarter of last yr alone, based on its latest disclosure report. The shape shows they lobbied lawmakers within the House and Senate, in addition to Biden White House officials, on a wide range of bills, including recent tax proposals in addition to U.S. aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

McCarthy’s refusal to fulfill with the Chamber is the most recent strike in an ongoing feud between some House Republican members and the national business group. The Intercept reported that House Republicans plan to research the Chamber as GOP lawmakers tackle anyone who supports President Joe Biden’s push for more environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations. Elsewhere, The Each day Caller reported that the Chamber plans to sue the Securities and Exchange Commission if it goes forward with a climate change-related disclosure rule.

Republican House lawmakers are drafting inquiries to send to the Chamber in the approaching weeks, asking about its stance on ESG issues in addition to questioning among the group’s own conduct, including reportedly allowing former Chamber CEO Thomas Donohue to make use of the organization’s corporate jet for private trips, based on lawmakers and advisors aiming to probe the organization. These people declined to be named with a view to speak freely about private discussions.

Tim Doyle, a spokesman for the Chamber, told CNBC in an announcement that the group’s policies are more consistent with House Republicans than Democrats.

“The Chamber’s priorities include lower taxes, reduced spending, fighting overregulation and diverse other issues, and we’re aligned with House Republicans on lots of the issues which can be necessary to American businesses of all sizes,” Doyle said. “We do disagree with those that imagine the Chamber should turn out to be a single-party partisan organization and we recognize that difference has created some tension. We’ll proceed, nonetheless, to do what now we have done for over 110 years and that’s advance the free-market priorities of the American business community.”

Representatives for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., didn’t return requests for comment.

McCarthy’s ire against the Chamber began after the group endorsed 23 House Democrats within the 2020 election cycle when Republicans did not regain the bulk. The Chamber reportedly endorsed 23 House Republican candidates and 4 Democrats in the course of the 2022 election fight.

McCarthy told Breitbart News last yr before the recent November elections that “the Chamber left the party an extended time ago” and criticized the organization for endorsing Democrats. ” I just assume they’ve as much influence in the longer term as they do now — none,” McCarthy said on the time.

Axios reported that McCarthy has privately discussed with Chamber of Commerce board members and state leaders the thought of replacing current president and CEO Suzanne Clark. The Chamber’s CEO was recently approved for a recent five-year term, based on a memo sent to the board of directors by Mark Ordan, the chair of the board. The memo was sent to members of the board on Monday.

While McCarthy takes aim on the Chamber, the business lobbying juggernaut continues its business as usual.

Neil Bradley, a former deputy chief of staff to McCarthy and the present executive vice chairman and chief policy officer on the Chamber, recently said its “team engages leadership and chairmen and rank-and-file members on a day by day and weekly basis. That is at all times been the case and hasn’t modified up to now yr.”

The Chamber’s latest public tax documents from 2021 show that the organization raised just over $197 million that yr, and it raised $218 million in 2020. Greater than $105 million of its budget in 2021 went toward salaries and worker advantages, the forms show.

Donohue, who stepped down as CEO from the Chamber in 2021, still picked up $9.2 million in total compensation that yr. Donohue’s compensation in 2021 included $8.95 million in bonus and incentive pay, based on the forms.

“The compensation for Mr. Donohue included his bonus payment for 2020 activities and a prorated portion of his bonus payment for 2021 activities, each of which were paid to him in 2021,” the filing says.

Clark saw a complete compensation of $5.1 million in 2021, based on the forms. That features a bonus and incentive package of $3.75 million.