The President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce traveled to Texas to present her 2025 State of American Business address.
Suzanne Clark stepped away from the Chamber headquarters in Washington, D. C. to emphasize the fact that, in her words, all business is local.
“Because the economic growth that powers people’s lives comes from cities and regions and states where private enterprise, supported by smart public policy, drives progress and creates opportunity,” said Clark. “And that kind of public-private partnership not only helps propel thriving communities but helps rebuild devastated communities in the aftermath of disaster. One of the best parts of my job is getting to travel across the country to meet the people who serve their communities, to listen and to learn so we can champion them and support their work.”
She said many areas, like Dallas-Fort Worth, are thriving thanks to a “diverse industrial base, low unemployment and a deep pool of talent, a healthy mix of small businesses serving and enriching their communities and big businesses bringing jobs, economic activity and tax revenue, robust infrastructure and access to global markets and a flourishing innovation ecosystem.”
Russell Lahodny, President and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber, told ABD that, while metro Augusta doesn’t have the growth of a major metropolitan area like Dallas, the region has scored important victories to support the local economy.
Amazon has come here since I’ve been here. We’ve got the Cyber Command. I do think that we are in a positive spot, and I think we are tapping into as many of our resources as we can,” he said. “I think there’s still brighter days ahead. I think there are a lot of opportunities out there that will be coming down the pipeline. I think there’s a lot of opportunities to be had and taken advantage of.”
While touting the success around Dallas-Fort Worth, Clark said it is important to replicate a culture to replicate those successes in other communities to make sure no local community feels left behind.
“Where there are no food deserts, where crime doesn’t crowd out commerce, where private investment is welcome, where young people want to stay and return and build businesses and careers where people can get ahead and provide for their families,” she said. “Not every community can, should, or wants to be the next booming metropolis, but they all want the economic growth that provides the quality of life and promise of opportunity that all Americans want.”
Lahodny said Metro Augusta does a good job walking the fine line between growth and quality of life.
“You can go full throttle, you can attract everything under the sun, but is that the right fit for our community? Not always,” he said. “You have to be strategic. You have to be smart. What’s the point in attracting certain industries that we don’t maybe have the job base for? So, you know, then you’re just going to cause a big challenge, A, for the employer, and B, for a community that’s looking for jobs of a certain type. So, it is a balancing act.”
Turning her attention to the new administration and the 119th Congress, Clark listed three priorities the federal government must address that will be make-or-break for communities across the country.
First, she said there is a need to roll back regulatory policies enacted in the past four years.
“As it stands, this unprecedented bureaucratic micromanagement of business will cost the economy $1.4 trillion and trickle down into Americans’ lives in pocketbooks through higher prices, lower wages, and fewer jobs. That’s why the US Chamber has fought over-regulation in the courts, with a lot of important wins for business and the economy,” she explained. “Next, if the competitive tax provisions of 2017 are allowed to expire this year, the largest federal tax hike in American history will be very real and very personal for people and Local communities.”
The third priority is her belief the U.S. must participate in the global economy. She said tariffs can be useful, especially in the interest of national security counter unfair trade practices, and stem the flow of fentanyl, trafficking, and border security.
“However, blanket tariffs would worsen the cost of living crisis, forcing Americans to pay even more for daily essentials like groceries, gas, furniture, appliances, and clothing, and retaliation by our trading partners will hit our farmers and manufacturers hard with ripple effects across the economy. The bottom line is this, tariffs are a tax paid by Americans, and their broad and indiscriminate use would stifle growth at the worst possible time,” she said.
Her full presentation is at https://www.uschamber.com/live/soab-2025.
