U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a powerful business lobbying group in the United States. Since its current CEO Thomas J. Donohue came to power in 1997 the Chamber has increasingly supported Republican candidates and is now a driving force supporting the policies of the George W. Bush administration.
The Chamber has taken a lead role in the tort reform movement. It sponsors the Institute for Legal Reform, a 501(c)6 organization, and Legal Reform Now, a coalition of business associations, think tanks, and legal reform groups.
It also sponsored The November Fund, a 527 committee that opposes frivolous lawsuits and trial lawyers and ran negative campaign advertisements against trial lawyer John Edwards, John Kerry's running mate during the 2004 presidential race. The Chamber also has a role in promoting the Bush plan to privatize Social Security.
