Donohue also said the chamber would continue to press for immigration overhaul measures, despite the controversy surrounding them, including opposition from the administration. He said American companies are facing a “crisis” of worker shortages.
“We’ve identified 10 states, where every individual who wants to work could find a job tomorrow — and still, more than a quarter of the jobs would remain unfilled,” Donohue said in his speech. “This is just one reason we will be pushing hard for real immigration reform, so businesses can find the workers they need, when and where they need them.”
Data privacy will also be a priority issue for the chamber in 2020, Donohue said, noting that federal inaction on the matter has led to a “patchwork” of state rules and regulations, including a new law in California that took effect this month.
“Can you imagine effectively running a company when you have 50 different sets of standards to comply with? This would create conflict for businesses, confusion for consumers, and increase costs for everyone,” he said.
The chamber, and its affiliates including the Institute for Legal Reform, disclosed spending nearly $60 million on federal lobbying in the first nine months of 2019, [Related: Facebook posts biggest quarterly lobby tab on eve of testimony] according to lobbying disclosures filed with Congress.
