Does the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Equal Crony Capitalism?
Conventional political wisdom says that Republicans are not supposed to reject awards from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. But Representative Kerry Bentivolio (R-Mich.) told the Detroit News July 24 that he was returning a “Spirit of Enterprise” award received earlier in the year. “The Chamber of Commerce is beholden to special interests and has long since forgotten the main street businesses that struggle everyday to make payroll and keep their company afloat,” Bentivolio (The New American’s “Freedom Index” cumulative score: 80 percent) wrote to the Detroit News. “It is with great pride that I reject their award, and call on them to stand on the side of America, instead of on the side of China and corporate interests seeking to exploit people for profit. I am with main street, not Wall Street.” Bentivolio’s remarks referred to the Chamber’s support for lowered trade barriers to low-wage labor in communist China and the support for the U.S. Export-Import Bank’s taxpayer subsidy of $1.8 billion in trade to China thus far this year.
Despite giving Bentivolio an award for backing the Chamber of Commerce on key issues 77 percent of the time in 2013, the Chamber backed the Tea Party congressman’s opponent in the August 5 GOP primary. The opponent, Dave Trott, won.
Bentivolio’s rejection of the Chamber could conceivably be dismissed as sour grapes. It shouldn’t be.
JBS Member or ShopJBS.org Customer?
Sign in with your ShopJBS.org account username and password or use that login to subscribe.
Subscribe Now
- 24 Issues Per Year
- Digital Edition Access
- Exclusive Subscriber Content
- Audio provided for all articles
- Unlimited access to past issues
- Cancel anytime.
- Renews automatically
Subscribe Now
- 24 Issues Per Year
- Print edition delivery (USA)
*Available Outside USA - Digital Edition Access
- Exclusive Subscriber Content
- Audio provided for all articles
- Unlimited access to past issues
- Cancel anytime.
- Renews automatically