Maggie Wooden, Government Affairs Manager, Great Lakes Region, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, joined us for our March Advocacy in Action event to provide government affairs updates from the U.S. Chamber. Maggie touched on important issues including the FTC proposed ban on non-compete agreements, the looming deadline for a decision regarding the national debt limit, and workforce challenges. View her complete updates below:

The US Chamber of Commerce continues to focus on some of the most pressing needs of the business community this Congress. We understand that given the narrow majorities in each chamber, as well as the status of divided government, it will be difficult to get a lot done unless there is bipartisan buy-in.

One of the most time sensitive issues the Chamber is focused on is the FTC proposed rulemaking to ban non-compete agreements. Just this week, we sent a letter to Members of Congress outlining our concerns with the agency’s actions to propose the rule, citing a lack of constitutional authority to do so. While we certainly have concerns with the blanket ban on non-competes and what that will do to both employees and employers, we also feel it is incredibly important to highlight the agency’s attempts to usurp Congress in this process.

We will continue to work on this issue, with next steps focused on the comment period to the FTC. We are urging state and local chambers to engage with their members on this issue and consider submitting their own comment letter to the FTC on the rule, as well as sign on to the US Chamber coalition comment letter. We have a draft letter template for anyone interested in sending their own comment letter.

While Congress has gotten off to a slow start, there are a number of issues Congress has to get done, and one that is top of mind for the US Chamber is the debt limit. We know that according to the CBO, the debt limit projection is between July and September of this year. We continue to press Congressional leaders to engage thoughtfully on managing the debt limit responsibility and urge Congress to come to an agreement before the deadline. Without resolution, the state of our economy faces serious uncertainty.

The US Chamber continues to prioritize solutions to the ongoing workforce challenges. Specifically, we at the US Chamber are engaging with members of congress on proposals that focus on improved border security and increased work visa allotments. We are also focused on other pressing issues impacting businesses of all sizes- from retail crime to trade, we are actively involved with members of congress on how they can best support their business community.

As always, we always welcome input from you and your members on what improvements you would like to see at the federal level with regards to challenges facing the business community. All three of us (myself, and my colleagues Ryan and Kevin) are always willing to provide you and your members with federal updates, as well as assistance with improving your advocacy program.

With regards to advocacy, we at the US Chamber stand ready to assist you with creating and executing a DC Fly-In program. This is one of the best ways for your members to engage with their elected representatives, as well as get an in-depth understanding of top issues facing the business community. From hill meetings to policy briefings at US Chamber HQ, there are ample opportunities for you and your members to engage in DC on federal policy.