The largest business lobby in the United States has elected its next chairman.
Allstate CEO Tom Wilson, who became chief executive of the insurance giant in 2007, succeeds John Hopkins, CEO of NuScale Power.
“It is an honor to take on this role at the Chamber and help lead an organization focused on helping businesses create more prosperity in America,” Wilson said in a statement. The chamber represents more than three million businesses, ranging in size from small family-run stores to big corporations, such as Pepsi and Disney.
In recent years, under the leadership of president and chief executive Tom Donohue, the group has grown increasingly partisan; it now regularly spends millions to support Republican nominees running in key Congressional races. In 2012, for example, the group backed 12 Republican candidates for Senate. (It did not support any Democratic candidates.)
But its relationship with President Trump has been complicated. While the group supports many of Trump’s initiatives, notably his promise to roll back regulations, there have been some tense moments. During the presidential campaign the organization used Twitter, Trump’s favorite form of communication, to attack his policies around trade.
Even under best case scenario, Trump's tariffs would strip us of at least 3.5 million jobs https://t.co/3xcCNgiS2k pic.twitter.com/3SSHHqotNv
— U.S. Chamber (@USChamber) June 28, 2016
In a January speech, Donohue warned against the president’s threats to pull out of the North American Free Trade agreement, which the Chamber of Commerce says is responsible for more than 14 million U.S. jobs.
