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Zach Brown

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Disney

Disney’s Problematic Relationship with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

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 The United States Chamber of Commerce has consistently advocated against the best interests of the American people, serving the interests of fossil fuel companies at the expense of the future health of our planet.

 But it couldn’t do this alone. The U.S. Chamber gains its lobbying power through the use of ample donations from corporations across country. This new blog series, Chamber Climate Conflicts, surveys how specific corporations’ continued support of the oil and gas lobbying U.S. Chamber of Commerce directly contradicts these companies’ own messaging on the importance of environmental activism and continued care for the planet.

 First up: The Walt Disney Company

With its enduring status as an iconic symbol within American culture, Disney is one of the most recognizable brands in America. Most of us have fond childhood memories of the adventures of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. Just this past holiday season, its newest movie, Soul, touched hearts across the country (and it was pretty funny too). However, what’s the point of all of the joy generated through Disney’s entertainment if its support of the oil and gas lobbying U.S. Chamber of Commerce could ultimately serve to deplete the joy of future generations because of climate change?

In recent years, Disney has affirmatively marketed itself as an environmentally conscious organization. Even just this last December, Disney released a new set of long term goals to be met by 2030, specifically detailing the company’s desire to “achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions” and to “collaborate with industry groups and invest in low carbon fuel innovation.” Similarly, last month Disney announced that it is producing a new movie showcasing the harms of climate change inflicted on the ice caps of Svalbard, Norway (an undeniably timely move, given the frightening situation of Svalbard’s quickly rising temperatures this last summer).

And while a quick glance of the House of Mouse’s a deeper dive into their website reveals their And what does the Chamber of Commerce do with Disney’s ample donations and funding?

Perform noxious lobbying that directly contradicts the intent behind all of Disney’s positive stances, posts, and proclamations regarding the fight against climate change.

In fact, the Chamber of Commerce has served as an effective villain to the movement to combat climate change for quite some time, taking destructive actions including advocating for an indefinite reliance on oil, natural gas, and coal; cheering and lobbying for the success of the environmentally harmful Keystone XL Pipeline Project (which much to the dismay of the Chamber has thankfully been halted by the Biden Administration); and using its extensive influence and reach to prop up climate change-denying congressional candidates across the nation. In the past, the Chamber has even funded widely debunked research studies critical of environmental protection agreements trying to save our planet.

These shockingly backward positions have been repeated in the recent anti-climate policies and personnel being pushed by the trade association. Even as recently as the last two years, the Chamber of Commerce advocated for oil and gas interests by not only filing across the nation, but also during the Trump Administration. Not a great look when the effects of climate change are all around us. And, the Chamber’s positions are contrary to public opinion polling that continues to make it clear that the American people believe we all need to be taking the dangers of climate change more seriously.

If Disney’s leadership truly wants to make environmental advocacy a core tenet of the corporation, they have to be more mindful of the company that they keep. It’s time for the Walt Disney Co. to drop ties with the toxic U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and fully join the rest of us in the fight for a better environment for generations to come.

The “happiest place on earth” can only be a place with a real commitment to a sustainable and livable future.

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Don’t Be Fooled, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is Still a Wolf

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Last month, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce submitted a rulemaking petition to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requesting that the agency limit potential plaintiffs’ ability to participate in COVID-19-related class action securities lawsuits. Such a move would prevent investors from suing a company if company leaders made statements about the company’s financial situation or COVID recovery plan that had an adverse effect on their stock. Such a limitation on investors’ rights would make it difficult to hold companies accountable for making false or misleading statements that led to an investor’s economic loss. The Chamber’s request is just seeking to limit everyday people’s ability to hold corporate actors accountable for wrongdoing, and Public Citizen will fight back to urge the SEC to deny the Chamber’s request.

This latest request by the Chamber shows how  the trade association for the country’s largest corporate interests is once again on the wrong side of the policy debate. The Chamber, for example, has spent nearly all of this year lobbying Congress and state legislatures for corporate immunity from coronavirus-related lawsuits even though the data show that these lawsuits are not common, and would make consumers, patients, and workers less safe. The Chamber’s insistence on corporate immunity has exacerbated Americans’ suffering because that helped stall coronavirus stimulus from being passed since Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that he would not agree to any stimulus package that did not include a corporate immunity provision.

Even after more than 260,000 individuals have died from COVID-19—with the death toll expected to continue to rise this winter—the  Chamber is still advocating for policies that place corporate interests above the needs of everyday people. The Chamber continues to take this misguided position even though giving companies corporate immunity is hugely unpopular with the public.

While the Chamber continues to lobby for disastrous policies that limit access to the justice system for individuals wronged by corporate greed, it is also seeking to rebrand itself as a kinder and gentler Chamber.

For example, the Chamber is pushing new “climate messaging” that it “stand[s] with every American seeking a cleaner, stronger environment—for today and tomorrow.” But,  just a cursory look into its recent actions reveal the statement to be emptier than your nearest Blockbuster. A recent report released by Change the Chamber, a student led climate campaign that has joined Chamber Watch in fighting against the Chamber of Commerce’s disastrous advocacy, outlines the Chamber’s hypocrisy in detail. Dating back to last year, the Chamber has not only continued to be an active participant in energy lawsuits across the nation by filing numerous amicus briefs strongly advocating for fossil fuel interests (with multiple amicus briefs supporting the petrochemical industry and industrial polluters as well), but it also successfully lobbied for the nomination of multiple fossil fuel connected officials to fill positions within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and Department of Energy. Maybe someone should tell the Chamber that pretending to stand with every American means reading a poll every now and then?

As we enter into a new Administration, Chamber Watch and Public Citizen will continue to work to expose the threat that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce continues to pose to our democracy, environment, and workers across the country.

We’ve never been a fan of disguises—especially when it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

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The Shade of Dark Money

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Recent Senate Report Details U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Toxic Influence on Climate Policy

By: Zach Brown

The horrific wildfires currently raging across the West Coast serve as a strong reminder that we cannot overlook the hazardous situation our nation’s addiction to fossil fuels has placed us in. The climate crisis truly stops for nothing—especially not for a global health pandemic. Given how the twin crises of COVID-19 and climate change are killing Americans, we must make sure Congress is focusing on solutions to our warming planet so that we are not increasing the likelihood of future pandemics.

One part of embracing the solutions to climate change means minimizing the influence of groups that oppose strong action to reducing dangerous pollution in our atmosphere.

Opponents include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which influences elections by utilizing funds not disclosed to the public—commonly referred to as “dark money”. Recently, a report by the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis dedicated a section to detailing dark money’s influence on our climate laws and how it directly harms efforts to adequately address the climate crisis.

The Senate committee’s report traces the history of “dark money” spending made possible through the disastrous 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. FEC, which effectively eliminated limits on political spending by organizations. The report shows how the ability of groups to spend unlimited amounts of money on elections, and without disclosing the groups’ donors, drastically altered the fight against climate change. Without effective limits on political spending, fossil fuel companies are able to flood the political process with corporate dollars and influence politicians to make policy decisions that are solely beneficial to the fossil fuel industry, tossing the wishes of the voters and a much-needed consideration for the environment by the wayside. The report raises the question — how are fossil fuel companies getting away with this right under the noses of the American people?

Well, the short answer is simple: These fossil fuel executives aren’t exactly operating in plain view. Fossil fuel execs actively utilize “front groups” by funneling their money through trade associations that sow doubt about climate science. These front groups were pushing this misinformation even before Citizens United— the report details that one of the most influential front groups, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), back in 2006  ran a TV ad with the tagline, “Carbon dioxide? They call it pollution. We call it life.” And who would fund an organization that makes statements like these? Public reports have detailed that not only is ExxonMobil a heavy contributor to CEI, but also that non-oil related corporations like Amazon and Google have supported CEI.

However, when it comes to the despicable art of working against the common human interest of ensuring a livable environment for the future, one big spender towers over the rest. The U.S Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest lobbying groups in the nation, has spent almost $150 million on congressional campaigns since Citizens United, with most going to candidates who oppose action on the climate crisis. Spanning decades, the Chamber’s activities range from funding widely debunked studies critical of environmental protection agreements to aggressively defending energy sector interests against the EPA’s Clean Power Plan in court.

Member corporations know that they can donate as many millions as they please to the Chamber of Commerce’s coffers and the Chamber will keeping their donation secret, thereby protecting the corporation from public censure if the Chamber uses the money to fight progress on addressing climate change. The report notes that the amount of money fossil fuel executives has given to the Chamber is still relatively unknown. It’s time to remove this shield.

The Senate committee’s report details both legislative and regulatory solutions to combat the Chamber’s influence on climate policy. For one, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) should engage in rulemaking that forces the companies it regulates to disclose all spending on political influence activities, including money funneled to problematic trade associations like the Chamber of Commerce. Second, Congress should pass comprehensive legislation requiring these trade associations to be fully transparent in their political and election spending, shining a much-needed light on the dark money that clogs legislative progress. We’ve already seen what this potential bill could look like: The House of Representatives bill H.R. 1 (For the People Act of 2019), which passed earlier this year, would overturn Citizens United and make other critical reforms.  We must continue to push for these provisions to become law.

If dark-money actors are going to aggressively advocate against the two-thirds of the American people who believe that the federal government needs to do more to combat climate change, they should at least have to show their faces.