America at the Crossroads

America is at a crossroads. While the fundamentals of our economy and society remain strong, our future is clouded by Washington's failure to seriously address the core competitive challenges that will drive growth, opportunity, and prosperity in the 21st century.

 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been actively speaking out on these challenges for years-the need to improve our children's schools, explore for affordable American energy, rebuild our transportation system, eliminate costly and frivolous lawsuits, improve access to quality and affordable health care, cut burdensome taxes and regulations, and create good American jobs by expanding trade and protecting our intellectual property.

 

Progress has been made on some issues, but overall, a culture of complacency and neglect has defined our national response-one atypical of the proud American tradition of greeting hardship with hard work, innovation, and decisive action. The price of continued negligence will be immense. We must not allow our economic leadership to slip away, and with it, the promise of the American Dream.

 

Despite an economy that is statistically growing, creating jobs, and expanding incomes, many Americans are troubled by the rising costs of health care, energy, and college tuition. They are worried about jobs, incomes, and pensions. They  wonder what lies ahead for their children and grandchildren.

 

The business community shares these concerns. Yet the American people should have confidence in our collective ability to address these challenges. With strong private and public sector leadership, we can build and sustain a competitive U.S. economy that protects national security and expands opportunity and peace of mind across all levels of society.

 

The U.S. Chamber stands ready to provide this private sector leadership. We are advancing a prosperity agenda that will preserve, protect, and promote America's competitive standing across the globe.

 

Throughout the 2008 election campaigns, we will challenge candidates to move beyond simple slogans, and we will ask Americans to join us in holding them accountable for delivering open, honest, and realistic solutions to the very real challenges facing American businesses.

 

Now, more than ever, when it comes to American jobs and American products, we must be strong and competitive. Now, more than ever, our leaders have to fight harder and do better. Now, more than ever, we need to enact commonsense policies that will enable American businesses to compete and win on a global scale.

 

At the end of the day, other countries can copy us, but no one can beat us.