uschamber.com Magazine June 2005

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• Cover Story: Energy Prices Sock Businesses: National Energy Strategy Is Needed Now
  As America’s businesses and consumers continue to be pulled down by soaring energy costs, the U.S. Chamber is working to close the deal on a comprehensive national energy strategy that would significantly increase energy supplies and help stabilize prices
• Small Business Matters: To Trademark or Not
  No one knows how hard you work to make your small business a success -- except perhaps your competitors.
• Your Voice Counts: Results Are In!
  In April, we asked for your opinions in our Speak Out! survey. Look for future uschamber.com surveys, and remember that these surveys give you a chance to tell us what you think.
• In Your Backyard
  News across the nation.
• Face Off: Free Trade With Central America: Members of Congress Debate New Agreement
  Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) debate DR-CAFTA.
• Reflections on a Good Year: Chamber Tackles the Tough Issues
  On June 8, I will end my year as chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It was a privilege to serve the business community these past 12 months.
• Travel and Tourism Summit Held: Industry Leaders Reflect on America’s Image
  Improving the perception of the United States and ensuring that visa, immigration, and homeland security policies do not deter international travelers from visiting America will help the travel and tourism industry continue its recovery following September
• Highway Bill on Road to Passage
  A transportation bill strongly backed by the U.S. Chamber recently passed the Senate by a vote of 89 to 11.
• Wanted: First Class Aviation System: Chamber Works to Improve Infrastructure
  Delayed shipments and long waits in airport terminals, on runways, and in the skies -- not uncommon today -- could become an everyday part of life without a top-to-bottom transformation of the commercial aviation industry.
• HSA Participation Tops 1 Million: Health Savings Accounts Increasingly Popular
  In just six months, the number of people covered by high-deductible health insurance plans, which include Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), more than doubled, according to a recent poll by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).
• Chamber Pushes For Export Opportunities
  A tour with six heads of state, around-the-clock lobbying of members of Congress, dozens of meetings with local leaders across the country, and an unrelenting grassroots campaign are some of the things that the U.S. Chamber is doing.
• Celebrating Small Businesses: America’s Engines of Economic Growth
  The week of April 24 was National Small Business Week, and the U.S. Chamber applauded America’s dreamers and risk takers for driving our powerful economy and for embodying the spirit of enterprise that makes this country so great.
• Chamber: Reform Social Security: Goal Is to Educate Public, Influence Lawmakers
  The time to preserve Social Security is now. That’s why the U.S. Chamber has taken an active role to educate lawmakers and the public about the Social Security crisis and how to address it head-on.
• Landstar Earns Award for Supporting Reservists
  The U.S. Chamber applauded the U.S. Department of Defense’s recognition of Landstar System, Inc. as one of the nation’s top supporters of the National Guard and Reserve.
• Success Insight: A Chamber Member’s Story: Outfitted for Success
  Quality customer service sometimes seems like it’s going out of style, but not for Ray Ventura, founder and president of Ventura Uniform Service.
• ECON 101: Déjà Vu All Over Again?
  About this time last year, newspapers were reporting that the economy had entered a “soft patch” and were wondering in bold print whether the economy would right itself or would spiral into the abyss.
• Tech Tools: IT Service Providers:Focus on Your Business, Not Technology
  How much time do you spend dealing with technology issues that have nothing to do with your core business? If you answer “More than I want to,” then it may be time to hire an information technology (IT) service provider.
• Working for You: Chamber Team Makes Inroads
  For more than three years, this team has been lobbying Congress to renew a multiyear surface transportation spending bill. The current legislation, known as TEA-21, expired September 30, 2003, and has been extended seven times.