• U.S. Chamber of Commerce June Bulletin

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    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • American businesses are leading on environmental innovation. Pro-growth policies will determine how far that progress can go.

    • Small businesses are adopting AI, but a fragmented state privacy landscape is driving up compliance costs.

    How American Business Leads on Environmental Innovation

    At the U.S. Chamber's 2026 Environmental Innovation Summit on Wednesday, business leaders and federal officials made the case that private sector investment and innovation—paired with pro-growth policies—is the fastest path to a cleaner environment and a more resilient economy.

    Why it matters: We all want environmental progress and economic growth, and American companies are delivering both. Sustaining that momentum is key to achieving 3% economic growth.

    • Policy has to keep pace: Permitting reform and reduced regulatory uncertainty can turn private sector momentum into lasting progress.
    Permitting bottlenecks can slow critical investments. Amazon has committed $200 billion in global infrastructure this year—most of it in the U.S. Shannon Kellogg, Vice President at Amazon Web Services, put it plainly: "Permitting reform is essential. It's going to be critical to do that at the federal level."
    • "We want to modernize the grid where we operate and build out and develop water systems," he added. "As we build out more transmission infrastructure across the country with our utility partners, the permitting process becomes really critical."

    Big picture: Innovation is converging across sectors. "The future is going to be cloud based," said NOAA Administrator Dr. Neil Jacobs—powered by public-private partnerships that are accelerating weather modeling and climate resilience tools.

    • Solstice's Tom Isberg pointed out that sustainable cooling solutions can "support all that growth" in data centers without sacrificing environmental goals.
    • On carbon markets, David Gillers of Carbon Measures noted that low-carbon technologies "can really only thrive if the market is built to reward them."
    Be smart: The Water Subcabinet, established in the first Trump administration, is coordinating across federal agencies to untangle and transform fragmented water policy. "There's all these multiple areas of agencies that have to come together," said NOAA's Dr. Tim Petty, "and that is a huge priority."

    Bottom line: American businesses are investing, innovating, and building. The right policies will determine how far and how fast that progress goes.
     
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    National Data Privacy Standard Needed as Small Businesses Adopt AI

    A fragmented state-by-state data privacy landscape is creating a growing compliance burden for small businesses, as they rapidly embrace AI to compete. Tom Sullivan, U.S. Chamber Senior Vice President for Small Business Policy, made the case for federal action in a recent appearance on America's Small Business Network.

    What he said: "AI is a phenomenal tool...it's a tool in small businesses' toolbox to compete globally," said Sullivan—underscoring why getting the policy environment right matters.

    Why it matters: A patchwork of state data privacy laws means compliance costs can add up for business selling in multiple states. Sullivan cited recent congressional testimony by Kentucky Chamber President and CEO, Ashli Watts, "A business owner in Bowling Green...has to spend $16,000 to be in compliance with a California law. That's absolutely crazy."

    • 120 local and state chambers have written to Congress in support of the SECURE Data Act, which would create a single national data privacy standard, letting owners focus on growth, not paperwork.
    Big picture: Nearly 60% of small businesses use AI in some form, per U.S. Chamber research. The technology is part of the workday for millions of Americans.

    What we're doing: The Small Business B(AI)sics program, from the U.S. Chamber and U.S. Chamber Foundation with support from Google.org, helps entrepreneurs build their AI skills to grow their businesses.

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    FOUNDED: THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT BUILT AMERICA

    In honor of America's 250th, we celebrate America's entrepreneurs.

    Rinseroo Turns Everyday
    Frustration into Success

    A simple shower idea became a Shark Tank win, powered by grit and savvy social platforms.

    CHAMBER IN ACTION

    • The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce recently hosted Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) for a roundtable discussion in Staten Island, NY, with local business leaders on pro-growth business tax provisions.

    • The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce recently hosted Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) for a roundtable discussion in Roseville, CA, with local business leaders on the pro-growth business tax provisions.

    • Th latest in the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center's America at 250 series looks at the importance of jury trials and fair, impartial justice, giving businesses the confidence to operate.

    UPCOMING EVENT

    The Call: Has China Overplayed Its Hand?

    June 23, 11:30 AM ET — 11:50 AM ET

    Dr. Gracelin Baskaran, Director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins the U.S. Chamber Global Intelligence Desk to discuss China's dominance of rare earth minerals.

    Register

    U.S. Chamber of Commerce June Bulletin

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