Board leadership at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is close to naming Thomas Donohue's successor, and is expected to appoint Suzanne Clark as its next leader, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Why it matters: As CEO, Donohue, 83, built the chamber into a political powerhouse that supports pro-business policies, contributes huge sums largely to Republicans and promises to give its international and domestic members a voice in Washington.
- The Chamber worked closely with the Trump administration on economic and trade policy, and played a role in the passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement.
- But Donohue recently found himself in hot water for distancing himself from some Republican lawmakers and endorsing a slate of House Democrats last cycle, leading to a tense phone call with President Trump, Axios reported in September.
The big picture: Donohue was among many CEOs who called on Trump in mid-November to acknowledge the outcome of the election and began cooperating with the incoming Biden administration. ...
- "President-elect Biden and the team around him have a wealth of executive branch experience that should allow them to hit the ground running," Donohue said.