• Chamber's Donohue Says Bipartisan Cooperation Needed To Spur Job Growth

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January 6, 2012

CNBC

In an interview with CNBC's Squawk Box (1/6), US Chamber President Tom Donohue offered a preview of his upcoming state of business address.

Donohue says he anticipates 2.5 percent growth "in the early quarters" but said "that's not enough to create the number of jobs that we need in this country to put America back to work." Donohue says his speech will address the need to find more energy and fix the nation's infrastructure, among other issues "that we believe will let us move in the direction of an accelerated economic growth into next year."

When asked about the ability of Congress and the Administration to achieve anything, Donohue reiterates his call for energy expansion. He points to the Keystone XL Pipeline project saying, "There are 20,000 immediate jobs and a quarter million jobs if a big hurry with things already designed that are shovel ready, let's go do it." He said politics was to blame for the project's delay.

Donohue goes on to say, "I have a message to people of both parties and all throughout the government to be better to do things that are in the best interest of Americans to put people back to work instead of trying to play games through an election."