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U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Donohue weighs in on whether President Obama's recess appointments were constitutional, and the state of American bus...
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-- earlier this morning US chamber of commerce CEO Tom Donohue -- is set to -- twelve outlook on the state of American business so why take a listen.
As we Begin 2012 we can say that the state of American business.
Is improving.
But it is doing so -- Slowly.
And insufficiently.
To put our nation.
To work on to talk more about the -- -- -- self mr.
Donohue joins us right now thank you sir for coming on the show we're very much appreciate it.
Glad to be here now I definitely want to spend some time and examining -- -- can look at the particular factors but I do wanna ask you about Q items in the news.
First and and the first -- askew with the understanding that you don't wanna get involved in any -- the horse race the Republican primary however.
What do you make of all this discussion about the private equity business and while Mitt Romney's business record has been examined here -- Well I have two reactions number one it's disappointing.
That the candidates -- gotten down into that kind of an argument.
Which will eventually provide.
Fodder for the presidential campaign.
And second -- on the positive side begins.
Governor Romney and opportunity.
To respond to those arguments in his work his way through what was then what.
And most people believe was a very successful.
Business career in the private equity business which is all about risk.
All about saving.
Weakened companies -- about putting people who work.
So warm up for.
And if he makes it to the the general election I guess the second item.
But I wanted to ask you about because we got a little bit of -- not at this hour our president Obama's recess appointments the Department of Justice came out and said that those appointments that he made.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and National Labor Relations Board -- our constitutional got the backing of a DOJ.
But I wanted to -- view with the chamber of commerce is there's still a possibility of legal action.
It's on your part with regard these.
-- Well let's -- on the on your part out of it and first.
Eight you know I'm sure the Department of Justice.
-- I gave it a very -- look and they do like to be the prosecutor the judge and the jury.
And I would expect that the -- what's -- reserved to themselves.
The -- and -- -- question.
Our argument was quite different it wasn't.
Whether this should have been done in a recess -- in recess appointments have been done forever but they usually were done in the real recess.
And so I think they'll be some technical arguments there what our deal was you can't have somebody running this whole -- a deal that is.
Hidden in self judge and jury you know there is no oversight in terms of having other commissioners.
There's no there's no oversight from the congress on on a huge budget if I think they'll be lawsuits I'm not sure we're gonna take them.
But you might.
Is the point you still -- we always might we have a pretty good track record of successfully doing that so if it -- if the courts hold this up.
That doesn't necessarily mean you won't.
File -- lawsuit you still might miss the point.
Yes there -- a whole series of issues here in which a lawsuit can be filed.
It's not right right now.
And we don't file lawsuits the file and we file on the -- fair enough okay 2012.
They talked about it this morning.
-- -- about the the economy and we've -- a lot of guest coming on Telus is the same thing it is starting to improve but they've recovered very very slow.
How do you best characterize the state of American business right now.
-- as I said.
This morning I think it's doing better.
But it's not doing as well as we need to put people in great numbers back to work.
And while we will have in the fourth quarter and economic growth number they could be well up.
Into the mid 3%.
-- are projecting as our them fed and everybody else much slower economic growth.
In the first and second quarter it -- though this year and by the way we've said in the speech.
That we could be wrong in one of two ways.
We could be wrong in the number could be a lot lower -- pending what happens.
Or we could be wrong and the economic growth number could be a lot better if the government moves on the issues we raised.
Such as a massive expansion of they in the energy area and moving the XL pipeline doing.
Doing issues on allowing permitting to drill for oil and gas.
And so on and -- Reform and those types of things I want to ask.
About which of those priorities do you think is the most realistic in this political environment what's one thing you think it's gonna get done this year that'll improve the environment.
Well if somebody said.
And I'm gonna push you a little somebody said of all the things you said tell -- the two things that'll put people who work yeah and one.
-- the and it GN infrastructure issue go do that you put people who work right away and -- is pulled back a little bit on this.
You know explosion of regulation.
But I know that -- -- everybody on the sideline and that can happen.
I didn't ask you which ones he's it would for people who -- -- -- what's the take -- most realistic to get done.
Now I think those two of the most realistic okay -- get done they can get past.
In this shorter time thank you very well you don't have to pass everything.
A lot of it can be done by executive order that's a good point as well mr.
-- very much welcome on the show anytime you'd like to come -- we thank you for coming out today.
Thank you very.
