Biography provided by participant
R. Bruce Josten. Executive vice president for Government Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Josten is the organization's senior government and political affairs executive. He manages five major divisions: Congressional and Public Affairs; Economic Policy; Environment, Technology and Regulatory Affairs; Labor, Immigration, and Employee Benefits; and Political and Federation Relations. Josten is considered one of American business' most effective strategists in the ongoing battle with the trial lawyer lobby. He served as co-chair of the Coalition to Save Medicare and is sought after as one of the most knowledgeable and articulate pro-business advocates in the health care debate.
Josten is the key architect of the U.S. Chamber's resurgent position as leader of the business community's policy and grassroots activities in the 104th through the 109th Congresses. In the 104th Congress, when House and Senate leaders sought a prominent figure in the business community to head their balanced budget coalition-the key agenda item in the battle against big government-they turned to Josten and the Chamber. His persistent efforts resulted in the passage of the first balanced budget in 29 years and the first tax cut in 16 years.
In the 107th Congress, Josten co-founded the Tax Relief Coalition and helped enact the $1.35 trillion tax relief package, the first major tax cut in a generation. As the nation confronted its first energy crisis in a quarter century, Josten helped form the Alliance for Energy and Economic Growth, a coalition working to enact a comprehensive national energy plan. In response to legislative attacks on sourcing and foreign investment in the United States, Josten formed coalitions combining U.S. and foreign companies operating in the United States to educate policymakers and the public on ramifications of restricting sourcing in a worldwide economy, as well as the economic benefits to the United States from foreign investment.
At the U.S. Chamber, he has invested heavily in new technologies to enhance the Grassroots and Advocacy Programs (VoteForBusiness.com), resulting in a state-of-the-art legislative mobilization machine for American business. Josten is a frequent commentator on national legislative, political, and economic issues affecting the business community, its employees, and the economy. He is quoted regularly by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Business Week, FORTUNE, and National Journal and is often interviewed by the major television networks and talk radio.
Josten has been recognized by Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill, as one of the 50 most influential Washingtonians in electing congressional candidates. He also serves on the Dean's Advisory Committee of Public Affairs for The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management.
