1. Praise for Governor Rauner of Illinois: There is no elected official in our nation who is showing the commitment of Governor Bruce Rauner, Governor, State of Illinois. His recent Executive Order should be used as an example for all mayors, county executives and governors throughout our nation. We, the federation of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, should show our appreciation and recognize his wisdom. We are preparing a thank you letter and, hereby, ask for all NBCC chapters and other business associations This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

2. Time to put CAFÉ to Rest: According to the National Auto Dealers Association, the existing mandates under the CAFÉ program would cause the price of an average vehicle to increase by $3,000 in 2025. The Heritage Foundation concluded that repealing the mandate would save 2025 car buyers at least $7,200 per vehicle. What started as a mandate in the mid – 1970’s to reduce foreign imports of oil was changed by the previous Administration to an environmental mandate. Its foundational assumption – that oil is becoming scarce and needs to be rationed by the government action - has proved false. The entire mandate is a relic of the narrative of scarcity. The surge in American energy production has rendered it moot. We are preparing a coalition letter signed by participating NBCC members and other advocacy and business organizations to request the end to this mandate. Here is a draft of the letter. Please consider This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

3. A New Dynamic Economy: Our 26th Annual Conference convenes July 19-20th in Washington, DC. The goal of the conference is to highlight “A New Dynamic Economy” through Opportunity Zones, Infrastructure Development, 5G Deployment, Smart Cities, Capital Access, Procurement Levels at Federal Agencies, International Trade including Matchmakers and Trade Missions, Section 3 of the HUD Act. Your This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as we finalize our plans.

The above items are time sensitive we need your responses by close of business Wednesday May 23.