Making An Impact newsletter
January Making an Impact
We will not give up on the Freedom to Vote
ASBN has been very outspoken about the need to pass the Freedom to Vote Act in order to protect our democracy.Protecting our democracy is the foundation for economic prosperity. In January we took our support efforts to the next level. We implemented a publicity campaign and ads, focused heavily in Arizona and in West Virginia, urging business owners to speak to their law makers to make the business case for protecting voting rights.
December Making an Impact
ASBN’s First In-person Conference
This month ASBN held its first conference since the merger of ASBC and SVC. What made this conference particularly special is the renewed sense of community achieved by more than 250 attendees and that it was in-person. With many precautions in place to protect our participants from Covid, we were able to safely create the best experience for all of our community-minded participants and speakers as well as our staff.
November Policy Update
We applaud the passage of IIJA and were ecstatic
to see our CEO at the signing
Since the announcement of the Build Back Better agenda, ASBN has been at the forefront of fighting to get the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed. After multiple sign-ons, webinars, and anything we could do to advocate for this act, we are excited to finally see it signed into law.
October Policy Update
The disappointing outcome – for now – of the Freedom to Vote Act
On October 20, the Freedom to Vote Act was put to a vote by the Senate. Disappointingly not a single Republican voted for the act. Due to this, the Senate could not even begin to debate it. The Freedom to Vote Act will help defend our democracy, and help improve the economy and American businesses. We, along with many businesses and organizations, support the Freedom to Vote Act and find it hard to believe that the vote came out in this manner.
September Policy Update
Build Back Better campaign, voting rights, and more
ASBC has stood tall in our support of the Build Back Better Act since the very beginning. To demonstrate why it is so significant to our members and to a just, sustainable, and healthy economy, we developed a sign on letter for businesses to show their support and more than 370 businesses signed on within the first few days. And more companies continue to sign on.
August Policy Update
BIF, Mandatory COVID vaccination, and more.
Following early and consistent advocacy by ASBC, the House last week confirmed a major step toward significant investments in American physical and human infrastructure by agreeing to the $3.5 trillion budget resolution passed earlier in the month by the Senate and setting a firm date to consider another Senate passed bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (HR 3684) based on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework (BIF).
July Policy Update
Fair Elections vs. Filibuster
July 20-22, ASBC staff and business members again came together for virtual fly-in meetings with federal lawmakers in D.C. As with our earlier fly-ins and other outreach, we made the business case for policies that would facilitate a just, sustainable, stakeholder economy. With our fly-ins, we create unique opportunities for open communication between policymakers and responsible business leaders who offer a smart, sustainable view of “what business wants.”
June Policy Update
Push for Voting, Opportunity
The U.S. House of Representatives passed H-1, For the People, in March, but as of late June, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and all the other Republican Senators have refused to even allow the bill to be discussed on the Senate floor. ASBC joins all Americans concerned about this escalating threat to our democratic republic in decrying this blatantly evasive maneuver.
May 2021 Policy Update
More Clean Energy, Fewer Tax Havens
Giving voice to the responsible business community, ASBC has recently endorsed several game-changing bills on climate and energy, including the bi-partisan; Partnerships for Energy Security and Innovation Act, led by Sen. Coons, Graham and Lujan, to establish a Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation.
April 2021 Policy Update
ASBC’s Justice & Climate Actions Take the Spotlight
On April 15, ASBC-SVC announced they were terminating Barclays membership and refunding its dues, based on the bank’s involvement in an Alabama prison financing deal. Business leaders and investors rallied in our support, urging Barclays, which led the financing, to drop the deal.
March 2021 Policy Update
Pandemic Relief, Clean Water, Less Plastic
American Sustainable Business Council applauds passage of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package on March 11, strongly addressing Covid-19’s devastating harm to Americans’ health and economic survival.
February 2021 Policy Update
Black History Month Means Business—and Democracy for All
MaryAnne Howland, ASBC board member, chair of its Race & Equity Working Group, and founder/CEO of Ibis Communications, considers the work in progress that is black history in American society and the business world.
January 2021 Policy Update
Real Progress vs. Big Problems
ASBC was very encouraged to see many of the policies and decisions we’ve been fighting for become executive orders and initial agency actions announced by the Biden-Harris White House on Inauguration Day, January 20, and in the days immediately following.
December Policy Update
Hope for Workers, Wins for Transparency
As the incoming Biden-Harris administration conducts reviews of the various departments it will oversee as of January 20, 2021, ASBC has been actively involved with several of the agency review teams, providing recommendations in vital areas of interest to our stakeholders.
November Policy Update
Mixed Bag of Wins, ASBC/SVC Conference
Responsible U.S. business celebrated the historical turnouts in November’s presidential election following record-breaking participation from voters in both parties. Wall Street was among the first to herald the anticipated results, but ASBC will continue to insist that Main Street’s long-neglected needs are high the new administration’s agenda.
October Policy Update
Last-Chance Voting, Covid Relief Status and Game-Changer Accounting
We’re down to the wire on what is one of a very few literally world-changing elections in our nation’s history. Topping the list of what’s at stake: Our country’s real economy, democracy, human health and a livable planet. Whatever else you do between now and the evening of Nov.
September Policy Update
New ASBC/SVC Alliance,
Election Outreach and Childhood Cancer
The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) has been making the business case for a clean, fair economy for over a decade. Now, we’re leveraging our strengths in a new strategic alliance with Social Venture Circle (SVC), the prominent social-impact networking organization. Read the full press release.
August Policy Update
Senate Abandons Pandemic Relief in August
Failing to come to agreement on most elements of an urgently-needed second relief package, Congress has adjourned and deferred this issue until after September 8. The end of March’s CARES Act has left tens of millions of Americans without the emergency $600/week employment income replacement from the Federal government and only scant unemployment payments from many states.
July Policy Update
SBC Applauds Biden Climate & Infrastructure Plan,
Urges Trump to Match It
ASBC has applauded Vice President Joe Biden’s newly released Climate & Infrastructure Plan which allocates $2T to fuel green growth for America’s businesses, rebuild the nation’s deteriorated infrastructure and create 10 million new, union-level wage jobs.
June Policy Update
ASBC Draws More Than 700 Registrants for Two Online Meetings to Energize Business Action to Confront Racism
ASBC has long advocated for policies that move us toward a more just, inclusive, equitable and sustainable economy and society, but the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police has sparked new outrage, leading to renewed energy toward those goals.