U.S. Chamber Fires Back at Critics After Departures

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has seen a handful of member companies quit over its opposition to pending climate-change legislation, fired back Friday with a letter saying its critics were organized by "our normal adversaries-- trial lawyers, activist unions [and] environmental extremists."

The letter from David Chavern, the chamber's chief operating officer, was sent out to local chambers of commerce before noon Friday, with the idea that it would be passed on to member companies.

In it, Chavern stands by the confrontational stance that led companies like Pacific Gas and Electric, Apple and Levi Strauss to resign their memberships.

The chamber says it wants some kind of climate legislation, but it has opposed legislation passed in the U.S. House earlier this year, saying it would impose burdensome economic costs by making fossil fuels more expensive.

One of the chamber's officials has also called for a modern-day "Scopes monkey trial," in which the Environmental Protection Agency would lay out evidence to prove the climate really is changing.

"[I]nterest groups are looking for public leverage to force us to do things against the best interests of the business community," Chavern said, citing a campaign by environmental groups to persuade other member companies to break with the chamber on climate policy.

Chavern said that some of the opposition also resulted from the chamber's stances on health-care reform and the so-called "card-check" process for labor unions. He continued: "We intend to continue being successful, so we expect the negative messages to your organization may continue."

In all, five companies have said recently that they would leave the chamber over its stance on climate, according to a count by the Natural Resources Defense Council: Apple, Exelon, PNM Resources, Pacific Gas and Electric and Levi Strauss & Co. In addition, Nike resigned its seat on the chamber's board, but not its membership.

The environmental group also counts seven companies, including Johnson & Johnson and General Electric, as having said the chamber does not represent them on climate policy.