CEO DATELINE - Report: Business groups debate participating in political conventions
CEO DATELINE - Report: Business groups debate participating in political conventions
- June 25, 2020 |
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Walt Williams
COVID-19 has thrown a wrench into this year's political convention season, with several associations and lobbying firms debating what role—if any—they will play at the upcoming Democratic and Republican National Conventions, Roll Call reported Wednesday.
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The Democratic National Convention is currently scheduled for Aug. 17-20 in Milwaukee, but some party leaders have floated the possibility of holding a partially virtual event. The Republican National Convention was originally going to be held in Charlotte, N.C., but the event was moved to Jacksonville, Fla., after President Donald Trump objected to social distancing requirements that would have limited crowd size. It is currently scheduled for Aug. 24-27.
Roll Call contacted several major D.C. lobbying powerhouses—including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Realtors—who said they had not determined what role they would have in the upcoming events.
"We had planned to be on the ground in Charlotte and Milwaukee and actively involved," Shannon McGahn, senior vice president of government affairs for NAR, told the newspaper. "However, we realize the situation is fluid, and we are monitoring events and looking for new ways to participate. No decision has been made."
(The International Franchise Association, which participated in the 2016 conventions, told CEO Update something similar in May. "We've been entirely focused on getting the support and relief our members and their employees need in federal and states related to the impact of the pandemic, so haven't thought about the conventions since this began," said Matt Haller, senior vice president of government relations and public affairs.)
Beyond concerns about spreading the virus, several corporations have expressed concerns about spending large amounts of money on the conventions at a time when many businesses and people are tightening their belts, according to Roll Call.
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