The participants in the call said that more than 120 CEOs, business leaders, lawyers and experts gathered on Saturday afternoon to discuss further action against the voting rights legislation.
One of the organizers of the call said the group discussed numerous options to return against Republican efforts to restrict access to the ballot box, including withdrawing their donations, moving business or jobs to countries that restrict take measures. , Jeffrey Sonnenfeld.
“It was incredibly concrete,” said Sonnenfeld, a professor at the Yale School of Management.
The meeting was first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.
Public statements, support for federal election legislation, and involvement in legal-related legal actions are all considered, said Mike Ward, co-founder of the Civic Alliance, a non-partisan group that encourages civic participation by businesses.
“This priority on democracy is driven by consumers and employees,” Ward said.
A wide range of industries were represented: finance, pharmaceuticals, travel, technology, retail and transportation. Notable participants were Brad Karp of law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn; Mellody Hobson of Ariel Investments; Chip Bergh of Levi Strauss; and Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons.
Representatives from AMC Theaters and three major airlines also attended.
Large corporations are getting involved as Republicans work to advance hundreds of restrictions across the country, changes advocated by voters and civil rights groups will affect voters of color disproportionately. Several major corporations have spoken out this month against a restrictive new law in Georgia and legislation pending in Texas, while Major League Baseball has announced it will move the All-Star Game out of Atlanta in protest of state law.
Republicans immediately pushed back.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Said it was ‘stupid’ for companies to take a stand on divided political issues before warning the US business group to ‘stay out of politics’. He softened his attitude a day later, saying: “I did not say it very artfully yesterday. They are definitely entitled to be involved in politics. It is them. My main complaint is that they did not read the bill. has not, “refers to Georgia’s newly enacted law.)
Texas, Lieutenant General Dan Patrick, a Republican, said the corporate response was “nonsense” and that the American CEO of American Airlines “should leave” after the airline passed a bill sponsored by GOP, in Texas, where it has its headquarters. Republican lawmakers in Texas on Thursday advanced another restrictive bill from the State House.
Sonnenfeld said he and other organizers had invited more than 120 CEOs and hoped a dozen would join. Ninety showed up with just 48 hours of notice – with a few entering from Augusta, Georgia, where the Masters Golf Tournament was taking place – at 2pm ET Saturday. Organizers left the Zoom Room open after closing at 3:10 p.m., as participants were still active in the conversation.
‘The prevailing spirit is that they do not want politicians using wedge issues to try to strengthen their position, as this would lead to angry communities and finger-pointing workers and divided shareholders. This makes their job as CEOs more difficult to manage these voters. They want social harmony, ‘Sonnenfeld said.
Ward said the Black Economic Alliance is coordinating a public statement that is likely to be released this week.
Ward said he is helping organizers follow up on businesses’ responses and expects a number of companies will come out in favor of federal voting legislation.
House Democrats recently passed a comprehensive suffrage bill, the For the People Act, that would create a federal floor of electoral access and regulations. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., has promised to vote in the full Senate, but the chances of passage are slim due to the 60-vote threshold in the House, which is split 50-50.
Democrats are also expected to reinstate the John Lewis Voting Rights Promotion Act, which will update and strengthen the Voting Rights Act.
Sonnenfeld says the strong attendance of the call is a statement of defiance against the Republican setback of corporate criticism.
“We had the best buyers from American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta. If they are going to boycott airlines, they better have their own plane,” he said.
