At the 2026 State of the American Business, the year the U.S. marks its 250th Anniversary, U.S. Chamber President and CEO Suzanne P. Clark outlined why free enterprise and the confidence to lead remain essential to long-term economic growth and opportunity in her annual State of American Business address.

“Reaching and sustaining 3% growth is the fastest, surest way to raise living standards for Americans.  And that is a goal we all share,”

Suzzanne P. Clark, U.S. Chamber President

JPMorganChase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon, Hilton President and CEO Christopher J. Nassetta, and Carlyle Group Co-Chairman David Rubenstein joined Clark for a timely conversation on how business can keep America on the path toward growth and opportunity.

Additionally, Clark stated:

“Free enterprise is the system that enables businesses to respond to people and to respond to problems,” she said.  “We need it to solve the great challenges of our time – future generations will need it to solve the great challenges of their time. But what could hold us back?  You might guess politics or public opinion.  But it’s much more essential than that – it’s fear.  Choosing redistribution over growth is a fear-based choice – it’s a zero-sum mentality that leads to scarcity, not abundance.  Government control over free-market forces is a fear-based choice – it’s a bet on bureaucracy, and a bet against people. We have to be fearless.”  

Today’s moment was also compared by Clark to that of the nation’s last major milestone, the bicentennial in 1976 – a time when Americans were feeling fear because the economy was languishing in large part due to too much government intervention.   

“Fifty years ago, the people had to make a choice between the two dominant worldviews of the era – an economy determined by the markets or an economy directed by the government,” Clark said. “They chose free enterprise … ushering in a new era of growth, innovation, and investment fueled by low taxes, stable regulations, and robust trade.”   

You can read more about the 2026 State of American Business via the following link.