Change the Chamber (CTC) is an environmentalist and climate advocacy coalition of student groups and other allied organizations. It runs an advocacy campaign for left-of-center climate change legislation and environmentalism and trains activists. ¹

It targets the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a pro-business group, with its political messaging in an attempt to pressure the Chamber and affiliated businesses to accede to environmentalist resolutions and regulations. ²

Activities

Change the Chamber, a coalition of student groups and other allied organizations, advocates for left-of-center climate legislation and environmentalism and trains future activists. ¹ It claims to challenge the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which it calls “the largest dark money, pro-fossil fuel group in the United States.” It blames the Chamber, its members, and other prominent companies for the climate advocacy movement being unable to pass restrictive environmentalist legislation. ²

It researches the Chamber of Commerce, businesses, and the flow of so-called dark money to attempt to educate its supporters. It also aims to influence major corporations to interfere with the Chamber’s plans and convince the Chamber to support left-of-center climate policies. It boasts that it has met with professionals from Lowe’s, Pfizer, Best Buy, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Bank of America, and Honeywell to persuade them to adopt climate actions and support environmental regulations. ²

It pursues its advocacy on various social media platforms as well as its network of youth campaigns, news platforms, and directly sends its research and opinions to federal agencies in support of climate solutions. ²

Declaration for American Democracy

Change the Chamber is a member of Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD), a coalition comprised of over 250 groups that support the proposed “Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.” The Act, named after the late U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-GA), would federalize elections, strengthen the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and remove many conventional election integrity measures. It would require states to make permanent emergency measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, including expansive early voting and vote by mail (not only for absentees) and lenient voter ID laws. It would additionally make election day a federal holiday, introduce automatic same-day voter registration, and establish “federal protections” to prevent state and local election officials from receiving “undue partisan influence and control.” ³

DFAD claims as a “guarantee” that The Freedom to Vote Act would ensure “fair” redistricting nationwide, and promises allegedly nonpartisan election oversight from the FEC. Furthermore, it would require super PACs, 501(c)(4) groups, and other organizations to disclose all donors, and would effectively shut down donor-advised funds. It also aims to set up a fund to finance ongoing “innovations” in democracy and election infrastructure. The fund would be replenished by penalty fees paid by states that commit infractions against new election laws. Each state would get a disbursement from the fund to finance “eligible democracy and election-related investments.” ³

1. “Change the Chamber.” Changethechamber.org. Accessed February 5, 2023. https://www.changethechamber.org/.
2. “About.” Changethechamber.org. Accessed February 5, 2023. https://www.changethechamber.org/about-change-the-chamber.
3. “Declaration for American Democracy.” DFADCoalition.org. Accessed February 4, 2023. https://dfadcoalition.org/. Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20230204223830/https://dfadcoalition.org/.