Could Health Care Reform Further Divide The Chamber Of Commerce?

While the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has made its anti-health care reform position clear on many occasions, it looks as though some local chapters are fully aware of the benefits reform could reap for small businesses.

However the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce is taking a significantly different view on the issue.

"Because the Duluth Area Chamber's membership is made up of primarily micro businesses, employers with 5 or fewer employees, these are the very-sized organizations and businesses that need this kind of a national initiative," said David Ross, Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce president.

The Duluth Area Chamber says it's members could benefit more significantly from health reform than could the members of the national organization--which officials say is primarily made up of large corporations.

Obviously, the Duluth Chamber is very aware of the small business benefits included in Democratic proposals for health care reform.  And as far back as June, the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce supported health care reform with a "robust government public plan" that would benefit small, female owned businesses.  But since the national Chamber members include giant corporations (Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, and - until recently - Apple and Nike) they probably aren't getting much support from above.

Could this be the beginning of a split between the pro-corporate national Chamber and the pro-small business local Chambers?