Political Action Center — Manhattan Chamber of Commerce

Manhattan Chamber of Commerce

Political Action Center

We engage with officials in NYC, Albany, and Washington to shape legislation that helps businesses survive and grow. From fair taxes to smarter regulations, we ensure policymakers understand the real-world impact of their decisions. But most importantly, they must hear from you.

Make Your Voice Heard

129K Businesses Represented

3 Government Levels

30+ Coalition Partners

Campaign Live Now

The Main Street Deal:
Saving Our Main Streets

"We provide the character, jobs, and safety of the neighborhood — and the City provides a fair environment for us to survive."

Manhattan's storefronts are more than businesses — they are neighborhood anchors. But today they're caught in an unprecedented squeeze: higher rents, rising costs, safety concerns, and enforcement that feels punitive rather than practical. The Main Street Deal is a unified platform by the Storefront Business Coalition to secure the future of brick-and-mortar businesses in New York City. We're not asking for special treatment. We're asking for a fair chance.

Coalition co-chaired by Deborah Koenigsberger (Noir et Blanc) & Patrick Hall (Élan Flowers)

Sign the Deal Learn More

Our Policy Vision

Making Manhattan Work
for Business — and for New Yorkers

A city that works for business is a city that works for people. When businesses open, hire, and grow — neighborhoods feel safer, jobs are stronger, and opportunity spreads.

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Safe & Clean Streets

Day and night, every neighborhood should feel welcoming to customers, workers, and residents alike.

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Small Business Growth

Businesses should survive and grow — not just "hang on." From barbershops to biotech, every enterprise matters.

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Clear & Fair Rules

Enforcement should fix problems — not create them. Regulations must be transparent and equitably applied.

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Sensible Hiring

Costs and red tape shouldn't make hiring impossible. Growing a team should make business sense again.

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Tourism That Lifts All

Foot traffic and visitor spending should reach every neighborhood — not just the biggest landmarks.

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Modern City Services

The City should deliver basic services like a modern organization — with clear permits and fast approvals.

Core Beliefs

What Guides Every Fight

You can't be pro-worker without being pro-job. Good wages depend on healthy employers and growing revenue.

Safety and cleanliness are economic infrastructure. If customers don't feel comfortable walking down the block, businesses fail — and everyone loses.

The cost of doing business becomes the cost of living. When rent, insurance, fines, delays, and red tape spike, prices go up and hiring goes down.

Government should be easier to deal with than the city is to run. A world-class city can't operate on confusing permits, slow approvals, and inconsistent enforcement.

We don't do ideology. We do outcomes. Our positions are guided by what actually works — not what sounds good in a speech.

Active Legislation

Policies We Support & Oppose

Legislation and policy positions we are actively engaged on in 2026.

Last updated: February 6, 2026

Policies We Support

🔴 The Main Street Deal

Now Live — Our flagship 2026 campaign. The policy agenda of the Storefront Business Coalition, led by the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and co-chaired by Deborah Koenigsberger and Patrick Hall. A unified platform demanding fair leases, safe streets, reasonable enforcement, and lower costs for NYC's brick-and-mortar businesses.
Sign the Deal & Join the Coalition
Flagship Campaign City

Affordability Agenda for Job Creators

The 2026 Policy Agenda of the Five Borough Jobs Campaign, led by the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and 30+ organizations. A comprehensive blueprint for City and State leaders to reverse negative trends, create good-paying jobs, and build vibrant communities.
30+ Partner Coalition

Modernizing the Manhattan Cruise Terminal

The Manhattan Cruise Terminal drives vital tourism spending for local businesses, but needs an upgrade to stay competitive. We're urging Congress to authorize improvements immediately through the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). This legislative window only opens every two years.
Read our letter of support
Federal — WRDA

Establishing a Chef to Community Tax Credit

A new Chef to Community Tax Credit would deliver a dual benefit: stabilizing small businesses by monetizing their excess capacity while ensuring vulnerable neighbors have access to nutritious, restaurant-quality meals.
Read our letter of support
State — A9055

Infrastructure Expansion Act of 2025

Federal legislation (H.R. 3548) that would reduce skyrocketing insurance costs by overriding NY's "Scaffold Law" on federally funded projects, bringing standard comparative negligence liability rules to New York to spur affordable housing and infrastructure growth.
Federal — H.R. 3548 Build More NY Coalition

Policies We Oppose

The NY AI Act: A Risk to Innovation

We've issued formal opposition to S.1169/A.8884. The bill's framework — particularly its inclusion of private lawsuits and high-cost audits — will drive tech talent out of New York and penalize small businesses trying to modernize. We're calling on the Legislature to fix the bill before it passes.
Read our letter of opposition
State — S.1169 / A.8884

Eliminating the Tip Credit for Restaurant Wages

Eliminating the tip credit would impose an unsustainable financial burden on independent restaurants, forcing owners to cut jobs, raise prices, or close their doors at a time when the industry is still struggling to recover.
Op-ed by CEO Jessica Walker
State — S.415 / A.1200

Banning Last-Mile Delivery Models

Intro 1396-2025 would force companies like Amazon to directly hire last-mile delivery drivers instead of using third-party contractors. This would hurt thousands of local, minority- and family-owned logistics companies and drive up costs for New Yorkers while pushing essential jobs out of the city.
City — Intro 1396-2025 NY Delivers Coalition

Support Our Work

Manhattan Chamber PAC

The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce PAC supports candidates at the city and state level who understand and prioritize the needs of Manhattan businesses. Chaired by CEO Jessica Walker.

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Contribute Online

Make a PAC contribution via credit card, Apple Pay, or ACH — quick and secure.

Contribute Now

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Contribute by Check

Make checks payable to "Manhattan Chamber of Commerce PAC" and mail to:

575 Fifth Avenue, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10017

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Running for Office?

If you are a candidate for elected office at the city or state level and wish to solicit a contribution, we'd love to hear from you.

Questions or legislation to propose? We're very responsive.

info@manhattancc.org