December 11, 2012 the President the White House Washington
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300 New Jersey Avenue, NW Telephone 202.872.1260 Suite 800 Facsimile 202.466.3509 Washington, DC 20001 Website brt.org Chairman W. James McNerney, Jr. The Boeing Company December 11, 2012 President John Engler The President Business Roundtable The White House Washington, DC 20500 Executive Committee Ajay Banga MasterCard Incorporated Dear Mr. President: Ursula M. Burns Xerox Corporation As CEOs of companies representing more than $7.3 trillion in annual revenues Kenneth I. Chenault and more than 16 million employees, we write to express our belief that the American Express Company United States will suffer significant negative economic, employment, and social David M. Cote consequences for going over the fiscal cliff. In many cases the damage will be Honeywell International, Inc. long-lasting, if not permanent. But it does not have to happen. Alexander M. Cutler Eaton Corporation We urge you to step forward and demonstrate that principled compromise is James Dimon JPMorgan Chase & Co. once again possible and that the American political system that underpinned the Michael T. Duke economic success of our nation and others can function as designed. For far too Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. long, political paralysis has fueled global uncertainty that discourages businesses Jeffrey R. Immelt from investing and hiring new workers. This paralysis must come to an end, and General Electric Company in a way that resists the temptation to declare winners and losers. Andrew N. Liveris The Dow Chemical Company We pledge our active support for a compromise that includes comprehensive Gary W. Loveman Caesars Entertainment Corporation and meaningful tax and entitlement reforms that result in market-credible Robert A. McDonald spending reductions and revenue growth. The deal should be a balanced The Procter & Gamble Company solution to the fiscal cliff and long-term deficit and debt issues. To address these Harold McGraw III challenges with the scale of response required, no options should be precluded The McGraw-Hill Companies from a potential solution. Douglas R. Oberhelman Caterpillar Inc. Compromise will require Congress to agree on more revenue – whether by Edward B. Rust, Jr. State Farm Insurance Companies increasing rates, eliminating deductions, or some combination thereof – and the administration to agree to larger, meaningful structural and benefit entitlement Randall L. Stephenson AT&T Inc. reforms and spending reductions that are a fiscally responsible multiple of Rex W. Tillerson increased revenues. By initiating these reforms simultaneously, and without Exxon Mobil Corporation undermining the broader reforms both parties believe should be pursued, you Maggie Wilderotter can rebuild the trust needed for our political system to function and the Frontier Communications Corporation confidence needed for businesses to invest in new factories, equipment, and employees. December 11, 2012 Page 2 For most of our careers, the American system of governance earned global respect and emulation. Politicians put aside partisan rancor and ideological purity to deal with major challenges. This was a significant asset for the country, a source of confidence with respect to investment, trade, and commerce. This hard‐won asset has been tarnished over time, albeit unintentionally. You now have an opportunity to turn political swords into governing plowshares. This opportunity must not be squandered. The U.S. economy has been stalled on the road to greater prosperity. We believe it is primed for strong and sustained expansion. American businesses know how to create jobs and compete in a diverse global market. We are poised and ready to do so if the conditions for growth are set in a comprehensive agreement on the fiscal cliff. When all is said and done Americans are interested in solutions. Winston Churchill once said that “Americans can be counted on to do the right thing after exhausting all other alternatives.” We just need to do so before it is too late. Sincerely, W. James McNerney, Jr. Andrew N. Liveris Chairman, President and CEO Chairman & CEO The Boeing Company The Dow Chemical Company David M. Cote Robert A. McDonald Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Chairman of the Board, President and CEO Honeywell International, Inc. The Procter & Gamble Company December 11, 2012 Page 3 Paul W. Jones Martin Richenhagen James M. Cracchiolo Chairman & CEO CEO, Chairman and President Chairman and Chief Executive Officer A. O. Smith Corporation AGCO Ameriprise Financial Enrique O. Santacana James L. Wainscott G. Steven Farris President and CEO Chairman, President & CEO Chairman & CEO ABB Inc. AK Steel Corporation Apache Corporation Miles D. White Klaus Kleinfeld John Eaves Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Chairman & CEO President & CEO Abbott Alcoa Arch Coal, Inc. Evan G. Greenberg Lee Styslinger III Randall L. Stephenson Chairman & CEO Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Chairman & CEO ACE Group Altec, Inc. AT&T Inc. Andrés R. Gluski Kenneth Chenault Carlos Rodriguez President and CEO Chairman & CEO President & CEO AES Corporation American Express ADP Mark T. Bertolini James G. Carlson Dean A. Scarborough Chairman, Chief Executive Officer Chairman, President and CEO Chairman, President & CEO and President Amerigroup Avery Dennison Corporation Aetna Inc. December 11, 2012 Page 4 Laurence D. Fink Denise M. Morrison Ronald L. Nelson Chairman and Chief Executive Officer President and Chief Executive Officer Chairman & CEO BlackRock Campbell Soup Company Avis Budget Group John A. Hayes Matthew K. Rose George S. Barrett President and CEO Chairman & CEO Chairman and CEO Ball Corporation BNSF Railway Cardinal Health Brian Moynihan Timothy M. Manganello Doug Oberhelman CEO Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Chairman and CEO Bank of America BorgWarner Inc. Caterpillar Inc. Brent Saunders Tom Schievelbein Robert Sulentic President & CEO Chairman, President and CEO President and CEO Bausch & Lomb Incorporated Brinks Company CBRE, Inc. Marijn E. Dekkers Maurice R. Greenberg Stephen R. Wilson CEO Bayer AG Chairman & CEO Chairman and CEO Bayer AG C. V. Starr & Co., Inc. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. Riley P. Bechtel Gary W. Loveman Lee A. McIntire Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Chairman, President & CEO CEO Bechtel Group, Inc. Caesars Entertainment CH2M HILL Companies, LTD. December 11, 2012 Page 5 Aubrey K. McClendon Wendell Weeks Clarence Otis CEO Chairman & CEO Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Chesapeake Energy Corporation Corning Incorporated Darden David M. Cordani Eric C. Fast Kent J. Thiry President & Chief Executive Officer President and Chief Executive Officer Chairman & CEO Cigna Corporation Crane Co. DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc Michael Corbat J. Michael Lawrie Samuel R. Allen CEO President & Chief Executive Officer Chairman & C.E.O. Citigroup Inc. CSC Deere & Company Francisco D'Souza Michael Ward Michael Dell CEO Chairman, President and CEO Chairman and CEO Cognizant CSX Dell Inc. Brian L. Roberts Tom Linebarger Michael D White Chairman Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Chairman & CEO Comcast Corporation Cummins Inc. DIRECTV, Inc. Andrea J. Ayers Larry Merlo James E. Rogers President and CEO President & CEO Chairman, President & CEO Convergys Corporation CVS Caremark Duke Energy Corporation December 11, 2012 Page 6 Pierre Brondeau Ellen Kullman George Paz Chairman, President and CEO Chair of the Board & CEO Chairman & CEO FMC Corporation DuPont Company Express Scripts Holding, Inc. James P. Rogers Rex W. Tillerson Richard C. Adkerson Chairman & CEO Chairman and CEO President and CEO Eastman Chemical Company Exxon Mobil Corporation Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Frederick W. Smith Alexander M. Cutler Maggie Wilderotter Chairman & CEO Chairman and CEO Chairman & CEO FedEx Corporation Eaton Corporation PLC Frontier Communications Corporation John C. Lechleiter William L. McComb Gracia Martore Chairman, President and CEO Chief Executive Officer President and CEO Eli Lilly and Company Fifth & Pacific Companies, Inc. Gannett Joseph M. Tucci James A. Hughes Jeffrey R. Immelt Chairman and CEO Chief Executive Officer Chairman & CEO EMC Corporation First Solar General Electric Company David F. Melcher David T. Seaton Lloyd C. Blankfein CEO and President Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Chairman & CEO Exelis Inc. Fluor Corporation The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. December 11, 2012 Page 7 James T. Ryan Mark P. Frissora Alex Gorsky Chairman, President, and CEO Chairman & CEO Chief Executive Officer W.W. Grainger, Inc. Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. Johnson & Johnson Stephen Chipman Michael McCallister Stephen A. Roell Chief Executive Officer Chairman & CEO Chairman and CEO Grant Thornton LLP Humana Inc. Johnson Controls, Inc. Dinesh C. Paliwal Mike Lamach Jamie Dimon Chairman, President & CEO President and Chief Executive Officer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Harman International Industries, Inc. Ingersoll Rand JPMorgan Chase & Co William M. Brown John Faraci Carl Camden President and Chief Executive Officer Chairman and CEO President & CEO Harris Corporation International Paper Kelly Services, Inc. Liam E. McGee Joseph L. Welch Paul J. Diaz Chairman, President & CEO Chairman, President and CEO Chief Executive Officer The Hartford ITC Holdings Corp. Kindred Healthcare Brian Goldner Denise Ramos John B. Veihmeyer President & CEO Chief Executive Officer and President Chairman and CEO Hasbro, Inc. ITT Corporation KPMG December 11, 2012 Page 8 David H. Long John Hammergren Thomas C. Nelson President & CEO Chairman and CEO Chairman, President & CEO Liberty