Corporate America's Bipartisan Playbook for the Next Congress

NEW YORK, NY – November 10, 2026 — For decades, the corporate lobbying playbook was painfully predictable: push for lower corporate tax rates, advocate for deregulation, and quietly fund whichever political action committee promised to maintain the status quo. But as the dust settles on the 2026 midterms, a fundamentally different blueprint is emerging from the corner office.

Today, the Leadership Now Project—a coalition backed by more than 400 CEOs, senior executives, and corporate board members—released "Delivering for Americans: A To-Do List for the Next Congress." Alongside an updated Business Plan for America, the framework bypasses the partisan extremes to offer the incoming Congress a pragmatic, bipartisan legislative roadmap. The agenda focuses on three core pillars: lowering household and business costs, sustaining national economic competitiveness, and, perhaps most notably, restoring trust in democratic institutions.

"In the midterms, Americans sent a consistent message: they want lower costs and a government that is accountable to the people," said Daniella Ballou-Aares, CEO and founder of Leadership Now Project. "American business relies on similar conditions — firms cannot thrive in a dysfunctional democracy, or in a society in which many feel shut out of opportunity. The midterms have reset the political landscape, and the new Congress has an opportunity to show that Washington can still come together to deliver for Americans. This plan provides a path."

The release signals an increasingly assertive effort by mainstream business leaders to combat institutional dysfunction. For these executives, democratic norms and practical governance are no longer just civic ideals; they are essential preconditions for economic growth, supply chain stability, and market performance in an increasingly volatile global landscape.

The New Business Lobbying: Reining in Executive Tariffs

What makes this newly published To-Do List stand out is its stark departure from conventional corporate lobbying orthodoxy. Traditional trade groups, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have historically focused on broad deregulatory frameworks and tax mitigation. The Leadership Now Project, however, is taking direct aim at specific executive powers and structural market imbalances that threaten long-term corporate strategy.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the group's stance on trade. The coalition is urging the new Congress to pass the Trade Review Act (S. 1272), a bipartisan bill that would require congressional approval for tariffs imposed by the executive branch to remain in effect beyond 60 days.

For supply chain financiers and multinational strategists, unilateral executive tariffs have been a persistent source of friction. The ability of the Oval Office to upend global trade dynamics overnight makes long-term capital allocation nearly impossible. Yet, despite its bipartisan sponsorship, S. 1272 has languished in the Senate Finance Committee for nearly 600 days, facing fierce opposition and veto threats from an executive branch unwilling to cede its unilateral trade authority. By throwing the collective weight of 400 prominent business leaders behind it, the coalition hopes to force a floor debate on trade predictability, arguing that Congress must reclaim its constitutional authority over commerce.

Forcing Tech and AI to Foot the Bill

The coalition's willingness to challenge corporate giants is equally evident in its approach to the technology and energy sectors. As artificial intelligence drives an unprecedented surge in electricity demand, the Business Plan for America advocates for the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (S. 5653). Crucially, this legislation includes provisions requiring data centers to cover their own grid infrastructure costs rather than passing them on to residential and small-business ratepayers.

This puts the group at the center of a brewing clash over energy economics. In June 2026, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) directed regional grid operators to justify or reform rules governing how large energy users connect to the grid. While the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) recently pledged that the tech sector would voluntarily pay for new power-delivery infrastructure, the Leadership Now Project is demanding hard legislative mandates rather than relying on industry goodwill. This aggressive approach is already finding allies on Capitol Hill; the Problem Solvers Caucus recently endorsed the Ratepayer Protection Act, a parallel effort to ensure large-load customers foot the bill for their massive energy consumption.

The coalition is also pushing for strict federal oversight of advanced AI models. The To-Do List calls for the passage of the Frontier Act (H.R. 9925), which would require frontier AI companies to adopt safety evaluation criteria and critical incident reporting. This stance openly defies the preferences of major tech lobbying groups, which continue to advocate for voluntary, consensus-based standards to avoid impeding innovation. For the executives backing the To-Do List, however, the systemic risks posed by unregulated AI—from market manipulation to cybersecurity vulnerabilities—far outweigh the compliance costs imposed on a handful of tech monopolies.

Democracy on the Balance Sheet

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the coalition's agenda is its heavy emphasis on institutional integrity and anti-corruption measures. It is historically rare to see a business consortium prioritize government ethics over tax policy, but recent internal polling reveals a stark reality: 84% of senior business leaders are deeply worried about the impact of the current political and legal climate on their companies.

To address this crisis of confidence, the To-Do List champions the HONEST Act (S. 1498), which would ban members of Congress, the president, and their immediate families from trading stocks or betting on prediction markets. The bill also seeks to extend conflict-of-interest laws to anyone acting on behalf of the U.S. government and establish enforceable ethics standards for the Supreme Court.

Despite broad public support, the HONEST Act has been waiting for a Senate floor vote for over 500 days. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing the act would cost less than $500,000 in administrative expenses over four years, making it a remarkably cheap fix for a massive deficit in public trust.

"These proposals tackle issues voters care about, and Congress can take action on them now," noted Kevin Brennan, Leadership Now Project National Advisory Board Member and Policy Committee Chair. "Getting them done would be an important first step in rebuilding trust in government and improving the lives of Americans. Business leaders across the country are ready to help make that happen."

The group is also advocating for a national standard to end mid-decade redistricting and partisan gerrymandering, utilizing the Problem Solvers Caucus Gerrymandering Reform Framework. By neutralizing the extremes of both parties, these business leaders hope to foster a legislative environment capable of addressing complex economic challenges without the constant threat of government shutdowns or debt ceiling crises.

A Pragmatic Blueprint for 2028

Beyond institutional reforms, the Business Plan for America outlines a comprehensive approach to broad-based prosperity that recognizes the interconnectedness of social policy and industrial transformation. The coalition is pushing for the 21st Century Road to Housing Act to incentivize local zoning reforms, understanding that artificial housing scarcity limits labor mobility and drives up wage inflation. They also support the Bipartisan Premium Tax Credit Extension Act (H.R. 5145) to lower healthcare costs and the Stronger Start for Working Families Act (S. 3596) to expand the child tax credit, viewing these not as entitlements, but as necessary investments in workforce participation.

Recognizing critical labor shortages that continue to bottleneck industrial capacity, the group is backing the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act (H.R. 5494) to expand visa pathways in skilled trades and the care economy. For supply chain managers, a predictable influx of skilled labor is just as critical as raw materials.

Operating with an annual budget of roughly $4.5 million and bolstered by its newly launched Catalyst Fund, the organization is attempting to direct serious capital toward high-impact organizing and civic education that strengthens the political center. The dual-track strategy—targeting immediate legislative wins while laying the groundwork for the 2028 presidential cycle—signals that corporate America's centrist wing is organizing for a sustained fight.

As the new Congress convenes, the success of this To-Do List will serve as a critical bellwether. It will test whether a well-funded, highly coordinated coalition of business pragmatists can actually break through the partisan gridlock to deliver the economic predictability and institutional stability that modern markets demand.