WASHINGTON — Tom Donohue, president and chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says “a culture of complacency and neglect” characterizes the national response to problems with the economy. In his recent annual State of American Business speech, Donohue singled out Congress for particular criticism, and called on it to act aggressively in areas ranging from education and energy policy to federal immigration laws and the antiquated transportation infrastructure.He also warned against “a federal trend to over-regulate, over-litigate and over-tax the U.S. capital markets, thus driving overseas the very money needed for renewed domestic investment and new jobs.”The solution for the looming recession promoted by some legislators and presidential candidates — new taxes — is instead a “perfect recipe” to bring about a recession, Donohue contended.

He said the Chamber would get heavily involved in the congressional and presidential races and would “clearly articulate its pro-growth business and job agenda and would use its extensive financial resources and grassroots network to promote those same ideas with candidates and voters across the country.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce represents more than 3 million businesses and organizations.

With organized labor promising to wage its most aggressive campaign involvement on behalf of what it says are the concerns “of working families,” the debates among the candidates and between the parties will be supplemented by an energetic labor-business debate. That is as it should be, since few groups are more affected by public policies than those who own or manage businesses, and those who work for a living or represent those who do.