U.S. Chamber Backs Curtis-Kelly Visa Pilot Bill S. 5197

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has thrown its weight behind S. 5197, the State-Sponsored Visa Pilot Program Act of 2026, thanking Republican Senator John Curtis and Democratic Senator Mark Kelly for introducing the bipartisan measure.

In an August 11, 2026 letter addressed to both senators, Neil Bradley, the Chamber's Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer, and Head of Strategic Advocacy, called the bill "a thoughtful and innovative approach to one of America's most pressing economic challenges."

The challenge, as the Chamber frames it, is twofold: employers across critical industries cannot find enough workers to meet demand, while outdated visa programs fail to reflect the needs of today's economy.

Bradley's letter praises the senators' "bipartisan effort" as "most critical in advancing a constructive effort to modernizing America's inadequate legal immigration system."

Alignment with Chamber Campaign

The endorsement connects S. 5197 to the Chamber's broader immigration push. The bill aligns with the purpose of the American Alliance for Workforce and Border Security, a Chamber-led campaign launched in July 2026. That campaign, according to the letter, was created "to build on President Trump's progress at the border and secure America's economy through a stronger workforce."

The Chamber's argument rests on a demographic premise. "America cannot grow with a shrinking workforce," the letter states. From that premise, the business lobby draws a policy conclusion: Congress must consider practical, bipartisan reforms that sustain border security, uphold the rule of law, and help employers fill persistent workforce gaps — without displacing qualified American workers.

That last qualifier matters. Workforce-gap language from business groups routinely draws scrutiny from labor advocates and immigration restrictionists alike, and the Chamber's letter explicitly builds the safeguard against American worker displacement into its pitch.

What Comes Next

Bradley closed the letter with a pledge of continued engagement. The Chamber, he wrote, appreciates the senators' "willingness to put forward constructive ideas to address a problem that has gone unresolved for too long" and looks forward to working with them and other members of Congress "on durable solutions that address the security and workforce needs of our country."

The letter does not detail the mechanics of the state-sponsored visa pilot — such as visa caps, state-level allocation formulas, or funding structures. What it does signal is that the largest U.S. business lobby intends to spend political capital moving the bill, giving the Curtis-Kelly measure an early institutional ally as it enters a Senate calendar where bipartisan immigration bills have historically stalled.