Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz slammed elected officials for putting reelection and political ideology above solving what he called "emergency" economic issues.
"What happens is they're concerned about their own ideology, reelection, and what I'm saying to them is this is a time where America needs to be represented, not a singular focus on one constituent," said Schultz on CBS News Wednesday.
Schultz participated in a virtual town hall Tuesday night to promote bipartisan solutions for unemployment and debt reduction. More than 100,000 people joined the meeting, according to Schultz.
He began a campaign last month asking CEOs to withhold political donations until members of Congress put aside ideology and reach bipartisan compromise. Approximately 140 to 150 chief executives have joined the pledge, said Schultz Tuesday.
NASDAQ OMX Group’s Bob Greifeld and NYSE Euronext’s Duncan Niederauer are among the CEOs choosing to halt campaign donations.
More than 16,000 citizens have also joined Schultz's "Pledge to Withhold," according to the Upward Spiral 2011 website.
Schultz wrote a letter to President Obama and Congress promoting his anti-partisan message on behalf of himself and participants in the town hall. He called for a unified Congress to solve the problems facing America. For the full letter, click here.
"I think people realized more than ever before that there's a fracturing in the level of trust and confidence in government. I think people feel like they've been left behind," said Schultz to CBS News.
When asked if he would consider running for office himself, Schultz said, "I'm not here to run for office. You know, I run a coffee company, but I do care so much about the country and I'm so concerned about where we're headed."
