WASHINGTON—Today, NetChoice filed public comments in response to a proposed rule from the Department of Labor that would force independent contractors to become employees.
The Biden administration seems intent on sticking the power of the regulatory bureaucracy into every part of the American economy, including how we decide to earn a living.
DOL’s proposed rule would not only harm the U.S.’s vibrant gig economy—it would run roughshod over the many Americans who use independent contracting to design their own careers and schedules and run their own businesses. It copies the same failed policies of California’s infamous AB 5, which resulted in thousands of lost jobs and significant harm to women and communities of color. And this all comes on the heels of economic instability, which is already making Americans uneasy.
“Americans have the right to determine when and how they earn a living. But with this new rule that tramples independent contracting, the Biden Labor Department is throwing out our rights in favor of big labor unions,” said Zach Lilly, Deputy Director of State and Federal Affairs for NetChoice. “If implemented, this rule would undermine Americans’ ability to earn a living, from truckers and newspaper delivery to nurse practitioners and even artists — all of whom are independent contractors.”
“When California tried this approach, it cost thousands of Californians their jobs,” continued Lilly. “The Biden White House must drive away from this idea as quickly as possible and uplift independent contractors instead of leaving them in the dust.”
As Americans suffer from inflation and further economic instability, Biden and his Labor Department are thwarting our freedom to earn a living with this proposed restriction on independent contractors.
You can read the full public comment here and below. Please contact Krista Chavez at press@netchoice.org with questions.