[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 7, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECLAIM CONGRESS' POLICYMAKING AUTHORITY

  (Mr. KILEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KILEY. Madam Speaker, the Biden administration's Department of 
Labor has announced a new independent contractor rule that is a full-
fledged assault on the right to earn a living in America.
  It is estimated that this new rule will cost between 3.2 and 3.6 
million American jobs, and this is not a matter of speculation. We have 
seen the devastating impact of the law that this rule was based upon, 
AB5 in California. A new study shows that this law in California led to 
a 10 percent decline in self-employment and a 4 percent decline in 
overall employment.
  These are just numbers, though. What is really important to 
understand is the stories of folks who have lost everything because of 
AB5 in California.
  This is from Daniel who said: I am a chiropractor in California. I 
was just terminated from my wonderful independent contract, 10-hour-
per-week job. The company cited AB5. I have had this job for 10 years. 
The job allowed me flexibility to take care of my three special-needs 
kids. Now, it is gone.
  To prevent millions of Americans from suffering the same fate as 
Daniel, I am sponsoring legislation under the Congressional Review Act 
to nullify this new rule from the Department of Labor, and I urge my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reclaim the policymaking 
authority of Congress in this area.

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