***** SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR UPDATE! *****
The Biden administration as well as most Democrats have been trying to destroy independent contractors and freelancers since Biden took office.
They started by trying to pass the PRO Act and failed to get it through Congress, so they tried hiding parts of the PRO-ACT in other bills, including the 'Build Back Better' legislation. When that didn't work Democrats in Congress, along with Biden and his Department of Labor decided to quietly kill Independent Contractors by sneaking in the back door very quietly and passing a RULE most people have never heard of.
The FINAL Independent Contractor (IC) rule goes into effect Monday, March 11, 2024. It has 6 new criteria that are supposed to define who is an Independent Contractor (IC) and who is not. Under Trump it was clear and easy, with this new rule it muddies the water and it is trying to force people into being employees even if they do not want to be one. If you want to read the new rule you can see it here.
Rumors of this rule along with the legislation called the PRO Act have been floating around since Biden took office. You would never know it though because NO mainstream news organizations want to talk about it and even if you did hear a peep about it, they would never speak to freelancers and ICs. They only spoke to the Leftist nutters in office trying to force it on all of us.
Biden basically decided to use the Department of Labor to help turn the entire country into a mess just like a little bill known as AB5 did to California. The California legislation was so bad they had to write in exemptions for entire professions. The DOL rule has no such exemptions. The rule was created under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su as well as many other democrats claim the rule was made to PROTECT women and people with disabilities from being exploited.
THAT IS A LIE. If they were trying to protect those groups they would have done some research and found that women and people with disabilities or caretakers for people with a disability choose freelance work more often than others. They do this because it allows them to work when they can, they set their hours and prices.
The reality of why Biden and the Democrats have tried to slip this little rule in and change how people are deemed to be ICs has three main factors. Those are:
1. Biden took money from the unions and this is paying them back.
2. Freelancers do not have withholding taxes from their payments. They have to write a check out to the government so they SEE how much the government takes and wastes more than standard W2 employees. Leftists want all that tax money sooner and they do NOT want people understanding the scam that most taxation has become.
3. Last, Leftists do not like people having freedom or independent thought. They want to KILL freedom and create a culture where you are dependent upon the state. It says it in the name: 'INDEPENDENT' contractors. People who work for themselves often have independent thoughts and ideas, and think for themselves and not as part of the collective hive mind. They are less likely to be DEPENDENT on the government. The Democrat Party can NOT have any of that. The Democrat Party exists only because there are people who think the GOVERNMENT can run your life better than you.
This 'rule' is going to cause a lot of havoc. There are lawsuits in progress, but none of them seem to have asked the rule not to go into effect, just asking that it not be enforced.
Truckers, writers, designers, real estate agents, hair stylists, and more are just a few professions that work as independent contractors. The suits should have a good chance of winning since we do still live in the United States Of America, we HOPE we can still choose to work for ourselves, but it is 2024 and people are stupid and people in government are even DUMBER so we are not holding our breath.
There are people in the government trying to help as well. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee member Dr. Bill Cassidy introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the rule and U.S. Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA) introduced the companion CRA resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The problem there is that Biden can VETO the resolution. He will most likely do that and in order to override the VETO there must be a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. The rule, in the meantime, is just going to make a lot of muddy waters for many of us to trample through.
Finally, even though Biden and the Democrats are trying to kill our freedom to work as we want with a quiet whisper of the rule, the consequences will be loud and clear. When you start seeing supply chain issues, and people upset their side hustle is no longer an option, Please remember where the blame lies. It lies at the feet of Joe Biden and his Department of Labor.
There is NO reason for it.
Let people who want to join unions join. Let people who WANT a nine-to-five run-of-the-mill job with a boss do it. Let the rest of us remain INDEPENDENT and Free.
CALL YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES! TELL THEM TO SUPPORT THE CRA RESOLUTIONS.
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********* UPDATE!!! *********
A federal judge in Texas has BLOCKED the rule from taking effect stating it is too broad and violates federal labor law!
We can only hope this judgment stands. Continue to call your senators and representatives!
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