John,

Historically, societies had a dark relationship with child labor and through hard-fought battles, gradually transitioned from a harsh, laissez-faire attitude, to a position that rightly emphasized children's rights and welfare.

This hard-won progress is now being threatened in the United States, where recent legislation in Iowa and bills in numerous other states aim to undercut child labor protections, jeopardizing the safety and well-being of our youth. This regression not only conflicts with federal labor law but also exposes vulnerable children to exploitative corporate practices.

Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa recently passed a bill that drastically rolls back child labor laws by greenlighting children as young as 14 to work in industries with a notorious reputation for danger, including meatpacking plants and construction sites.

While the federal law safeguards the rights and safety of 14- and 15-year-olds, the Iowa law brazenly disregards these measures, allowing minors to work for up to six hours a day, extending their working hours to as late as 9 pm during school days.

We must call on the Biden administration to step up and honor the legacy of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 by assertively protecting children from the greed of corporate power.

Iowa is not the only state where child labor protections are under siege. Powerful special interest groups representing corporations are agitating for similar bills in various states across the country.

Entities such as the National Restaurant Association, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity are fueling this fight, investing millions of dollars to weaken child labor laws.

This widespread assault on the rights and safety of child workers, if unchecked, threatens to push the U.S. back into the exploitative labor practices of the past.

The Federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, one of the last legislative triumphs of the New Deal, has helped fight against the exploitation of child labor in the United States. It represents the hard-fought battle against oppressive work conditions and signifies our nation’s commitment to prioritizing the education, health, and well-being of children above profit margins. We cannot let the hard-won protections of this law be undermined.

The Biden administration must seize this moment to uphold and defend the spirit and provisions of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act. In the face of corporate influence seeking to exploit our youth for profit, President Biden must stand strong, prioritizing the safety and well-being of our children.

It is essential that we, as a society, continue our tradition of championing the rights and protections of the youngest and most vulnerable among us, rather than capitulating to corporate greed. Call on the Biden administration to take decisive action to protect child workers from exploitation.

Thank you for standing up for the welfare of children and the preservation of our long-held values of justice, fairness, and compassion.

- Amanda

Amanda Ford, Director
Democracy for America
Advocacy Fund