The Senate released their next relief bill, so naturally we released a “Thumbs Up” and “Thumbs Down” reaction to the legislation. We gave a “Thumbs Up” to healthcare rate-setting (price controls) being left out of the bill, and a big “Thumbs Down” to miscellaneous wasteful spending. Read the full list here ([link removed]) . The bill is still being considered by the House and Senate, but will probably include many “Thumbs Down” proposals.

Profile in Courage – Rep. Justin Amash

With a deficit exceeding $4 trillion and a debt of $26 trillion, there are very few members of Congress who deserve a Profile in Courage. There is also hyper partisanship as members of one party feel the constant urge to slam the other party, regardless of the facts or substantive public policy issues at stake. But fortunately, taxpayers and consumers have a friend in Congress who isn’t afraid to forge his own path and call out members of both parties for pushing disastrous policies. Rep. Justin Amash (L-Mich.) is not long for the halls of Congress, but has taken a principled stand for good governance, even-handedness, and transparency in his near-decade as a lawmaker.

During his two years in the Michigan House of Representatives, Rep. Amash started a practice that most elected officials never bother to do. The state lawmaker used his social media pages (Facebook and Twitter) to tell his constituents how he voted and explain the reasoning behind his positions. Rep. Amash also maintained a transparency website where he listed the taxpayer-funded salaries of his staff. The most remarkable aspect of this curious state lawmaker, however, wasn’t his dogged dedication to transparency. Rather, as the Detroit Free Press reported in 2010, Rep. Amash “refused to vote for a bill he hadn’t read, making him sometimes the sole nay in the chamber.” The profile also notes that, “Amash…worked well with the Democratic majority in the state House,” bucking the predictable partisanship common among elected officials.

Rep. Amash was a powerful advocate for taxpayers on the House Budget Committee, championing a requirement that federal agencies publish budget request justifications at a central location on their websites. Rep. Amash also successfully fought for a requirement that the Congressional Budget Office disclose the economic models used to score bills. Unfortunately, not everybody was excited about the new reform-minded representative. Establishment GOP lawmakers feared that Rep. Amash was rocking the boat too much and dubiously claimed that his ideas would impair bipartisanship. As a result, the “rebellious right-winger” was booted from the House Budget Committee at the end of 2012. These shenanigans didn’t stop Rep. Amash from tirelessly advocating for taxpayers and fighting for a limited government. The Congressman has continued posting explanations of his votes on social media and imploring other lawmakers to do the same. Rep. Amash recounts, “When I first came to Congress, other
Representatives told me it would be impossible to explain every vote I take. Explaining my actions in Congress is an essential part of this job. If I can do it, so can other Representatives and Senators.”

This political trailblazer, however, will soon retire. Rep. Amash has announced that he will not be seeking reelection. Taxpayers and consumers will dearly miss the lawmaker, but long remember his dedicated efforts to bring about good government reforms. For his steadfast consistency, tireless advocacy, and commitment to transparency, Rep. Amash is a Profile in Courage.


Protecting the Gig Economy

Since the start of the pandemic, “gig economy” workers have driven millions of healthcare workers to hospitals and made countless food deliveries to Americans cooped up indoors. In return, these contractors have asked for – and received – temporary health benefits and personal protective equipment (PPE) from companies such as Uber, Lyft, and Instacart. But, these companies are reasonably worried that these temporary benefits will be used against them in court as states and lawmakers make their case that contractors should be reclassified as “employees.”

This reclassification would create a slew of unintended consequences and hurt millions of gig workers. Fortunately, language in recent federal legislation would safeguard contractors’ rights and grant safe harbor to companies offering PPE and essential health benefits. Congress must protect these workers by ensuring that this language remains in any upcoming relief legislation.

Currently, gig economy workers are classified as contractors. This arrangement benefits platform companies such as Uber and its contractors who value freedom and flexibility. This flexibility would disappear if Uber and Lyft contractors were reclassified as employees and would lead to a rash of unintended consequences. New York City forced ridesharing companies to pay their drivers a minimum pay rate, resulting in Lyft barring drivers from picking up consumers in less busy areas. Under the employee system, minimum wage makes it unprofitable for consumers in sparsely populated areas to get the rides they need. This is bad for drivers who prefer to stick to the areas around where they live, even if that area isn’t always busy. But such a system is even worse for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, who regularly rely on ride-sharing services to get to their patients quickly. With all of these negative implications stemming from ride-sharing companies giving their workers greater
healthcare benefits and more PPE, it’s little wonder that Uber and Lyft are in such a tricky situation.

For the sake of millions of drivers and “essential workers” in the passenger seat, lawmakers must include contractor protections in any upcoming relief bill. The health and safety of the nation depend on Congress protecting gig economy essential workers.

BLOGS:

Monday: Tesla continues subsidy shopping in Texas despite stock surges ([link removed])

Monday: HEALS Act: Thumbs Up and Down ([link removed])

Wednesday: Luddite lawmakers villainize ‘Big Tech’ for no good reason ([link removed])

Thursday: Congress Must Protect Gig Economy Workers During the Pandemic ([link removed])

Friday: Profile in Courage: Rep. Justin Amash (L-Mich.) ([link removed])

MEDIA:

July 24, 2020: The Floridian (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) mentioned TPA in their story, “Trump Pressed on Venezuelan Property Rights Abuses.”

July 26, 2020: The Sun Shine Sentinel mentioned TPA in their story, “Taxpayers Protection Alliance opposes Trump's support of Venezuelan government in asset seizure case.”

July 27, 2020: WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) interviewed me about transportation funding problems in Maryland.

July 27, 2020: GCN quoted TPA in their story, “Taxpayers’ patience running thin over ransomware.”

July 28, 2020: The Center Square ran TPA’s op-ed, “HEALS Act replete with wasteful spending.”

July 28, 2020: The Orange County Register (Orange County, Calif.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Luddite lawmakers villainize ‘Big Tech’ for no good reason.”

July 28, 2020: I appeared on American Family Radio (nationally syndicated) to talk about wasteful spending in the relief bills.

July 28, 2020: The San Bernardino Sun (San Bernardino, Calif.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Luddite lawmakers villainize ‘Big Tech’ for no good reason.”

July 28, 2020: The Daily Bulletin (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Luddite lawmakers villainize ‘Big Tech’ for no good reason.”

July 28, 2020: The Redlands Daily Facts (Redlands, Calif.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Luddite lawmakers villainize ‘Big Tech’ for no good reason.”

July 28, 2020: The Daily Breeze (Torrance, Calif.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Luddite lawmakers villainize ‘Big Tech’ for no good reason.”

July 28, 2020: The Press-Telegram (Long Beach, Calif.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Luddite lawmakers villainize ‘Big Tech’ for no good reason.”

July 28, 2020: The San Gabriel Valley Tribune (San Gabriel, Calif.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Luddite lawmakers villainize ‘Big Tech’ for no good reason.”

July 28, 2020: The Los Angeles Daily News (Woodland Hills, Calif.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Luddite lawmakers villainize ‘Big Tech’ for no good reason.”

July 28, 2020: The Whittier Daily News (Whittier, Calif.) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Luddite lawmakers villainize ‘Big Tech’ for no good reason.”

July 29, 2020: Axios mentioned TPA in their article, “Conservatives aim to cool GOP's newfound antitrust fervor.”

July 29, 2020: Townhall.com ([link removed]) ran TPA’s op-ed, “Congress Must Protect Gig Economy Workers During the Pandemic.”

July 30, 2020: I appeared on WBOB Radio (600 AM AND 101 FM Jacksonville, Fla.) to talk about the next round of relief funds and schools opening.

July 30, 2020: WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) interviewed me about the $765 million loan Kodak is receiving from taxpayers to develop vaccines.

July 30, 2020: I appeared on American Viewpoints to talk about wasteful spending in the relief bills.

July 30, 2020: The Center Square quoted TPA in their article, “Business Facilities ranks Texas first for business, critics argue incentives hurt taxpayers the most.”

Have a great weekend, stay safe, and as always, thanks for your continued support.

Best,
David Williams
President
Taxpayers Protection Alliance
1401 K Street, NW
Suite 502
Washington, D.C. xxxxxx
www.protectingtaxpayers.org ([link removed])

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