We called for an immediate end to the COVID-19 public health emergency and President Biden’s abuse of certain emergency powers by passing H.R. 382, the Pandemic is Over Act. We also passed H.R. 139, the SHOW UP Act of 2023 which ends teleworking for federal employees and requires them to return to the office.

And we passed H. Con. Res. 9, which denounces socialism in all its forms, and voices opposition to implementing socialist policies in the United States of America.

House Republicans will continue to hold this administration accountable and put an end to the radical Left policies impacting Americans at every turn.

Yesterday, the House Ways and Means Committee held our first field hearing of the 118th Congress. The hearing was held in Petersburg, West Virginia at the Allegheny Wood Products facility. It was important for the Committee to travel to a local community and hear directly from small business owners, workers, and families about how they have been impacted by inflation, supply chain problems, worker shortages, and high energy costs. I used my time to ask the witnesses how they’ve been impacted by the big-government Democrat policies coming out of D.C. over the past two years. Click here to watch my remarks.

Last October, the Biden Administration’s Department of Labor published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to revise the Department’s guidance on how to determine who is an employee or independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act. This new rule would replace the Trump-era Independent Contractor Rule and make it more difficult for a worker to be classified as an independent contractor. If the Biden administration’s rule is finalized, serious setbacks would be incurred for small businesses, app-based work, and individuals who enjoy work flexibility which is why I introduced H.R. 781, the Guaranteeing Independent Growth (GIG) Act.

This legislation would codify the Trump-era Independent Contractor Rule and clarify who is an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act by establishing a two “core” factor test: the nature and degree of the individual’s control over the work and the individual’s opportunity for profit or loss. With a third of Americans utilizing independent contracting work in the past twelve months, contracted labor has become vital across many industries.

Instead of making it easier for Americans to enter the workforce, President Biden is unnecessarily complicating the standards for determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. Any complicated rule by the federal government will only hurt workers who want to remain independent and have flexibility.

Click here to read more about the GIG Act.

Last week, I spoke on the House floor to honor the passing of my dear friend and former colleague, Mayor Bill Stankiewicz. Mayor Stankiewicz was a staple of Troup County and was an extremely dedicated public servant. He served our community as the city manager, two-term mayor of Hogansville, and through his involvement in a number of boards and community organizations.

As mayor, he worked to reestablish the City of Hogansville’s finances during a time of instability and proudly worked to relocate and renovate city hall. When I was the mayor of West Point, I had the privilege of working with Bill on a number of community improvement projects – and he was always a pleasure to be around. My heart goes out to his wife, Mary, and the entire Troup County community. Bill will forever be remembered and honored for his invaluable service, and he will be sorely missed.

Click here to watch my full remarks.

This evening, I will be attending President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech in the House Chamber. Also this week, the House of Representatives will consider the following pieces of legislation:

H.R. 302 - Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Act of 2023, as amended
H.R. 548 - Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act
H.R. 423 - Pala Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2023
H.R. 185 - To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes
H.J. Res. 24 - Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022
H.J. Res. 26 - Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022

As always, my staff and I are here to help. If you need assistance with a federal agency or have comments or concerns to share with me, please do not hesitate to call my Newnan or Washington, D.C. offices. I also encourage you to visit my website, like my Facebook page, and follow me Twitter and YouTube.