Backbencher Recommends Something Published By The U.S. Chamber of Commerce!

No, hell has not frozen over. Read on.

The Labor Department today issued a final regulation making it somewhat more difficult for employers to misclassify as independent contractors people who fit the legal definition of “employee.” Companies do this to avoid paying payroll taxes, unemployment insurance, health insurance, minimum wage, etc. The new regulation is a small but well-aimed blow at the widespread abuse of independent contracting in the gig economy.

The United States Chamber of Commerce, in a report issued this week that condemned President Joe Biden’s domestic policies as too pro-labor (“Why not throw in a few anti-labor policies?” they ask; just kidding!) said the earlier, proposed version of the misclassification rule represented the death of reason. My latest New Republic piece recommends the Chamber report as a comprehensive guide to Biden’s record on labor issues, which turns out to be better (i.e., in the Chamber’s view, worse) than I realized. You can read my piece here.