Ranking Member Cassidy Announces CRA to Repeal New DOL Rule Threatening Gig Economy, 27 Million American Workers

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced he will introduce a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to repeal the Department of Labor’s (DOL) final worker classification rule that dismantles the gig economy and jeopardizes the ability of 27 million Americans to work as independent contractors. This comes as the DOL final rule was released earlier today.  

“Independent contractors, or freelancers, are shielded from forced or coerced unionization that would strip their flexibility away. This has made eliminating freelancing a top priority for large labor unions who want more workers paying forced union dues,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This is yet another example of the Biden administration prioritizing unions over Americans who choose to earn a living without participating in a union.”  

DOL is currently under the leadership of Julie Su, who has remained acting Secretary despite her nomination for Secretary of Labor failing to receive the votes necessary for Senate confirmation. 

During Julie Su’s nomination hearing to be DOL Secretary, Cassidy raised concerns over her time as California Secretary of Labor, where she oversaw the implementation of AB 5, a controversial law similar to the new DOL regulation that removed the flexibility of individuals to work as independent contractors. In California, AB 5 was so unpopular that 59 percent of California voters supported a measure to exempt rideshare drivers from the enforcement of the legislation. Additionally, the governor and state legislature had to pass multiple laws to exempt over 100 occupations. In fact, the statutory exemptions are longer than the text of AB 5 itself. 

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