Few issues are of greater significance to the trucking industry than the rights of independent contractors. 听The opportunities and flexibility of this arrangement give truckers the ability to control their own schedules, set their own routes, and run their own small businesses. 听
Independent truckers are an integral part of our supply chain, and the industry has relied upon them since the inception of interstate trucking. 听Recently, however, their status has come under unprecedented attack, first by California鈥檚 notorious AB5, and then again this year through a U.S. Department of Labor regulation that seeks to expand onerous and odious policies nationwide. 听Consequently, the livelihoods of 350,000 independent truckers are in jeopardy. 听
Enter Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-California). 听He has emerged as the most outspoken and effective champion of independent contractors in the nation鈥檚 capital. 听For this reason, the 黑料不打烊 is proud to name Congressman Kiley a Trucking Champion, an elite group of Members of Congress who have gone above and beyond for the 8.5 million men and women employed in the trucking industry. 听
From the very beginning of his first term, Congressman Kiley has proven himself to be a steadfast supporter of California鈥檚 truckers, who play an outsized role in the Golden State鈥檚 economy and account for 1 out of every 17 jobs. 听In total, California鈥檚 nearly 225,000 primarily small, locally owned trucking businesses provide over 920,000 good-paying, family-sustaining jobs. 听
Among other pro-trucking policies, Congressman Kiley has co-sponsored and backed legislation that would implement pro-growth tax reform to benefit trucking businesses, roll back unrealistic EV mandates, promote efficiency at ports, and strengthen workforce development. 听But it is his advocacy for independent truckers where Congressman Kiley has distinguished himself in particular. 听
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Congressman Kiley solidified his leadership of this issue by co-authoring a resolution in March that would have overturned the Department of Labor鈥檚 independent contractor rule. 听Additionally, at a congressional hearing earlier this year, Congressman Kiley grilled Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su on why she crafted this rule to reclassify independent truckers against their will and run them out of business.
鈥淚鈥檓 asking [for] this particular profession鈥攖ruck drivers, independent owner-operators, hundreds of thousands of them that are vital to our supply chain鈥攃an you give us an answer right now as to how they will be treated under [the U.S. Department of Labor鈥檚 independent contractor] rule?鈥
This question posed by Congressman Kiley was the third time over the course of four minutes that he attempted to extract a response from Su. 听With the skill and tenacity of an expert debater, Congressman Kiley pressed for a straightforward answer. 听Over and over again, Su refused to give one. 听Worse still, she would not even commit to shielding independent truckers from being targeted by her department over how they choose to run their businesses. 听Her repeated dodges and deflections spoke volumes. 听
In her role as California鈥檚 Secretary of Labor and now in her current non-confirmed role at the U.S. Department of Labor, Su has egregiously failed to recognize the importance of this pathway to entrepreneurship and has ignored the concerns expressed by independent truckers. 听By contrast, Congressman Kiley has taken every opportunity to amplify their voices, and he has used his influence to apply constant pressure on the Administration to reverse course. 听
A few weeks before the House Committee on Education & the Workforce hearing, Congressman Kiley took the time to host a roundtable with ATA鈥檚 Women In Motion Council. 听He listened intently to why this group of women truckers chose to work as independent contractors and heard them express their trepidation that the Department of Labor鈥檚 rule would snatch away everything they worked so hard to build. 听
This in-depth conversation set the stage for Congressman Kiley鈥檚 powerful line of questioning at the hearing with Acting Secretary Su. 听He shared the personal stories of independent truckers that Women In Motion had compiled into a booklet and called on Su to respect their choice and protect their way of life.
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Most Members of Congress would be content to spend their first terms in relative obscurity as they slowly grow into their roles. 听Not Congressman Kiley. 听Perhaps it is because public service is in his DNA. 听The son of a special education teacher, Congressman Kiley has dedicated his career to serving his community. 听He has also accumulated a vast amount of experience as a teacher, as a deputy attorney general, and as a state assemblymember prior to serving in Congress, which have enabled him to be far more effective than most. 听As a member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the Education and the Workforce Committee, as well as the chairman of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, he is uniquely positioned to assist truckers on almost any issues that arise. 听
黑料不打烊looks forward to continuing to work alongside Congressman Kiley to support truckers from the West Coast to the East Coast and preserve Americans鈥 right to earn a living in the manner that they choose. 听We congratulate him on earning the title of 鈥淭rucking Champion.鈥
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