March 24, 2025
The Honorable Ryan Mackenzie [R-PA]
Chair
Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
House Education and Workforce Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
2176 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Ilhan Omar [D-MN]
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
House Education and Workforce Committee
U.S. House of Representatives
2176 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Members of Congress,
As supporters of worker choice and economic opportunity, we the undersigned organizations write in strong support of the focus of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections’ hearing on “The Future of Wage Laws: Assessing the FLSA’s Effectiveness, Challenges, and Opportunities.”
In order for America’s workers, small business entrepreneurs, and industries to thrive in the 21st century, Congress must prioritize reforms that let Americans chase opportunity rather than permission. Over time, changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and ensuing regulations have required businesses to increasingly invest in costly, unhelpful government compliance requirements instead of investing in the American workforce and the innovations that help foster long term success.
In particular, the following legislation restores much needed contract freedom for American workers and businesses in critical areas, which will improve career pathways for tens of millions of Americans while helping to drive economic growth that everyone benefits from.
We strongly support and ask Members of Congress to pass:
- H.R. 1319, Modern Worker Empowerment Act, which would harmonize an employment test under FLSA and the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) that is straightforward to comply with and protects self-employment career pathways.
- H.R. 1320, Modern Worker Security Act, which would allow businesses to offer portable benefits to independent contractor clients without facing reclassification penalties that take away self-employment opportunities.
- Working Families Flexibility Act, which would give all American workers eligible to earn overtime the same opportunity that federal employees have – a choice between earning time and a half pay or accumulating time and half paid leave.
- Ensuring Workers get PAID Act, which helps employers identify and resolve minimum wage and overtime pay violations. Self-reporting businesses receive assistance from the Department of Labor (DOL) to fix the issues and ensure their workers are made whole.
Together, these bills would create significant new opportunities and flexibility for the American workforce, allowing businesses and workers to create mutually beneficial arrangements that help everyone. We ask that you support each of these bills to advance economic opportunity as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Austen Bannan
Employment Policy Fellow
Americans for Prosperity
Grover Norquist
President
Americans for Tax Reform
Will Swaim
President
California Policy Center
Rowan Saydlowski
Director
Center for Worker Freedom
Patrice Onwuka
Director, Center for Economic Opportunity
Independent Women
F. Vincent Vernuccio
President
Institute for the American Worker
Michael Melendez
Executive Vice President
Libertas Institute
Steve Delie
Director of Labor Policy
Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Paul Gessing
President
Rio Grande Foundation
Isabel Soto
Director of Policy
The LIBRE Initiative