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FACT SHEET: House Education and Workforce Committee Witnesses Opposed Measures Empowering Workers And Closing The Gender Wage Gap

Mar 28, 2023

This morning, the House Committee on Education & the Workforce is holding a full committee hearing entitled: “Unleashing America’s Opportunity For Hiring And Employment.” House Republicans claim the hearing will “examine how current economic conditions created by Biden administration policies are impacting employment,” however three witnesses before the panel have troubled histories working to undermine legislation that would give workers more rights and protections and increase entry into the workforce. This just further goes to show that MAGA Republicans don’t care about solving the actual issues that face our country. They’d rather play political games to further their own radical agenda.

Stephen Moore, Distinguished Fellow in Economics at the Heritage Foundation

Chris Spear, President and CEO of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) 

  • During Spear’s tenure as ATA President and CEO, the trade group submitted a Supreme Court amicus brief supporting a company that tried to force a misclassified worker into an arbitration agreement—a process that typically favors employers in disputes over pay discrimination, family leave, and other issues.

  • In 2021 and 2022, the ATA spent $4.28 million while lobbying on labor issues, including against the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, joining other industry groups criticizing it as “devastat[ing]” small businesses.

  • The ATA also lobbied against the “Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act”—bipartisan legislation aimed at making it “easier for workers to prove age, disability, and similar discrimination claims in court” and supported by the AARP, AFSCME, and the National Partnership for Women & Families. 

Jerry Akers, Franchisee and Owner of Sharpness, Inc. and Regional Developer of The Joint Chiropractic