Repealing Big Brother

The Corporate Transparency Act, which went into effect this year, is a prime example of government overreach. It puts yet another layer of burdensome requirements on small businesses (those with under 20 employees and less than $5 million in sales) and it puts them at risk of increased penalties for even the smallest of violations like a mistake on their paperwork. Additionally, the bill requires small businesses share private information with a database, giving access to countless officials here at home and internationally. A company failing to comply with this act will incur penalties, including up to $10,000 in fines or two years in prison, even though most companies are not even aware of the new requirements! 

This is Big Brother, plain and simple, and it needs to be repealed. I am proud to say that I am an original cosponsor of the Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act, which does just that. 

Prove It Act

I'm sorry to say that Minnesota ranks at the bottom of new business creation in the U.S. This is partially due to the barriers created by both state and federal policy. The Regulatory Flexibility Act was intended to provide small businesses with relief from regulations by requiring federal agencies to analyze the impacts of their regulatory actions. When the regulatory impact is determined to be "significant" or affect a "substantial number" of small entities, agencies are required to find less burdensome alternatives. However, the terms "significant economic impact" and "substantial number of small entities" are not clearly defined, which has given agencies too much wiggle room and allowed them to operate at their own discretion rather than in the interest of small businesses. 

I am an original cosponsor of the Prove It Act, which enables businesses to raise concerns when regulators do not account for the full impact of their regulations. If regulators fail to comply with this process, the small business will be exempt from the agency's regulations.

The government should work for the people of this country, and this legislation gives the people a clear way to hold the government accountable to that responsibility. 

Supporting Childcare and Development Block Grants in Appropriations

Childcare and Development Block Grants (CCDBG) are made available to help subsidize childcare for low-income families. The federal government works with every state to support local programs and address the individual needs of children and families, while prioritizing parental choice.

Earlier this year, I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies in support of robust funding for CCDBG. I am glad to report that, in the appropriations bill that was voted out of committee, funding for these block grants increased $25,000,000 from FY24 levels to $8,771,387,000. This legislation would support working families and the local economies that rely on them.

Save Local Business Act

Over the last decade, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has increasingly inserted itself in the employer-employee relationship. And under this Administration, they have broadly redefined "joint employment" in a way that threatens the franchise model for small businesses, empowering union interests while hurting the businesses and working families. The expanded definition leaves franchises subject to bargaining agreements reached between a union and another employer's workers, holding them liable for unfair labor practices imposed by another employer.

I cosponsored the Save Local Businesses Act to codify the definition of a "joint employer" to refer only to employees who "directly, actually and immediately exercise significant control over the essential terms and conditions of employment" in order to provide certainty for employers and their employees, and protect workers from future government overreach. I also voted in favor of Congressional disapproval of the administration's proposed rule that would put this expanded definition into effect.

Thank you for reading!

fischbach.house.gov

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