Kamala Harris has yet to release any official policy proposals on her campaign website, but she has been sharing her ideas through speeches, social media posts and surrogates. One of her latest positions is that she now has more of a “joy” side and is pro-worker and small business. It's a real rebranding.
Harris has had the most split votes in the Senate in history, directly impacting important legislation. She played a decisive role in the administration's misguided policies, casting the deciding vote on measures such as the American Rescue Plan, which fueled historic inflation that continues to burden workers and businesses. She also voted for the Inflation Control Act, which inflated the budget deficit and caused government spending to overwhelm private spending. Harris's split votes make her directly responsible for these outcomes.
It goes without saying that people should choose their jobs and that flexible working benefits the economy, but Harris disagrees.
Harris' proposed policies would do little to remove regulatory and tax barriers for small businesses and workers. In fact, many of her ideas would have the opposite effect. Regardless of the assumed income bracket, higher corporate taxes, higher capital gains taxes, and higher unrealized profits taxes would have a negative impact on jobs, worker wages, and small business operations. She mentions increasing tax credits for small businesses but does not provide clear details. Any potential credits would likely be offset by higher corporate and income taxes.
The Biden-Harris Administration often uses meaningless statistics to brag about the success of small businesses. For example, the Administration claims that a “record” 19 million “small business applications” have been accepted under the Administration. The problem is, no one can explain what these numbers mean. in factand several people deeply involved in the small business community, including major lobbying groups.
We know that this statistic has nothing to do with the creation of new businesses at these levels. You don't have to apply to become a small business, but small businesses with legal entities register at the state level. There are currently over 33 million small businesses, a number that typically grows by less than 1 million per year in a typical active year.
2020, even in the midst of a pandemic, is a critical time for starting new small businesses. Approximately 1.07 million new businesses According to the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, it has begun.
Harris’ stance on workers’ freedoms will do further damage to both them and the workers themselves. and Small businesses. Supporting small businesses means respecting individuals' rights to choose how and when they work. There are more than 70 million gig workers in the U.S., as well as more than 33 million small businesses.
Workers often seek flexibility and independence, choosing to determine their own hours and working conditions instead of becoming a traditional employee. Small businesses prefer to hire contractors to avoid the increased costs, time and regulatory burdens of managing full-time workers.
If both parties agree to an arrangement that works to their advantage and pay tax (self-employed people pay double self-employment tax, covering both their own contributions and those paid by their employer), the government has no right to interfere.
The work you do should be of your own choosing, and it goes without saying that flexible working benefits the economy.
But Harris doesn't see it that way, despite claiming to be supportive of workers and small businesses.
In 2021, the Biden-Harris administration Reversed The worker-friendly independent contractor rules enacted under President Trump, and the Biden-Harris Department of Labor implemented stricter standards in 2024 to reduce the ability to become a contractor or hire a contractor, but enforcement has been limited so far.
Harris took this stance even further. On September 2, 2024, she posted on X (formerly Twitter) “If I'm President, I'll pass the PRO Act and put an end to union busting.” The PRO Act includes anti-contractor provisions similar to California's AB5 regulation, and aims to nationalize such restrictions and enshrine other anti-contractor, anti-free labor, and anti-small business positions in law.
Kamala Harris' actions are clearly antithetical to workers' freedoms and the success of small businesses, and these large organizations should let her know how they feel about it in November.
