Biden claims to stand for women, but his new regulation will kill jobs that women want

As March, the month that honors women, comes to an end, a Biden administration rule that will harm economic opportunities for women is ramping up.

Seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it?

Shortly before Women’s History Month began this year, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation promising all sorts of big-government “help,” saying in part: “If we want to have the strongest economy in the world, we cannot leave women – half of our workforce – behind.”

On its face, that sounds fine. I’d even agree – if Biden’s actions weren’t doing the exact opposite.

In January, Biden presented the country with a new Department of Labor rule that will make it much harder for companies to classify workers as independent contractors rather than more costly employees. The rule took effect March 11.

The regulation is a boon to Biden’s union buddies who want to unionize as many people as possible, but bad news for the millions of Americans (think artists, writers and Uber drivers) who benefit from the flexibility and creativity gig and freelance work offer.

Women especially seek out this kind of flexible work, whether they are raising children or caring for other family members.

Biden adds to his 'Bidenomics' flop: This new rule throws wrench in popular gig economy.

California should have been a warning sign

Patrice Onwuka, director of the Center for Economic Opportunity at the Independent Women’s Forum, is extremely concerned about how Biden’s rule will affect women.

“You look at the number of freelancers, over 70 million of them today and over half of those are women, and they’re doing it for flexibility and for many reasons,” Onwuka told me. “I think you see those women losing their opportunities.”

She also points to the impact the rule could have on small women-owned businesses, as many of these women are solo entrepreneurs who rely on independent contractors to help them.

And these aren’t hypothetical concerns. The impact of this kind of regulation is clear in California, which implemented a similar law four years ago. Since then, it has had to be revised multiple times and has devastated the world of independent work, as well as employment in general.

Trump and Biden keep blaming each other. But voters want solutions, not chaos at border.

Jennifer Oliver O’Connell, a visiting fellow at the Independent Women's Forum, is a small business owner and independent contractor who learned firsthand about how government intrusion into this realm is harmful. When California’s law took effect, her identity as a writer, reinvention coach and yoga instructor was “upended,” she observed recently in The Hill.  Oliver O’Connell has since left California for a state with more economic freedom.

Now, however, she’s worried that Biden's new rule will make it impossible to escape the restrictions on work she loves.

Republicans are on the case

The rule is already facing pushback, including legal action from freelancers and major business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

And Republicans in Congress are harnessing the Congressional Review Act in an attempt to overturn the measure. California Rep. Kevin Kiley introduced the resolution this month with more than 50 co-sponsors, and the House workforce committee last week approved the rule’s repeal.

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Unfortunately, even if both the full House and Senate sign off, Biden has the opportunity to veto it, which he surely would. And overriding a veto would take majorities in both chambers that aren’t currently feasible.

Congress is still right to send its disapproval to the president. And so should the millions of women (and men) who stand to lose if this rule isn’t overturned.

If Biden really cares about women and the economy, he’ll rethink this misguided mandate.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Biden rule threatens gig economy and freelancers – jobs women want