Let us be very clear about who has been left in that hateful wake.

I want to thank Subcommittee Chairman Raskin and the ranking member for convening this extremely important hearing today and for your tireless efforts to expose this administration's dangerous assault on LGBTQ Americans.

Now, more than ever, Congress must support the Peace Corps' mission and realize President Kennedy's vision.

As co-chair of the congressional Peace Corps Caucus, I am proud to continue this work in support of the Peace Corps mission.

I am here to speak on behalf of my legislation, H.R. 3456, the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act.

I think in general it is good to have a conversation between Congress and the industries.

I am pleased to be here to talk about the impact that large Internet companies are having on small business.

But unless there is a demonstrated unfairness in the rules of the market, in which case anti-trust already has the powers to deal with it, the government should leave well enough alone.

Thank you very much Chairwoman Velazquez, Ranking Member Chabot, and members of the Committee.

The first is that large Internet platforms deliver tremendous benefits to small business.

I think it is reasonable for a businessman to know what the rules are for a platform and to have them applied with some consistency.

I think the government should work hard to make sure that it is as easy to start a business as is possible.

Yeah. And I think the central question we ask is what is going on hurting the customer?

I tend to be very skeptical of that. I think that the government's primary purpose should be to try and ensure a competitive market.

I think that kind of informal dialogue can accomplish a lot.

Our Federal Government's failure to adequately and proactively address this crisis has had devastating and immediate and long-term impacts which, again, we don't fully understand.

That is a crisis, a crisis that will only grow worse if this government continues to turn a blind eye or, even worse, continues to roll back protections for workers; and no one in this country will feel that pain more acutely than contract…

But if there is a defining theme over the past four decades, it is the systematic assault on worker clout that is leading to stagnant wages, historic economic inequality, and all undermined by a sustained attack on union labor and…

All this at a time when corporate profits are at a historic high?

Have you seen, in your opinion, sir, an erosion of workers protections, worker clout over recent American history?

Mr. Alvarez, if I can ask, if you were to be classified as a full employee from XPO, which, if I understand, you wear XPO clothing labeled with XPO, do you not?

But at the moment, because, you are not actually a full employee, but you are a contract employee, you wear their apparel but do not benefit from that arrangement?

While CEOs, on average, make 287 times more than those they employ, a minimum wage worker cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment in any corner of our country.

Over the past four decades, our economy has shifted dramatically. Companies and corporations have opened, shuttered, and opened again.

Instead of pointing to market forces and ceding influence to corporations, it is time that Congress stepped forward, protect our economy, protect those employees.