Gerald Kleczka: “But what the Republicans are not telling Debbie and Bill and other Americans is about a provision in this bill which…”

“But what the Republicans are not telling Debbie and Bill and other Americans is about a provision in this bill which will have a devastating impact on workers, men and women alike, and their benefits. The provision I am about to talk to is disguised in this legislation as tax bill clarification. What I am talking about is the independent contractor language inserted by the Republicans on the committee, and let us use Bill from Manassas as the example. Let us say Bill is a plumber. If this provision passes into law, Bill could go to his company on Monday of next week, ABC Plumbing Company, and the employer is going to say, ``Under a provision passed by the Republicans I don't have to call you, and I don't have to treat you as an employee anymore. I'm going to call you and treat you as an independent person, an independent contractor.'' Bill is going to say: ``Well, why?'' He says, ``Well, you have your education for being a plumber, you have your own tools, for the most part you work off the employer's premises; that's a definition of independent.…”