When global public health authorities first noted cases of COVID-19 outside of China in January 2020, one of the first questions the public began to ask is when will a vaccine be available to treat a virus that, at the time of writing, has infected over 55 million people and killed over 1 million. An […]
covid-19
COVID-19: Mitigating Worker and Consumer Risk
As the country slowly regains its economic footing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, consumers, employees, and their employers are working to develop the ‘new normal’ for essential and re-opened businesses. As part of this process, labor groups, such as the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, are pushing to make temporary pay increases […]
Real Clear Policy: Congress Needs to Empower Gig Economy Workers
For many millions of Americans who work in the gig economy, connecting to customers through platforms like Uber and Airbnb, the COVID pandemic has brought severe financial hardship and uncertainty. On top of that, employment laws — which deter gig companies from providing hazard pay, cleaning supplies, or other benefits to their contractors — aren’t helping. Congress […]
Coalition Letter Supports Efforts to Help in the Economic Recovery from COVID
ACI joined a large coalition of groups in support of the expansion of full expensing provisions in the U.S. tax code. The CREATE JOBS Act proposes to allow business investments, Research and Development, and capital expenditures in rental and commercial structures to be fully expensed, rather than depreciated. That provision will act as an bold […]
Imagining Post-Coronavirus Labor Market Should Put Spotlight on Occupational Licensing Reform
Occupational licensing will have a profound impact on the U.S. economic recovery in a post-coronavirus world. At least 1 in 5 American workers holds an occupational license, a rate (for comparison) that far exceeds union membership. More than 1,000 jobs — ranging from electrical helpers to animal trainers to fortune-tellers — require a license in […]
Economic Standard: The COVID Crisis Shows How the Postal Service Can Be Saved from Collapse
As the postal service holds out its hand for assistance during the Covid-19 crisis, a review of their recent financials reveals a different problem. Read this article in the Economic Standard to learn more.
Medical Industry Deregulation Spurred by COVID-19 Should be Made Permanent
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government — along with many state governments — has moved to loosen regulations on medical licensing, telehealth, reimbursement, and FDA approvals. These measures have helped accelerate pharmaceutical innovation, expanded access to critical care, and empowered medical workers to focus more on patients than on red tape. These […]
Principles to a Federal Response Due to COVID-19
As Congress considers a federal response to state and local budget strains caused by the COVID-19 crisis, a coalition of over 30 organizations, including the American Consumer Institute, sent a letter to Congress spelling out the principles needed for such a federal response — namely, be direct, transparent, fair, and responsible. You can read the […]
American Companies Need to Hang Up on Beijing
The COVID-19 global pandemic has made video conference calling a basic tool for both socializing and business alike. But recent revelations that Zoom closed American accounts on demands from Beijing point to a worrying trend of American companies muting basic rights to accommodate autocrats abroad. When companies ride roughshod over American values overseas, their actions […]
Give Businesses and Consumers the Confidence to Re-Open
In addition to the lives tragically lost, the economic ravages of the coronavirus pandemic are evident everywhere. Unemployment levels not seen since the Great Depression. More than 100,000 small businesses shuttered. A near-total collapse of tourism in major U.S. cities. The speed and strength of the economic recovery depends on whether businesses and consumers feel […]