Statement from the Connected Commerce Council, on Behalf of 15,000 Small Businesses, Criticizing the Senate Judiciary’s Passage of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act.

Jan. 20, 2022 (Washington, DC): Connected Commerce Council (3C) Executive Director Rob Retzlaff released the following statement regarding the ongoing Senate Judiciary Committee’s debate of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act.

“3C was started to remind policymakers that small businesses are often spoken about, but rarely spoken to. Today, we witnessed members of the Senate Judiciary Committee invoke small businesses time and again, and then demonstrate that they do not understand the modern digital economy, the needs of small businesses, or the harmful consequences of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act. 

“Senators on both sides of the aisle expressed concerns about the bill, its impact on small businesses, and the rushed process on such important legislation. It was impossible to think, analyze, remedy the problems and pass this bill today. Instead, the Committee approved a bad bill that hurts millions of small businesses and offered hollow promises to make remedial changes later, before final passage. Should small businesses trust that this will really happen, or is this bill that drastically changes the digital economy now on a rush to passage and the President’s desk because the topic is complex and small businesses are just getting lip-service from their elected officials?

“The Committee refused to listen to their small business constituents that the bill will lead to higher costs and less effective digital tools and services provided by companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Small businesses sent more than 20,000 letters to Congress warning them that there would be consequences for passing this legislation. Small businesses were once again ignored, left out, and taken for granted. 

“If the Senate still represents the interests of its constituents, this bill will follow the path of past politically motivated bad ideas and die quietly.”