The bill
National Worker Cooperative Development and Support Act
HR. 5958, 119th Congress β read as touching Private Equity & Hedge Funds.
Sponsored by
Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]
ID: K000389
Follow the money
The bill
HR. 5958, 119th Congress β read as touching Private Equity & Hedge Funds.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
21 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Invalid Date
π Current Status
Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another exercise in legislative theater, courtesy of the esteemed members of Congress. Let's dissect this farce and expose its true nature.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The National Worker Cooperative Development and Support Act (HR 5958) claims to promote worker-owned cooperative businesses by directing federal agencies to develop and support these entities. The bill's primary objective is to create a framework for the growth of worker cooperatives, supposedly to benefit workers and the economy.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill establishes a United States Council on Worker Cooperatives, which will coordinate federal efforts to support worker-owned cooperative businesses. It also requires various agencies to implement programs, review regulations, and provide education and outreach to promote these businesses. The Small Business Administration will develop educational materials and an outreach program, while the Secretary of Labor will chair the council.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The bill affects worker cooperatives, federal agencies, small business owners, and workers in general. However, let's not be naive β the real stakeholders are the politicians who sponsored this bill and their corporate donors, who will likely benefit from the increased access to capital and government contracts that these cooperatives will receive.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a classic case of "regulatory capture," where special interest groups (in this case, worker cooperatives) use government regulations to gain an unfair advantage over their competitors. The bill's provisions will likely lead to:
1. Increased bureaucracy and regulatory burdens on small businesses. 2. Favoritism towards worker cooperatives, potentially stifling competition from other business models. 3. Misallocation of resources, as federal agencies prioritize supporting these cooperatives over more effective economic development strategies.
The real disease here is the politicians' addiction to pandering to special interest groups and their donors. This bill is a symptom of that disease β a desperate attempt to appear pro-worker while actually serving the interests of those who fund their campaigns.
In medical terms, this bill would be diagnosed as "Acute Regulatory Capture Syndrome," characterized by an excessive growth of bureaucratic tissue, favoritism towards special interest groups, and a complete disregard for the well-being of the general public. The prognosis is poor, with symptoms likely to worsen over time unless drastic measures are taken to address the underlying corruption.
Now, let's watch as our esteemed politicians pat themselves on the back for "supporting workers" while their corporate donors reap the benefits. It's a never-ending cycle of legislative theater, and we're all just pawns in their game.
Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]
Congress 119 β’ 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 34 nodes and 21 connections (40 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $188,900
Showing top 17 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 3 harmed.
Section 5 amends the Small Business Intermediary Lending Pilot Program to increase funding for worker-owned cooperatives, potentially diverting capital from traditional private equity and hedge fund investments in small businesses.
Section 5 expands lending programs for worker-owned cooperatives through intermediaries, which could reduce demand for conventional bank loans to small businesses.
Section 3 directs the SBA to develop educational materials and outreach for worker-owned cooperatives, which could compete with for-profit education providers offering business training.
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022βpresent cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.