It is no secret that private-sector businesses operate best when the government stays out of their lane and limits unnecessary bureaucratic overreach. That’s why it is especially troubling to see legislation such as Sami’s Law (the bill named for Samantha Josephson, who was killed after getting into what she thought was her rideshare vehicle) pass in the House of Representatives and head to the Senate.
As well-intentioned as Sami’s Law is, it is important to note that this type of legislation creates new regulations that are first-of-their-kind from the federal government. In fact, this is the first time that the Senate is considering regulating transportation network companies, also known as TNCs. Sensible conservative senators must realize that they cannot allow this type of burdensome legislation to become law. It goes against the deregulatory principles that the Trump administration stands for and sets a dangerous precedent for future legislation as well.
Although this bill passed the House earlier this summer, hopefully Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will help prevent it from passing in the Senate. Throughout his entire tenure in the Senate, he has stood firmly by his conservative values and fought against overregulation. Especially in recent years, as the Trump administration has pushed forward with its deregulatory priorities, McConnell has been instrumental in ensuring the government does not overstep its bounds and try to unduly direct private enterprise.
In this industry and in others, private companies have been leading the way in developing new ways to keep both passengers and drivers safe. It is already common practice for TNCs to have robust safety measures in place to help riders who may be in danger, whether they need to call 911 through their phone app or simply want to make a more discreet report about a driver who they feel could potentially be harmful to riders.
Similarly, TNCs have also been pioneering new ways to keep riders from getting tricked into entering the wrong vehicle by someone posing as a rideshare driver. The industry standard has long been to provide riders with a picture of their driver, their driver’s name, and car make and license plate information. Now, however, TNCs are also adding in-app verification systems such as PIN codes that both a driver and rider need to confirm before the app will allow the ride to start, which helps to protect everyone involved.
Once again, the free market is paving the way toward a safer, more streamlined user experience, and any government interference will only risk upsetting that balance. New regulations inevitably come with new costs, and it’s probable for those costs to be made up in the form of higher riding fares. It is unfair both to consumers and to TNCs to bloat the cost of using these services artificially, and Congress needs to realize this before it passes more misguided regulation of private industry. More regulation will not result in more progress — it would inhibit it.
Before senators make their decision on this issue, they should take a moment to speak with every stakeholder involved. That way, they can more clearly see that while a bill such as Sami’s Law has the best of intentions, it likely would not have truly positive outcomes. Creating new regulation where it is not truly necessary will do little to help anyone involved, and that is unfortunately what this bill would do. The current administration has taken important deregulatory steps in the past four years, and legislators should allow that to continue.
Matt Mackowiak is the president of Potomac Strategy Group, LLC. He’s a Republican consultant, a Bush administration and Bush-Cheney reelection campaign veteran, and a former press secretary to two U.S. senators.
