Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, testified before Congress on antitrust concerns last summer.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will not testify at a Senate Budget Committee hearing on income inequality next week – a decision made hours after Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) invited the billionaire to give his thoughts on it Report matter, reports CNBC.
Sanders originally said he wanted Bezos “to explain to the American people why he thinks it is fair to spend a fair amount of money denying workers at Amazon economic dignity as he got $ 78 billion richer during the pandemic.” is “.
In a follow-up tweet, Sanders turned the discussion to high-profile union work now happening at an Amazon fulfillment center in Alabama.
It is regrettable that Mr Bezos will not be attending our hearing. While he got $ 78 billion richer during the pandemic, families are struggling to survive. Then why is he spending a ton of money trying to stop workers from unionizing in an Amazon warehouse in Alabama? https://t.co/haeBDYHxaz
– Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 12, 2021
The hearing, scheduled for March 17, will include testimony from Amazon Fulfillment Center employee Jennifer Bates, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, and others.
Amazon takes it on the chin from both sides of the aisle today. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) had previously berated Amazon in an opinion piece in USA Today and wrote that he supports Amazon workers and that “bright CEOs” like Bezos see workers as “the cog in a machine”.
Bezos, Gates and Ballmer See Wealth Soar During COVID-19 as Politicians Propose New Wealth Taxes
Tensions are mounting against Amazon and other tech giants, as well as the vast fortunes of entrepreneurs who skyrocketed their fortunes during the pandemic. A number of wealth taxes are under consideration at the state and federal levels, including one in Washington State that would impose a 1% tax on intangible financial assets belonging to billionaires.
According to Forbes, Bezos is currently the richest person on the planet with an estimated net worth of $ 181 billion.