To the Editor,
I am running for South Carolina’s First Congressional District, and a big part of why I am running is to make the Lowcountry a global business hub. However, this morning I read an op-ed entitled, "Tax AI to Create Jobs," in which Representative Greg Casar (TX-35) lays bare a terrifying trajectory that corporate America is trying to pass off as inevitable: the use of artificial intelligence to spark mass, Great Depression-level layoffs just to pad the pockets of a few Silicon Valley investors.
From my experience in foreign trade and the economy, I know that automation itself isn't a new phenomenon. What is new, and dangerous, is a federal tax structure that subsidizes corporations for firing humans. Right now, our tax system penalizes businesses that invest in people through payroll taxes, while granting massive implicit tax breaks to corporations that replace workers with AI tools. Rep. Casar’s proposal to level the playing field by taxing AI "tokens" and computing power isn't just sound economic policy; it’s an urgent measure of self-defense for the American working class. When elected, I will support legislation that holds employers accountable and ensures AI is used to strengthen jobs, protect workers, and improve safety, not erode them.
This issue is no stranger to South Carolina; from our ports to our hospitality and growing tech sectors, Lowcountry workers form the backbone of our regional economy. If Big Tech is allowed to automate these jobs away without accountability, our communities face a catastrophic wave of unemployment and severe local economic destabilization. Technology should improve jobs, not undermine them. Representative Casar’s op-ed mirrors Representative Ro Khanna’s (CA-17) support for both State and Federal legislation that protects workers in California, so we can see a trend throughout states with large tech sectors addressing workers’ needs in the age of automation.
As Representative Casar rightly points out, mass unemployment is not a foregone conclusion. We must reject the narrative that workers should simply accept displacement. Most South Carolinians want the dignity of an honest day's work. By taxing AI tokens at the corporate level, we can directly fund a modern, New Deal-style mass employment initiative. There is absolutely no shortage of work that desperately requires the human touch in our state, from rebuilding our crumbling, flood-prone coastal infrastructure to providing universal childcare and supporting our rapidly growing elderly population. This is why I am proposing a New American Dream, where working families can thrive.
We cannot afford to let Washington wait around for the worst-case scenario to arrive. Big Tech is already pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into our elections to block common-sense safeguards. We need bold, pro-labor leadership in Congress that has the courage to curb corporate greed, pass an AI tax, and ensure that technological progress serves the people power of our workforce rather than exploiting it. I am thrilled to see someone like Representative Casar in a “red state” address an issue that concerns all Americans across party lines - and I am the candidate in South Carolina who will stand up and join other members in Congress in fighting for job creation through a tax on AI tokens. If you believe in a people-powered workforce, you can vote for me in the Democratic primary election now through June 9, 2026. Check your polling location here.
Mayra Rivera-Vázquez, Bluffton, SC
Mayra for Congress SC-01