When Colorado U.S. Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet return to Washington from their August recess, there will only be a short window of time before the midterm elections to get anything done. With that in mind, Our senators must prioritize issues critical to families in Colorado and across the entire country, namely, addressing inflation and improving our economy. Congress must not pass legislation that will be counterproductive to addressing those problems, so our delegation should oppose the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (S.2992).

Proponents say S.2992 is necessary legislation that will stop America’s major technology platforms from preferring their products and services at the expense of competitors. That is a premise with which, on the surface, it is difficult to disagree. However, when dealing with technologies and digital tools we rely on daily, we must remember that the devil is in the details. Any regulations must take great care not to create burdens that potentially exacerbate the challenging economic times we currently find ourselves in. Colorado families and businesses are still recovering from the negative impacts of the pandemic shutdowns.

Should S.2922 pass, many essential digital tools will likely be obsolete. For example, free shipping via Amazon Prime could disappear; Google searches would no longer provide Google Maps, YouTube, or Google Reviews. Which, in turn, could significantly impact our small businesses. In addition, Apple products would not come with pre-installed apps like FaceTime or iMessage.

This bill also poses — amid record inflation — the real possibility of raising prices for American consumers, which will be especially difficult for Colorado families during the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Suppose companies are restricted in their ability to provide more affordable products. They will no longer offer free and expedited shipping. If they can no longer provide free services like Google Maps, and other well-used products, there is a strong likelihood that we will have to dig deeper into our pockets for services and products that we currently enjoy through memberships like Amazon Prime.

According to a recent poll from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an overwhelming majority of Americans (88%) want the government to focus on policies that reduce inflation and the cost of living — not fan the flames.

Passage of this bill could also threaten personal privacy. Tech companies and other industry leaders have pointed out that the passage of this bill would hamper technology platforms and their ability to offer security by default. It would expose people to phishing attacks, malware and more of that dreaded spam we all hate. These are just a few of the potential drawbacks of S.2992.

In an opinion piece back in January, Michael Bloomberg wrote this about S.2992: “Bills like this happen when lawmakers try to channel animus toward tech companies into high-minded legislation, with insufficient concern for the unintended consequences. Easy politics rarely make smart economics.” Those words are as true today as they were in January.

Congress, Democrats in particular, who are riding high on the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, would be wise to spend their time on more pressing issues — issues that do not not carry the significant risk of intensifying this country’s economic challenges. As a former state legislator and Jefferson County commissioner, I know all too well how well-intended policies can backfire if they are not correctly and thoughtfully constructed.

In this current economy, let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water by putting more undue burdens on the poor and middle class. The American Innovation and Choice Online Act will backfire on all of us if passed, and Colorado’s leaders in Congress should oppose this bill.

Libby Szabo is a former member of the Colorado House of Representatives, where she served as assistant minority leader. She was the first Latina female elected to a House leadership position. Szabo also served six years as a Jefferson County commissioner.