Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairman for his advocacy on behalf of all working families in this country--not just today, but throughout his entire career.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill and in support of the updated overtime rule that will combat the exploitation of workers across America and put more money in their pockets.

In 1938, Congress came together to pass the Fair Labor Standards Act, a bill that revolutionized opportunity for Americans by ensuring they were fairly compensated for their work and they would work in safe working conditions. One of the provisions in that piece of legislation was the creation of a 40-hour workweek. In addition, this legislation required employers to compensate employees at time and a half for hours worked beyond a 40-hour workweek. It was a compromise.

They went on to say that there is an exemption for protection of those workers who were considered white-collar employees. As a result of their salary, their benefits, and their high level of work within an organization, they were exempt.

Unfortunately, the wage level which determines who is exempt from these worker protections has been updated only once--only once--in the last 40 years. That is where the problem lies. The last time it was updated was in 2004, under Republican President Bush--a Republican President.

Today, the threshold wherein an employee is exempt is $23,660. What this means is somebody making $24,000 a year is routinely required to work 45, 55, 65 hours a week with not just compensation for the overtime, but they are not needed to be paid at all because they are considered exempt employees. In other words, a family of four could be living under the poverty line and still be considered to earn too much money to be considered for overtime protections.

Mr. Speaker, I support these rules because I know, when American families succeed, our country as a whole succeeds, including the entire business community. This is a partnership working together. This rule simply means updating our laws surrounding worker exploitation by simply adjusting that floor to keep up with inflation.

This is not a Democratic or a Republican bill. This is a worker and business bill.

Twelve years before the success of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Henry Ford created the 40-hour workweek. Mr. Speaker, 117 years ago, Peter J. Maguire, the founder of Labor Day, went on to talk about just creating a 6-day workweek.

This is very simple. The experiment with a $5 minimum wage, which today would be $15 an hour with inflation realized, Ford realized that, when his workers could afford to buy the cars they were making and to drive them, his business, his employees, and the economy would do better.

Mr. Speaker, American workers have waited long enough to get a fair day's day for a fair day's work that they certainly deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to oppose this bill.

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