Trump's Labor Agenda: Unsafe and Underpaid

Floor Speech

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Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, first, I thank the gentlewoman from New Jersey for having this session, for bringing us together to highlight how the Trump administration is undermining hard-won protections for workers. I really appreciate the comments and sort of the introduction to my comments, a community that I have been close to and worked for diligently for a long time.

This used to be a bipartisan issue. This is an opportunity to discuss a group of workers who are often overlooked but who are also being very much hurt by the deregulatory agenda of this administration, workers with disabilities.

In December, the previous administration, under President Biden's leadership and the Department of Labor, released a proposed rule that would phase out, as quickly as possible, subminimum wage certificates which allow employers to legally pay workers with disabilities below the Federal minimum wage. This was long, long overdue.

About 38,500 disabled workers earned a subminimum wage in 2024 because of these certificates. Those 38,000 people deserve better, much better.

In taking action, the Biden Department of Labor spoke for those workers and pushed for them to have a livable, honorable wage. The Department noted that opportunities, legal protections, and support for disabled workers have increased since 1989 when the regulation was last updated.

However, in July, the Trump Department of Labor decided to undo that long, long overdue progress that was enacted by the Biden administration and House and Senate Democrats and instead continued issuing subminimum wage certificates.

Reminder to people around the country and Californians: The Federal minimum wage is $7.25. They were being paid below that.

In doing so, this administration is turning back the clock on disability rights. Multiple States, including the State I live in and represent, California, have already prohibited subminimum wages for workers with disabilities. Good for them. These subminimum wage laws federally have been used to justify paying people just a few cents per hour for work.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the National Council on Disabilities have called for an end to the practice by paying disabled workers less and paying them what they deserve, at least a minimum adjustment.

While disabled individuals continue to face challenges in achieving equal opportunity and treatment, we have made great strides in our understanding of disability and workplace accommodations.

Paying these American workers less can no longer be justified by any standard, yet this administration insists on doing it.

Rather than allow employers to continue underpaying disabled workers, this administration must and should reverse course and respect the dignity and contributions of these workers.

Again, I thank Representative McIver for coming here and bringing this to the attention of the American public.

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