Charles Norwood: “I just simply rise in very strong opposition to this amendment which basically prevents the Secretary of Labor from…”

“I just simply rise in very strong opposition to this amendment which basically prevents the Secretary of Labor from implementing regulations to update complex, and I do mean the word complex, and outdated, and I do mean the word outdated, wage and hour regulations and provide additional protections to millions of this country's lower-income workers. Numerous hearings have been held by my Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, and I mean numerous, and that has demonstrated over and over again the need for updates to the current regulations in order to meet the needs of today's workforce, not an 80-year-old workforce. The regulations, if adopted, will guarantee overtime to an additional 1.3 million low-wage workers, mostly women and minorities, and clarify existing overtime rights of 10.7 million workers. For the first time in decades, 20 percent of the lowest-paid workers in America would be guaranteed overtime pay. Now, if that is what my colleague calls playing with the definition of eligibility, I guess that is what we have done, because we, I think, have done the right thing for many Americans. I support these regulations.”