Barbara Mikulski: “I have a few words to say about the importance of protecting overtime pay for hard-working Americans. This bill that…”

“I have a few words to say about the importance of protecting overtime pay for hard-working Americans. This bill that we're about to vote on is nicknamed the JOBS bill. But the most important thing we did for American workers in this bill was to pass Senator Harkin's amendment to protect overtime pay. I was proud to stand with Senator Harkin and stand up for American workers. I urge the conferees on this bill to make sure the Harkin amendment stays in the final version. Millions of Americans depend on overtime pay to pay their bills and make ends meet. Yet the Bush administration wants to strip overtime protections for hard-working men and women. I thought in this country, the best social program was a job. Yet 6 million workers would lose overtime protection under the Bush proposal. Who are these workers? They are registered nurses, police sergeants, nursery school teachers, and others. These men and women work hard to serve our communities. They protect us and they help us when we are in need. They deserve extra pay for their extra efforts. What does the Bush proposal mean for workers? It means workers will have to work long hours for less money because they will no longer be eligible for overtime pay. They might have to find a second job because they won't be able to count on overtime pay to make ends meet. They will spend less time with their families, but they won't get compensated. I think that's outrageous.”