Barbara Mikulski: “I oppose President Bush's plan to deny overtime pay to millions of workers. I am proud to cosponsor Senator Harkin's…”

“I oppose President Bush's plan to deny overtime pay to millions of workers. I am proud to cosponsor Senator Harkin's amendment to protect overtime pay for 8 million American workers. Millions of Americans depend on overtime pay to make ends meet and pay their housing, food, and health care bills. Yet the Bush administration wants to strip overtime protections for these hard-working men and women. I thought in this country, the best social program was a job. I thought in this country, we reward those who practice self-help. Eight million workers would lose overtime protection under the new Bush proposal. Who are these workers? They are nurses, firefighters, policemen, secretaries, and social workers. 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. If we do not stop the Bush proposal, 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 will not be able to count on overtime pay to make ends meet. They will spend less time with their families but they will not get compensated. I think that is outrageous. America is facing a crisis in nursing. In Maryland hospitals, 12.6 percent of nursing jobs are vacant. They desperately need over 2,000 nurses.”