Elijah Cummings: “I rise today to lend my wholehearted support to the motion to instruct the conferees, offered by Mr. Obey and…”

“I rise today to lend my wholehearted support to the motion to instruct the conferees, offered by Mr. Obey and spearheaded by Mr. Miller of California, on the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill, which would instruct the conferees to recede to the Senate and accept the Harkin amendment. This amendment prohibits the Department of Labor from issuing regulations that take away overtime protection from employees who are currently entitled to receive it. Mr. Speaker, the national economy and our working families are struggling. This White House administration has the dubious honor of having the worst job creation record since the Great Depression. Since 2001, over 3 million jobs have been lost. The Nation's jobless rate hovers around 6.4 percent and is substantially higher in communities of color, at over 10 percent. Additionally, the administration's rounds of tax cuts are projected to cost the Federal treasury $3.12 trillion over the next decade. We have gone from a $5.6 trillion surplus to a $4 trillion deficit. While real wages continue to fall, simultaneously the income gap continues to widen and middle class taxpayers are being asked to sacrifice more each day. Mr. Speaker, now to add insult to injury, the Bush Labor Department is now proposing regulations that will hit as many as 8 million hard working American families.”