Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, this past weekend we joined with our families at barbecues and picnics to celebrate Labor Day, a day where we honor the contributions of the American workforce. There was a dark cloud over this Labor Day, however, because the administration decided to celebrate workers' accomplishments by rewarding hard-working Americans with one of the largest middle-class pay cuts in history. The decision to undermine overtime pay and enact what could turn out to be the largest middle-class pay cut in history is just the latest in a relentless effort under way in Washington to disregard the economic security of millions of middle-class families. The regulations that went into effect on August 23 suggest that there are those in Washington who believe that overtime pay is nothing more than a luxury for American workers. The truth is plain and simple. Overtime pay is not a luxury for millions of families. It is a necessity. The changes to overtime pay could seriously reduce the paychecks of over 6 million workers making between $23,600 and $100,000 annually. For many people, overtime is the difference that pays the rent and buys the groceries. I stand in this Chamber today as a product of overtime.”