Burgess Owens: “The right to overtime pay is a fundamental right guaranteed for the past 66 years by the Fair Labor Standards Act. For 6…”

“The right to overtime pay is a fundamental right guaranteed for the past 66 years by the Fair Labor Standards Act. For 6 million or more American workers, however, that right will expire in exactly 1 month's time. On August 23, a Bush administration rule will be implemented to strip hardworking Americans, including certain police officers, nurses, preschool teachers and many others, of rightfully earned overtime pay. Republicans must admit their war on overtime. Come out of the closet. The House Republican leadership is now refusing to bring the fiscal year 2005 Labor-HHS appropriations to the floor. The Republicans fear the truth and power of a Democratic amendment to reverse this Bush rule and protect workers' rights to overtime pay. The Republicans are afraid to expose their unjust policy to the voters. Under the Bush economic plan which favors the haves and have-mores, an increasing number of American workers have had to rely on overtime wages simply to pay their electricity bill or their monthly mortgage. But overtime for working families is also an issue of fundamental fairness. In Iraq, 90 percent of the frontline soldiers are the children of these working families. Mandating that employees work extra hours without adequate pay is a betrayal of the trust of the families of our heroes. Vote ``yes'' on overtime pay.”