David Obey: “Mr. Speaker, for 70 years, overtime pay has meant time and a half in this country. Without overtime, countless…”

“Mr. Speaker, for 70 years, overtime pay has meant time and a half in this country. Without overtime, countless Americans, including police officers, firefighters, nurses, and EMTs would be forced to take a second job to make up for the lost earnings, meaning more time away from their families and higher child care costs. The administration's rule is designed to give flexibility to companies, not to families, but flexibility to withhold rightfully earned pay from their employees by weakening the 1938 Fair Standards Labor Act, protections that safeguard our workers' rights today and make mandatory overtime a less attractive option for the employer. This comes at a time when we have more than 9 million Americans out of work, when income is declining, poverty is increasing, and nearly 44 million Americans are without health insurance. Mr. Speaker, this is a matter of values, of our country's long-standing contract with working people that says hard work deserves to be rewarded, especially when that work is above and beyond the call of duty, after normal working hours. That contract must be honored. I urge our conferees to include the Harkin amendment in the conference report.”