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White House Insures Millions Lose Overtime Pay
The White House and Congressional leaders bullied key Republican moderates late Friday, Nov. 1 to abandon support for a Democratic amendment that would have protected millions of workers from losing their overtime pay rights under proposed Department of Labor rule changes.
Meeting in joint House-Senate conference sessions, the Republicans ultimately gave in to threats by House leaders to cut nearly $5 billion from social, health care and education programs if the overtime language was included. The White House had threatened to veto any spending bill with the amendment protecting workers, a move that could have led to a federal government shutdown.
Earlier, both the full House and Senate had voted to support the Harkin amendment to protect overtime rights. The author, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Ia.), blasted strong-arm tactics orchestrated by House Republican leaders Dennis Hastert and Tom Delay, telling the Washington Post: "This is the height of arrogance, that a handful of ideologues in the House leadership is attempting to veto the clear will of this Congress and the American people." "It shows just how blatant this administration has become in its lack of respect and concern for American workers," CWA President
Morton Bahr said. "President Bush was so determined to destroy these long-standing protections and hand corporate America yet another multi-billion-dollar gift that he was willing to let people believe he'd shut down the government if they didn't fall in line."
The public is squarely against the DOL's proposed changes, according to AFL-CIO polling. Three out of four, regardless of party affiliation, say they wouldn't be likely to re-elect a candidate who votes to roll back the 65-year-old overtime protections.
To make that point to lawmakers, CWA ran a full-page ad in Thursday's edition of Roll Call, one of two newspapers that serves Capitol Hill. "Want a job with longer hours and less pay?" it asked. "Neither do American workers."
Exactly when the Labor Department will institute the changes isn't clear, but labor leaders said they will make sure American workers know what's happening and why.
"The White House was willing to provoke a fiscal crisis to get its way," said William Samuel, AFL-CIO legislative director. "We will make sure that the American people know the length that this administration went to cut overtime for 8 million Americans."
Meeting in joint House-Senate conference sessions, the Republicans ultimately gave in to threats by House leaders to cut nearly $5 billion from social, health care and education programs if the overtime language was included. The White House had threatened to veto any spending bill with the amendment protecting workers, a move that could have led to a federal government shutdown.
Earlier, both the full House and Senate had voted to support the Harkin amendment to protect overtime rights. The author, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Ia.), blasted strong-arm tactics orchestrated by House Republican leaders Dennis Hastert and Tom Delay, telling the Washington Post: "This is the height of arrogance, that a handful of ideologues in the House leadership is attempting to veto the clear will of this Congress and the American people." "It shows just how blatant this administration has become in its lack of respect and concern for American workers," CWA President
Morton Bahr said. "President Bush was so determined to destroy these long-standing protections and hand corporate America yet another multi-billion-dollar gift that he was willing to let people believe he'd shut down the government if they didn't fall in line."
The public is squarely against the DOL's proposed changes, according to AFL-CIO polling. Three out of four, regardless of party affiliation, say they wouldn't be likely to re-elect a candidate who votes to roll back the 65-year-old overtime protections.
To make that point to lawmakers, CWA ran a full-page ad in Thursday's edition of Roll Call, one of two newspapers that serves Capitol Hill. "Want a job with longer hours and less pay?" it asked. "Neither do American workers."
Exactly when the Labor Department will institute the changes isn't clear, but labor leaders said they will make sure American workers know what's happening and why.
"The White House was willing to provoke a fiscal crisis to get its way," said William Samuel, AFL-CIO legislative director. "We will make sure that the American people know the length that this administration went to cut overtime for 8 million Americans."