Washington, D.C. (June 5, 2024) — Today, Rep. Tim Walberg (MI-05) introduced legislation to block President Biden’s Department of Labor’s new overtime rule from going into effect. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) is leading the Senate companion.
“Sadly, the Department of Labor’s latest attempt at implementing their burdensome overtime rule is once again a terrible result for hardworking Americans,” said Rep. Walberg. “Small businesses, nonprofits, and colleges across America will now be looking at bottom lines, and then make the tough decisions to lay off valuable staff or force salaried workers into hourly positions. This puts a squeeze on those who are most vulnerable, such as students and workers looking to build experience. The downstream impacts from this rule will include more inflation and pain for those already suffering from unsound economic policy. I want to thank Senator Braun for his leadership as we work to block this excessive and misguided rule.”
“When the free market sets the price of labor, opportunity and prosperity are the result,” said Senator Braun. “When the federal government sets the price of labor by one-size-fits-all mandates, small businesses are forced to fire employees and close shop to make ends meet. We’re leading a challenge to this new Biden rule because this White House’s out-of-touch economic policies have been an unparalleled disaster for American wages.”
Background
April 23, 2024: The Department of Labor finalized “Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees.”
November 29, 2023: The Workforce Protections Subcommittee held a hearing on DOL’s overtime rule titled “Bad for Business: DOL’s Proposed Overtime Rule.”
November 7, 2023: Walberg, along with 14 Committee Members, including Chair Foxx, Kiley Thompson, Stefanik, Allen, Comer, Smucker, Owens, Good, Steel, Miller, Letlow, Bean, Burlison, and Houchin, submitted a comment letter to Acting Secretary Su urging the Department to withdraw its harmful proposed overtime rule.
September 8, 2023: The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) entitled “Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees.” This rule significantly raises the salary threshold for employees to be considered exempt from overtime rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act.