Roe Supports 40-Hour Workweek

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Roe Supports 40-Hour Workweek  President Obama said Tuesday that more than seven million Americans have signed up to receive coverage under Obamacare. Still, the real story continues to be what the administration is not telling us. No one can tell us how many of these individuals were previously uninsured. No one can tell us how many of these individuals were forced off policies they were satisfied with. No one in the administration is saying how many of those that "signed up" have paid their premiums. This administration has a history of playing up the good news and then trying to release the bad news when no one is paying attention, so we should all expect that there is more to this story. Since Obamacare launched in October I believe the American people have seen a multi-million dollar website plagued by glitches and watched as the administration provided relief to big businesses, turning their backs on hardworking families. I believe the president wasn't truthful when he said if you liked your health plan, you can keep it. As people started receiving their benefits, we found out that the president's claim that if you liked your doctor you can keep it was also untrue. The administration has issued waiver upon waiver in an attempt to delay the real damage the law will cause until next year. If this is what success looks like, I'd be worried about their definition of failure. One thing is clear: this law is still causing economic harm throughout the country. You don't have to look hard to see the damage. Premiums and out-of-pocket costs are skyrocketing, employers are cutting hours, and many families know it's only a matter of time before President Obama's temporary patches expire and they lose their insurance coverage. One of the most troubling aspects of this law is the effect it is having on employers. Last year HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told the Education and the Workforce Committee that stories regarding employees losing jobs, wages and hours at work because of the health care law were merely "speculation." Unfortunately, the Secretary's statement is being proven wrong all over the country. In East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, hospitals, restaurants and even local school systems are closing or cutting hours because of Obamacare. The Johnson City school system has hired more employees, but that's to cover the hours they've had to cut from other employees because of a rule included in the law that changes the definition of a full-time work week to 30 hours instead of 40. The leaders of the three largest U.S. labor unions even sent a letter to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi saying this rule will "destroy the foundation of the 40-hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class." The union leaders went on to say that their efforts to seek clarity regarding the health care law have been "met with a stone wall by the White House and the pertinent agencies." One of their main concerns is a perverse incentive to cut workers' hours below 30 hours a week. Estimates show that this misguided rule could negatively impact 2.6 million workers with a median income of $30,000. Eighty-nine percent of these workers do not have college degrees and 63 percent are women. These are the folks that need more hours of work, not less, to support their families. To address this issue, this week, with my support, the House passed H.R. 2575, the Save American Workers Act. H.R. 2575 would repeal the 30-hour definition of "full-time employment" included in the president's health care law and restore the traditional 40-hour workweek. This commonsense legislation will eliminate the incentive for employers to cut employees hours, giving those 2.6 million workers more certainty. Please rest assured I will continue to support legislation that sides with hardworking American families. Feel free to contact my office if we can be of assistance to you or your family. Our contact information can be found on our website, www.roe.house.gov. CONNECT WITH US E-News Sign-up Forward to a Friend Contact Phil Washington, DC Office 407 Cannon House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-6356 Fax: (202) 225-5714 Kingsport Office PO Box 1728 Kingsport, TN 37662 Phone: (423) 247-8161 Fax: (423) 247-0119 Morristown Office 1609 College Park Drive, Suite 4 Morristown, TN 37813 Phone: (423) 254-1400 Fax: (423) 254-1403