Rep. Mark Takano Statement on Expansion of Overtime Pay
Washington, DC – Rep. Mark Takano released the following statement after the Obama Administration announced its rule expanding overtime pay for millions of Americans:
“For more than 30 years, working and middle class Americans have seen their incomes remain relatively flat, leading to the highest level of income inequality in decades. However, today’s announcement by the Department of Labor will help begin to close at that gap, as the DOL intends to raise the salary threshold for overtime pay from $23,660 to $50,440. The proposed rule also includes measures that would prevent the income threshold from being weakened as it has been over the last few decades, and ensure that overtime pay will be available to many more Americans for generations to come.
“In January, I wrote to the President and asked him and the Department of Labor to ‘take bold action’, and I’m pleased to see that they have done just that, as it is estimated that more than 5 million additional Americans will now be eligible for overtime pay. The positive impacts of this rule will be felt across the country by creating new jobs, improving work-life balance, increasing wages and helping the working poor climb the economic ladder in to the middle class.
“With many Americans feeling that they are working harder without seeing the rewards, this updated rule will undoubtedly change that and expand opportunity for millions. I look forward to reviewing the rule and seeing it make its way through the rule-making process as quickly as possible.”
Background information: In January, Rep. Takano was joined by 31 House Democrats in asking for the Administration to raise the income threshold for overtime pay.
Co-signers of the letter include: Rep. Karen Bass, Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. David Cicilline, Rep. Katherine Clark, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rep. John Conyers, Rep. Joe Crowley, Rep. Pete DeFazio, Rep. John Delaney, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Rep. Keith Ellison, Rep. Anna Eshoo, Rep. Alan Grayson, Rep. Gene Green, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Rep. Alcee Hastings, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Rep. Hank Johnson, Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Sander Levin, Rep. John Lewis, Rep. Betty McCollum, Rep. Jim McGovern, Rep. Jerry Nadler, Rep. Rick Nolan, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Paul Tonko, Rep. Frederica Wilson
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