August 30, 2023

Reps. Takano, Adams Statement on Proposed Rule to Expand Overtime Pay to 3.6 Million Workers

Washington, DC – Today, Reps. Mark Takano (CA-39) and Alma Adams (NC-12), Senior Members of the House Education and the Workforce Committee and authors of the Restoring Overtime Pay Act, released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Labor unveiled a proposed rule to update the federal overtime regulations. 

“The Biden-Harris Administration has taken a reasonable step forward today to address an inconceivable reality: millions of Americans are currently excluded from the overtime pay they have earned. It's common sense that the overtime threshold should increase as wages do, but unfortunately workers today are suffering under President Trump’s inadequate overtime policy. I’m pleased to see today’s rule proposal incorporate an index that in two years will exceed the Obama rule, and does not allow the threshold to atrophy,” said Rep Takano. “Today’s proposed rule would extend overtime eligibility to 3.5 million new workers, and I applaud Acting Secretary Julie Su for her leadership and commitment to them.”

“Millions of workers will benefit from the Biden-Harris Administration’s update to federal overtime regulations,” said Rep. Adams, Ranking Member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. “As the author of the Restoring Overtime Pay Act with Rep. Takano I haven’t stopped fighting to make sure workers are paid fairly. I’m encouraged by the work of Acting Secretary Julie Su to move forward in the spirit of our legislation to expand overtime benefits to workers who deserve fair pay for good work.”

This March, Reps. Takano and Adams reintroduced the Restoring Overtime Pay Act, which strengthens overtime protections, increases the overtime threshold from $36,000 to $82,000 by 2027, and builds an economy that works for everyone and will ensure that American workers are not cheated out of the pay they earned for the extra hours they worked.

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