House Passes Fix for Economically-Damaging Rule in Health Care Law
House Passes Fix for Economically-Damaging Rule in Health Care Law
Union Leaders: Health Care Law "Destroys the Foundation of the 40 Hour Work Week"
(Washington, D.C.) – The House of Representatives today approved legislation to address a serious negative effect of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Specifically, the law imposes penalties on certain companies based on the number of full-time employees, with a full-time employee defined as someone who works more than 30 hours per week. To avoid these penalties, many companies are expected to reduce hours worked by some employees below that 30-hour threshold. The Save American Workers Act seeks to repeal the 30-hour rule, and define a full-time position as one requiring 40 hours of work per week. This would allow companies to permit employees to work a 40-hour week without facing the penalty.
While supporters of Obamacare often claim to want to "fix" the problems with the law, a majority of the law's supporters voted against this common-sense measure. If not corrected, more and more workers are expected to see their working hours reduced. This controversial provision is strongly opposed by many union leaders. An open letter from these leaders says that the President's health care law will "destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class." Supporters of the health care law have argued that allowing Americans to work 40 hours per week would add to the federal deficit.
Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative released the following statement:
"The American people want jobs and economic opportunity, and we applaud this effort by the House to repeal a particularly onerous provision of the new health care law that threatens that. Former supporters of the Affordable Care Act are coming to realize that unless the President and his allies in Congress get serious about fixing health care, the painful consequences of Obamacare will threaten the prosperity of an already struggling middle class. Too many working families count on a full-time job to support their families. A politically-motivated health care law should not interfere with it.
The United States Senate has repeatedly refused to consider changes to the law. However, the measure that passed the House today is a bipartisan move that deserves open debate on the floor. The job of legislators is to safeguard the interest of the people. It's time for the White House and their allies in Congress to listen to the American people."