In 2014, the Department of Labor began an effort to update federal overtime rules. There would have been strong bipartisan support for that effort if the department had pursued a responsible approach. In fact, we have spent years engaging in this issue because we believe federal overtime rules need to be modernized—both to strengthen protections for workers and to provide more clarity and certaint... Read more »
I was proud to introduce this legislation to provide small businesses, colleges and universities, and nonprofit organizations much-needed relief from a fundamentally flawed rule that will do more harm than good. It’s unfortunate this legislation is necessary in the first place. For over two years, Republicans have urged the department to update our nation’s overtime rules responsibly. These rules ... Read more »
Today, the House will consider H.R. 6094, the Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act. Introduced by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), chairman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, the legislation will provide a much-needed six-month delay in the effective date of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new overtime rule.
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BACKGROUND The Fair Labor Standards Act establishes important protections for America’s workers. For example, certain workers are entitled to overtime pay, which is defined as time-and-one-half the employees’ regular rate of pay for hours worked in excess of 40 hours a week. Workers who are exempt from overtime must be paid above a minimum salary threshold and perform certain duties. However, des... Read more »
The clock is ticking on schools, small businesses, and charitable organizations across the country. In two short months, the Department of Labor’s extreme and partisan overtime rule will go into effect. Despite repeated warnings of harmful consequences, the administration looks determined to enforce this unprecedented rule starting December 1, 2016. Read more »
The Obama administration has always had a “we-know-best” mentality when it comes to K-12 education. The Department of Education has spent years unilaterally dictating education policy through pet projects and conditional waivers. Last year, former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan boasted that the department’s lawyers are “much smarter than many of the folks” working in the United States Congress... Read more »
Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) today praised House passage of H.R. 5963, the Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act. Introduced by Rep. Curbelo and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), the legislation reauthorizes and reforms the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act to help state a... Read more »
Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, today issued the following statement in response to the Department of Education’s decision to terminate federal recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS): The department has taken an unprecedented action that could disrupt the education of hundreds of thousands of stude... Read more »
The Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, chaired by Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN), today held a hearing to receive public feedback on a discussion draft to modernize multiemployer pensions. Released by Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, the draft proposal would authorize "composite" multiemployer plans, an innovative retirement plan o... Read more »
Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), chairman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, issued the following joint statement after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report concerning the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which is responsible for enforcin... Read more »
