Press Releases

 Today, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) delivered the following statement, as prepared for delivery, at a markup of three bills to deliver flexibility, fairness, and faster pay for America’s workers:

"Today we will consider three bills to modernize the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), support employees, and promote freedom and flexibility at workplaces around the country. While some of these ideas have already been implemented by the Trump administration, passing legislation provides clarity for businesses and avoids the confusion and burdensome regulations we saw under the Biden-Harris administration. 
 
"The first bill we will consider today, H.R. 2870, the Working Families Flexibility Act, builds on a version of this legislation that passed the House in 2017. H.R. 2870 allows private sector workers to choose compensatory time off in lieu of traditional overtime pay—an option long available to workers in the public sector. Today’s workers overwhelmingly value flexibility, and there is no reason private sector workers should have fewer choices than those in the public sector. I would like to thank Representative Miller for introducing this important legislation. 
 
"Next, we will review H.R. 2312, the Tipped Employee Protection Act. The FLSA, written in 1938, has not kept up with the modern workplace. Tipped workers are not clearly defined in the law, and we have seen several administrations and courts interpret their rights inconsistently. The Biden-Harris administration even attempted to impose overly complex timekeeping requirements that were nearly impossible to enforce. H.R. 2312, introduced by Representative Womack, gives businesses clarity and prevents them from being hampered by confusing regulations—all while protecting the rights of tipped workers. 
 
"Finally, H.R. 2299, the Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act, permanently authorizes the Payroll Independent Audit Determination program—also known as the PAID program—at the Department of Labor. This successful program allows employers to self-audit and self-report FLSA violations. During the first Trump administration, this program successfully returned back wages to workers and reduced compliance costs for businesses—a win-win. I thank Representative Grothman for his leadership in introducing this bill. 
 
"These three bills together provide clear, modern, and flexible solutions that expand flexibility for families, boost earnings for tipped workers, and ensure workers get paid faster when payroll mistakes occur. Simply put, they are commonsense solutions that put workers and families first."

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