Pelosi: 'Today's Overtime Vote is a Huge Victory for America’s Families'

October 2, 2003

Washington, D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after the House of Representatives voted 221 to 203 to block the Bush Administration's proposed rule changes denying overtime pay to more than 8 million American workers:

"Today's overtime vote is a huge victory for America’s working families. Millions of American workers depend on overtime pay to make ends meet. For many families, overtime pay means the difference in qualifying for a home loan or car loan.

"Democrats have always stood with America’s working families, and we made this issue too hot for the Republicans to handle.

"It is bad enough that the Bush Administration economy has lost 3.3 million jobs, failed to raise the minimum wage, denied unemployment benefits to millions of workers, and denied the child tax credit to 12 million children in America, including children of our men and women in uniform. Now the Administration wants to implement regulations that would cut overtime for more than 8 million hardworking Americans. That change would cut their pay, lengthen their hours, and affect a huge range of workers -- from firefighters and police officers to licensed practical nurses and air traffic controllers. Even workers still covered by overtime pay could suffer a pay cut because employers could shift overtime assignments to the millions of workers no longer entitled to overtime pay.

"Median household income has already fallen $1,400 since George W. Bush became President. Now he wants workers to be paid even less. Today, the House said, ‘No. We will not let you continue your assault on working families.’"

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