40 hour work week passes congress and house. Just waiting on Obama to VETO it. Within hours of the new Congress being gaveled into session, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Rep. Todd Young, R-Ind. go before the House Rules Committee as Republicans move forward with plans to advance legislation approving the embattled Keystone XL oil pipeline, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) **FILE** Within hours of the new Congress being gaveled into session, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Rep. Todd Young, R-Ind. go before the House Rules Committee as Republicans move forward with plans to advance legislation approving ... more > By Tom Howell Jr. - The Washington Times - Thursday, January 8, 2015 The House passed a bill Thursday that defines full-time work under Obamacare as a traditional 40 hours, with a dozen Democrats choosing to rebuff President Obama’s veto threat before the measure heads for a tougher test in the Senate. The 252-172 vote to lift the bar from 30 hours to 40 marked the GOP-dominated Congress’ first stab at dismantling the Affordable Care Act, a cornerstone of their agenda now that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, sets the votes in the upper chamber. Ads by Adblade This exclusive group of talented babysitters & nannies is available at a moments notice. Forget Googling Someones Name & Try This New Site Instead! The #1 trick to REVERSE Tinnitus - bizarre protein uncovered proven to STOP the ringing in your ears Critics say counting anyone who works at least 30 hours per week as full-time has forced employers to cut some workers’ hours to stay below the 50-employee threshold for having to comply with Obamacare’s business mandate to provide insurance or pay hefty fines. They say schools, restaurants and even home-health aid groups are especially hard-hit despite the rosy promises of health reform. “It’s the fantasyland of Obamacare,” said Rep. Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Republican and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Six fewer Democrats voted for the measure than an identical 40-hour bill last spring, although some of those lawmakers from the last round are not around anymore, having lost their reelection bids. No Republicans voted against the bill. Mr. Obama said he would veto the measure because it’s projected to raise the deficit by $53 billion over 10 years and kick 1 million people off insurance they now obtain through their employers, according congressional budget estimates. The White House and Democratic allies also said an even larger pool of workers — those who put in 40 hours per week — would see their hours cut to 39 or less if the bill becomes law. “Go home at 4:30 on Friday — sorry, no health care,” Rep. Jared Polis, Colorado Democrat, said. Republicans say those claims are bogus or do not outweigh the pay cut that Obamcare’s “29ers” are seeing from reduced hours. Previous attempts to reestablish a 40-hour work week had been rebuffed by a Democrat-controlled Senate intent on protecting Mr. Obama’s signature law. Now in the minority, Senate Democrats must choose between the president’s wishes or party colleagues Sens. Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, who’ve co-sponsored the Senate’s version of the 40-hour bill. Republicans argue the bill it as common-sense “fix” in line with Mr. Obama’s vow to consider bipartisan improvements. “If Democrats can’t agree to fix a provision in the Affordable Care Act that’s prevention people from working, then it is simply empty rhetoric to claim that they are interested in any fixes at all,” Rep. Michael Burgess, Texas Republican, said. Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, accused the GOP of hypocrisy, too, saying they’ve feigned concern for struggling Americans Read more: washingtontimes/news/2015/jan/8/house-passes-40-hour-workweek-obamacare-mandate/#ixzz3OHVIUFcj Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 00:56:50 +0000
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