{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns/rule-can-put-you-out-business", "This Rule Can Put You Out of Business", "2016-10-31", "2016", "2016-10", "Republican", "House", "OK", "Tom Cole", "C001053", "cole.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In a little more than six weeks, a new labor rule governing overtime pay for salaried workers is\u00a0set to take effect.\u00a0 Like many of his economic policies, this is another example of the President\u2019s fundamental lack of understanding of the free market and the job killing aspects of overbearing federal regulations.\u00a0 While he may think this new rule will result in a higher take home pay for middle class workers, it is more likely to force many workers to \u201cpunch a clock\u201d and lose the flexibility that a salary provides.\n\u00a0\nContrary to what this administration seems to believe, businesses, especially small businesses, are not charities. Entrepreneurs know that keeping up morale among their employees is essential to their success. But they also know that making a profit is as well. No profits mean fewer jobs and lower pay.\n\u00a0\nCurrent overtime rules require any salaried employee making less than $23,660 annually, or approximately $11.38 cents per hour based on a 40 hour week, to be paid time and a half for every hour over 40 hours that they work in a week - approximately $17.07 per additional hour.\u00a0 The new overtime rule set to go into effect on December 1st will increase that salary threshold to $47,476, or approximately $22.82 per hour. Overtime pay for these employees will be $34.24 per hour.\n\u00a0\nFor many salaried American workers this may initially look like a good thing.\u00a0 It will undoubtedly put more take home pay in their pockets - but at what cost?\u00a0 One of the unintended consequences of this rule will be the additional cost to employers to keep meticulous records of exactly how much time their employees making less than $47,476 are working each week.\u00a0 That money comes out of the business owners' profit so there will be less money to pay their workers.\n\u00a0\nMore onerously however is the fact that these employees now will have to \u201cpunch a clock,\u201d and employers will be incentivized to make sure as few as possible of their salaried employees, many of whom are managers, work no more than 40 hours per week.\u00a0 Furthermore, the flexibility that many salaried employees enjoy will be curtailed.\u00a0 For example, many salaried workers have the flexibility to take time off to attend to personal priorities like doctors' appointments, children sports and school activities, even being stuck in traffic on their way into work - without being docked any of their pay. Under President Obama\u2019s new overtime rules if you are not at work and on the clock, you are not getting paid.\u00a0 This could actually result in workers making less income as employers strive to maintain a payroll level that allows them to stay in business.\n\u00a0\nAs the Chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, which funds the Department of Labor annually, I have included language in the 2017 appropriations bill which would prevent the overtime rule from going into effect for Fiscal Year 2017.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nI am a strong supporter of small business in America, and I am also a strong advocate for improving the lives and livelihood of middle class families.\u00a0 Unfortunately, these new overtime rules do damage to both of these groups.\u00a0 Congress would be wise to pump the brakes on this proposal and to advance proven, free-market economic policies which help small businesses thrive, and their workers prosper.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cole.house.gov/media-center/weekly-columns/rule-can-put-you-out-business"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0732761584222317, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}