http://www.thehill.com/news/042104/overtime.aspxThe Bush administration’s move to change significantly its overtime regulations has deflated a Democratic-led effort to eradicate them legislatively.
But some Democrats are claiming victory, saying their opposition to the rules forced the administration to back off from much of its initial proposal.
For the past six months, Democrats, led by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), had waged an intense fight against the proposed regulation, which they claimed would have eliminated overtime eligibility for 8 million workers. But the final regulations appear vastly different from the proposal. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao told The Hill that she hopes the changes will shift support for the Harkin amendment.
Republicans defended the proposed rules, saying they were a much-needed clarification of overtime law and arguing that the proposal would provide overtime eligibility to many additional workers, only forcing some to lose eligibility.