Ranking Member Scott Applauds President Biden for Strengthening Overtime Pay Protections for Workers

04.23.24

Ranking Member Scott Applauds President Biden for Strengthening Overtime Pay Protections for Workers

WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Biden-Harris Administration issued a final rule that would raise the salary threshold for salaried workers to automatically qualify for overtime compensation. According to the Department of Labor, the rule would guarantee overtime pay for most salaried workers earning less than $58,656 per year, extending overtime protections for roughly an additional 4 million Americans.

"Workers deserve fair pay for every hour they work, including 'time and a half' for overtime work. Unfortunately, without adequate overtime pay protections, millions of workers making modest salaries are putting in 50- and 60-hour weeks while being denied overtime protections.

"By increasing the salary threshold to qualify for overtime pay, the Biden-Harris Administration's final overtime rule provides millions more Americans with the overtime protections they need. This means more dollars in the pockets of workers who are asked to work long hours, enabling them to better provide for themselves and their families. Moreover, the rule proposes to automatically update the salary threshold every three years so that workers are not forced to wait for federal updates to overtime pay protections in the future.

"And while this rule is incredibly meaningful for millions of families, it is still modest in comparison to historical precedent. In 1975, 62.8 percent of full-time salaried workers were below the overtime threshold purely based on the salary threshold. This new rule increases the salary threshold to the 35th percentile of the lowest-earning Census region.

"This rule is good for workers, good for businesses, and good for our economy. It is the kind of action that further underscores Acting Secretary Julie Su's leadership and commitment to workers' economic security. I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for their work to grow the economy from the bottom up and the middle out, and I look forward to continuing to work together to ensure that workers get a fair share of the profits they produce."

To read Mr. Scott's comments on the proposed overtime regulations, click here.

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