House-Senate conference committee members dropped legislation that would have
blocked many of the Bush administration's new overtime rules, which became effective August 23, the Des Moines Register reports.
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Get Your Report Now!The blocking measure, proposed by Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, was attached
to a corporate tax bill, the newspaper notes. Conferees dropped the amendment
during negotiations before sending the corporate tax bill back to both chambers
of Congress for a vote. The Harkin measure would require the overtime regulations to guarantee overtime eligibility to workers who had eligibility under old rules, but it would have allowed a rule that raises
the salary threshold below which workers are generally guaranteed overtime.
In 2003, House-Senate negotiators dropped a similar amendment after facing
pressure from the White House. President Bush has threatened to veto any legislation
that has a provision to block the new overtime rules.
Democrats have criticized the new overtime rules, saying they strip too many
workers of overtime pay. Supporters of the new rules say they clarify who is
eligible for overtime and will reduce the number of lawsuits over overtime.
In September, the House approved legislation that would block enforcement of the new rules. That legislation was attached to a spending bill.
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