Hensarling: Protecting East Texas Paychecks

WASHINGTON— U.S. Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, released the following statement today after House passage of a bill he co-sponsored – the Save American Workers Act (H.R. 30) – which would repeal Obamacare’s 30 hour definition of full-time employment and re-instate the traditional definition of 40 hours.

“In addition to forcing Americans to purchase coverage they don’t want at prices they can’t afford, Obamacare fines employers for not providing health care coverage to full time employees.  The law also unilaterally revised what constitutes full-time employment from 40 hours to 30 hours per week.  This change is having a dramatic impact on our economy and on jobs as workers see their hours cut to comply with the burdens of Obamacare.  A Hoover Institute study has estimated that 2.6 million workers are at risk for reduced hours, which will reduce their income by 25 percent.   

“Americans have spoken clearly on Obamacare, and I am committed to a complete and total dismantling of this terrible law – be it in one large step through a bill like Congressman Steve King’s bill H.R. 132, which I have co-sponsored,  or piece by piece through bills like the Save American Workers Act we passed today.

“For four years, House Republicans have passed bill after bill to roll back the government takeover of health care, only to see them blocked by Harry Reid from even being debated in the Senate. Luckily for the American people, Harry Reid isn’t in charge anymore. If Senate Democrats will listen to the American people, we will challenge the President to choose between doing what’s right for American workers or continuing to prop up his name-sake health care scheme.”

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