Press Releases

Representative Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) signed on as an original co-sponsor to the Save American Workers (SAW) Act on Friday. The SAW Act would repeal the Affordable Care Act’s (ObamaCare) arbitrary definition of full-time employment as 30 hours a week.  This bill would restore the traditional 40 hour workweek and protects the hours and wages for middle class employees.

Bucshon expressed his concerns that we are at risk of becoming a nation of part-time employees under a law that fails to address the fundamental problem of skyrocketing costs.

“The SAW Act puts an end to ObamaCare’s arbitrary definition of a full-time workweek at 30 hours,” said Bucshon.  “This provision is costing employees their hours at work and the wages they rely on to support their family, invest in their community, and save for their future.  We should be focused on doing everything we can to help Americans find meaningful employment, not limit their opportunities with a law like ObamaCare. I am proud to join my colleagues as an original co-sponsor of this legislation.”

Without action, this trend is expected to continue as we get closer to the January 2014 implementation deadline.

Full text of the bill can be found here http://toddyoung.house.gov/save-american-workers . The bill currently has 113 co-sponsors.

EXAMPLES IN INDIANA AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY

This week, Bucshon visited Wolfe’s Auto Auction in Terre Haute, Indiana to discuss the impact of the employer mandate and 30 hour definition of full-time employment in ObamaCare. 

“Wolfe’s is one of countless small businesses, nation-wide, that will be forced, under the President’s current proposal, to streamline its workforce:  drastically reducing the number of full-time employees, and holding a vast majority of its work staff to a less-than-30-hours work week.” (WTHI; 6/25/13)

“Similar to other businesses across the country, Wolfe’s Auto Auction in Terre Haute says it is cutting work hours of several of its employees because of the insurance mandates of the federal Affordable Care Act…The reason cited? The Affordable Care Act defines a full-time worker as anyone who works 30 hours or more each week, and businesses will be required to provide health insurance to all of their full-time employees.” (TribStar; 6/25/13)

“The law requires large employers offering health insurance to include part-time employees working 30 hours a week or more…Consider the city of Long Beach. It is limiting most of its 1,600 part-time employees to fewer than 27 hours a week, on average.” (LATimes; 5/2/13)

“The nation's largest movie theater chain has cut the hours of thousands of employees, saying in a company memo that ObamaCare requirements are to blame. Regal Entertainment Group, which operates more than 500 theaters in 38 states, last month rolled back shifts for non-salaried workers to 30 hours per week, putting them under the threshold at which employers are required to provide health insurance.” (Fox News; 4/15/13)

“Fort Wayne Community Schools is trimming the hours of more than 600 part-time teaching aides and cafeteria workers in anticipation of a projected budget shortfall and to satisfy the requirements of the federal health care law, a school official said. Kathy Friend, chief financial officer for FWCS, said the school district is dropping 610 employees from 30 hours to 25 hours per week starting June 3, rather than provide them with health insurance as mandated by impending federal regulations.” (Journal Gazette; 5/27/13).

NOTE: Rep. Bucshon has consistently raised concerns over the impact of the 30 hour definition will have on middle class families and our nation’s economy.

He recently joined Reps. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) and Trey Radel (R-Fla.) to pen an Op-Ed for The Hill to discuss how ObamaCare is costing hours at wages and hours at work. The full text can be found by clicking here. 

Bucshon also discussed this issue in an Education and the Workforce hearing as well as on the House floor.

Rep. Larry Bucshon is a medical doctor and practiced heart surgery for over 15 years before being elected to Congress in 2010.

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