Today, House and Senate conferees engaged in final meetings to complete work on the massive corporate tax bill. In doing so they defeated a Democratic amendment on overtime rules that had been passed by a Senate committee. The amendment, sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin , proposed to restore overtime rights while preserving an inflation adjustment to the minimum salary that determines automatic overtime eligibility. The amendment would have banned the Department of Labor from enforcing new overtime pay rules.

Its passage in committee was considered a huge victory for labor rights, and showed that many Congressmen were willing to stand up against the administration's new overtime proposals.

Unfortunately, as has happened in the past, conferees blocked the Senate amendment today. The amendment had been attached to the tax bill. Senator Harkin expressed frustration that his amendment has been approved six times by both chambers, but has always been stripped out in conference.

Today, House and Senate conferees engaged in final meetings to complete work on the massive corporate tax bill. In doing so they defeated a Democratic amendment on overtime rules that had been passed by a Senate committee. The amendment, sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin , proposed to restore overtime rights while preserving an inflation adjustment to the minimum salary that determines automatic overtime eligibility. The amendment would have banned the Department of Labor from enforcing new overtime pay rules.

Its passage in committee was considered a huge victory for labor rights, and showed that many Congressmen were willing to stand up against the administration's new overtime proposals.

Unfortunately, as has happened in the past, conferees blocked the Senate amendment today. The amendment had been attached to the tax bill. Senator Harkin expressed frustration that his amendment has been approved six times by both chambers, but has always been stripped out in conference.