Wicker backs Collins bill redefining full-time work week

Working to reduce the burdens on small business owners, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) is co-sponsoring a bill that would redefine Obamacare’s description of the full-time work week.

The legislation, introduced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), would require 40 hours, instead of 30 hours, for a full-time week.

Though strongly pushed by Republicans, the bill has bipartisan support.

“Obamacare has caused many businesses to cut hours for employees or stop hiring altogether,” Wicker said. “Many Americans depend on hourly wage jobs to support their families, and being forced to work fewer hours means less pay. These men and women deserve the opportunity to work without fear that government bureaucracy will threaten their full-time employment.”

The current health care law requires all businesses with more than 50 full-time employees to provide health insurance to their employees or be subject to a hefty fine. 

“This promising legislation could be the first step toward dismantling Obamacare in the new Republican-controlled Congress,” Wicker, who has been involved in more than 20 legislative items to repeal or alter Obamacare, said. “However, I am disappointed that despite his promise to work with the new Congress chosen by the American people, President (Barack) Obama has said he would veto the bill if passed. I remain committed to providing relief from this harmful law for every Mississippian.”