House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) said steps need to be taken to create more employment opportunities after the committee advanced measures on Tuesday that would address the Affordable Care Act’s 30-hour workweek and employer mandate.
The Save American Workers Act, which would repeal the healthcare law’s 30-hour standard for full-time employment, and the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act, which would shield firehouses from the ACA’s employer mandate, were both advanced by the committee.
“ObamaCare is putting full-time work and the opportunity to earn more wages out of the reach of millions of Americans,” Camp said. “Small businesses, restaurants, school districts and community colleges all across the country are already cutting hours to comply with Democrats’ employer mandate. Those devastating economic effects are real and they are happening today. (Tuesday’s) vote ensures that hardworking Americans have the opportunity to work more hours, earn a bigger paycheck or find full-time employment. I commend Congressman Todd Young for his hard work on this bill.”
The employer mandate requires employers with more than 50 employees to provide health insurance to all employees that work more than 30 hours a week or face a penalty, which could apply to volunteer fire departments.
“We also took action today to ensure that volunteer firefighters and first responders will have the certainty and peace of mind that they will not have to bear the cost and burdens of this law,” Camp said. “These are commonsense bills and I look forward to moving these bills through the House so they can be considered by the Senate.”
Camp called on members of both parties to work together to remove barriers to job growth and wage increases for American workers.