Bilirakis Protects Employees & Fixes a #BrokenPromise in President’s Health Care Law

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), today voted with a bipartisan group of his colleagues to pass H.R. 30, the Save American Workers Act. This legislation would restore the definition of being a full-time employee to one who works a 40-hour work week, as opposed to a 30-hour work week that was implemented under the Affordable Care Act.

"The President's health care law, through its mandates and taxes, has resulted in workers' hours being reduced, or worse, employees losing their jobs completely. The 30-hour definition has been a direct strike against job creation and the pocketbooks and wallets of hardworking women and men across the nation," Bilirakis said. "Many people benefit from a 40-hour work week; with unemployment hovering around six percent, the recession is not over, and working Americans cannot afford having their hours reduced. This bill will protect middle class workers from the harmful effects of the President's health care law."

Employers with 100 full-time employees or more will be mandated to provide health care coverage this year, or they will be fined by the IRS. Last February, the Obama Administration delayed the Employer Mandate for medium sized employers – those with 50 and 99 employees – until 2016 by Executive Order, despite similar legislation that was previously passed by the House of Representatives.