Senate Dems push Obama on overtime rule

Senate Democrats are urging the Obama administration to move forward with new overtime protections for millions of workers.

The Labor Department proposed the overtime protections in June 2015, but has yet to finalize the rules. As proposed, the rules would raise pay for some 5 million low-wage employees when they work more than 40 hours in a week.

Any worker making up to $50,440 a year would qualify for overtime pay under the new rules.

Currently, workers making more than $23,660 do not quality.

This could restore overtime pay for millions of workers and create $1.4 billion in wages, the senators claim.

“As the costs of education, childcare, and retirement have steadily risen, Americans need these protections so that they can build a better future for themselves and their families,” the senators wrote in a letter to Labor Secretary Thomas Perez. “We respectfully request that you issue a final rule as soon as possible.”

The clock running out on the Obama administration’s rulemaking ability.

The letter was signed by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and nearly two dozen other Senate Democrats.