WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) released the following statement on his vote against H.R. 1406, a political gimmick that does not provide real flexibility to workers.  The bill has the potential to result in longer hours on the job without overtime income and no guarantee that employees will get leave time when they need it most.

“I voted against this bill because it does precisely the opposite of what it says: hourly workers would not get flexibility but would be hurt by unpredictable schedules and the loss of earned pay,” Congressman Peters said. “Organizations including the National Partnership for Women & Families, the US Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and the American Association of University Women oppose this bill because it does not provide real flexibility for employees and fails to protect workers.

“Workers and their families deserve the hard earned money that they have earned and this legislation would cut away at the ability of hourly workers to make ends meet.  They can’t afford that kind of uncertainty in this economic climate.  Businesses and their employees need legislation that provides real flexibility and protects both interests; unfortunately this bill is not the right approach to solving that problem.

“This bill has been brought to Congress multiple times over the past two decades as a political strategy.  It is time that Congress start focusing on ways to solve today’s problems instead of recycling ideas from the past that women and families do not support.  That is why I have sponsored legislation like the ‘Paycheck Fairness Act,’ which gets at one of the real issues affecting women now.”