House Committee on Education and Labor
U.S. House of Representatives

Thank you Chairman Miller, and good morning. We’re here today to examine the efforts of the U.S. Department of Labor to enforce our wage and hour laws.

According to its website, the Wage and Hour Division’s mission is to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of the nation’s workforce.

Consistent with that goal, the Wage and Hour Division is responsible for enforcing a wide range of federal labor laws from the federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act to a number of employment standards and worker protections in several immigration related statutes.

I’m pleased that the Acting Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division will be testifying today to report directly on the Department’s efforts to enforce these important worker protections, and to answer questions about how to continue to strengthen enforcement in the future.  But I’d like to take just a moment to highlight a few statistics that demonstrate how important this division is.

Since 2001, the Wage and Hour Division has recouped more than $1.25 billion on behalf of nearly two million workers.  In FY 2007 alone, more than 341,000 workers received recovered back wages thanks to DoL’s efforts.  I look forward to learning more today about how they’re recovering wages, and what can be done to ensure strong, consistent wage protections for workers now and into the future.

Like all areas of the federal government, the Wage and Hour Division faces challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining qualified professionals to carry out its important day-to-day activities.

We have an aging workforce, with many baby boomers nearing retirement.  We also have a competitive private sector that can lure talent and institutional knowledge away from the federal workforce.

However, despite these challenges, the Wage and Hour Division still manages to enforce critical labor laws on behalf of millions of workers in this country.  I know there are dedicated professionals – both political appointees and career civil servants – who take their responsibilities on behalf of America’s workers very seriously.

Some of these professionals have worked in the Wage and Hour Division for decades, serving under Administrations from both political parties, dutifully enforcing our labor laws without regard to who is in the White House.  These individuals work hard, and it would be a real shame if we were to politicize the work of the Wage and Hour Division and ignore the contributions of these hard-working investigators and enforcement officials.

One important measure of the Department’s success over the years is its ability to call attention to workers’ rights under federal law.  By enforcing the law and using the power of the bully pulpit to encourage compliance, countless additional workers have been protected.

Employers recognize that violations will not be tolerated, and still other workers are made aware of their rights and choose to seek relief through the court system.

It’s worth noting that the Department has focused much of its attention on low-wage workers.  This is important because low-wage workers are often struggling to make ends meet, a challenge that is even more difficult in the current economic environment.

I’m concerned about the plight of all American workers, who today are paying $4.11 for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline.  I appreciate the opportunity today to discuss enforcement of our wage and hour laws.  But I’d also welcome a discussion about some of the other pocketbook issues that are, unfortunately, being ignored.  In particular, the burden of the high cost of gasoline is putting a particular strain on workers’ wages, and I think it’s time for Congress to get serious about protecting workers and families.

Thank you, and I yield back.

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