The Honorable Thad Cochran                                

Chairman                                                         

Committee on Appropriations                                 

S-128 United States Capitol                                 

Washington, DC  20510                                        

The Honorable Barbara Mikulski

Vice Chairwoman

Committee on Appropriations

S-146A United States Capitol

Washington, DC  20510

The Honorable Susan Collins                                 

Chairman                                                        

Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and         

Urban Development, and Related Agencies              

184 Dirksen Senate Office Building                        

Washington, DC  20510                                      

The Honorable Jack Reed

Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and

Urban Development, and Related Agencies

125 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC  20510

Dear Chairmen Cochran and Collins, Vice Chairwoman Mikulski and Ranking Member Reed:

 

I understand that the Senate Appropriations Committee plans to markup the Fiscal Year 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) appropriations bill in the near future.  I applaud your efforts to move this important spending bill in a bipartisan manner.

 

I am writing to urge you to oppose any efforts to attach to the THUD appropriations bill an outrageous provision that would dock the pay of truck drivers by attacking state laws that protect their pay during bathroom or lunch breaks, or when performing necessary activities like loading or unloading a truck.  This provision is a poison pill and I will use every tool at my disposal to oppose any legislation that includes it.

 

If anyone told us to dock our employees when they take a meal or bathroom break, we would think it was outrageous.  Yet, that is exactly what this provision in would do to truck drivers.  Truck drivers get paid for meal and bathroom breaks under the laws of 20 states.  But truck drivers in all 50 states would be affected by this dangerous provision because their states would be barred from passing laws that protect them from being docked not only for bathroom and meal breaks, but for “non-driving” responsibilities, such as loading the truck.  This provision overturns court decisions reaching all the way to the Supreme Court.   

 

This terrible anti-safety provision is a poison pill and including it in the THUD appropriations bill would end any chance of the bill moving swiftly in the Senate and I urge that it not be included in this legislation.

 

Sincerely,

 

Barbara Boxer

Ranking Member