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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement today on the announcement by Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana that he will not seek re-election in 2016:

“Dan Coats is one of the most accomplished public servants of his generation: Congressman, Senator, Ambassador, and then Senator again. While these titles are surely impressive, they also tell only a part of what this kind and humble Hoosier has been able to achieve. Washington is going to miss Senator Coats’ expertise on economic and national security issues, and I’m going to miss his wise counsel and trusted friendship here in the Senate.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), recently reintroduced the Workplace Flexibility Act, legislation which would allow voluntary workplace arrangements such as compensatory time and flexible credit hour agreements to be extended to hourly workers in the private sector.

“Working families in the private sector should have the same options to enter into the kind of flexible work arrangements that are currently available to public sector workers,” said Senator Ayotte. “This legislation would enable employees to work with their employers to enter into voluntary agreements that would allow greater flexibility for workers who are looking to better balance their work-life demands.”

“The Family Friendly and Workplace Flexibility Act will help provide America’s workers with the flexible work arrangements they need to better balance the demands of work and family. Countless Americans face the daily reality of having more to do with less time to do it, and though Congress can’t legislate another hour in the day we can provide working Americans with more options for how to organize their time,” Senator McConnell said. “I am proud to join Senators Ayotte and Isakson in sponsoring this legislation, and I thank them for their continued work to promote measures important to working families.”

"I am proud to support this legislation that will allow hardworking Americans the flexibility required today to meet the needs of family while also allowing them to adequately meet the needs of their employers," said Isakson, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. "The private sector should provide working families the ability to enjoy the fair and common-sense flexibility that is already available in the public sector."

Currently, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) prohibits employers from offering compensatory time, or “comp time,” to their hourly employees. By contrast, federal employees are eligible to receive comp time. The bill would amend the FLSA to allow private employers to offer comp time to employees at a rate of one-and-one-half hours for every hour of overtime work. A completely voluntary process, an employee could still choose to receive monetary payments as their overtime compensation. This bill simply allows the option for employees to instead choose paid time off for overtime work.

The bill also institutes a flexible credit-hour program, under which the employer and employee can enter into agreements that allow the employee to work excess hours beyond the typical number of hours he or she is typically required to work in order to accrue hours to be taken off at a later time. This option is for employees who do not get the opportunity to work overtime, but still want a way to build up hours to use as paid leave.

Like comp time, the flex time option is voluntary and may not affect collective bargaining agreements that are in place. Under this legislation, employers would not be mandated to offer the flexible workplace arrangements, just as employees are not mandated to choose these benefits rather than direct compensation for overtime work. The bill explicitly prohibits employers from coercing their employees to enter into a comp time or flex time arrangement.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the Republican budget that will help promote economic growth through energy advancement, and will add additional funding for America’s national security needs:

“Throughout the Obama era, families across the country have had to make a lot of tough decisions.

“Lost jobs or lower wages meant doing more with less, and refocusing on what truly mattered.

“It wasn’t easy, but families made the best of difficult situations in order to position themselves for greater success in better days to come.

“Meanwhile in Washington, you saw record levels of overspending, trillion-dollar deficits, and historic levels of debt. Hardworking families made tough choices while the Obama Administration and its allies aimed to keep right on overspending.

“It was more than just wrong, many would say it was unfair. But today, Democrats can join together with Republicans to help rectify the inequity. Instead of having Washington play by one set of rules, and the Middle Class by another, we can force Washington to start confronting big challenges — just like everyone else has to.

“We can force Washington to focus on serving the Middle Class again, instead of the other way around.

“And we can begin by passing the balanced budget before the Senate today.

“This balanced budget pivots on an essential truth — that Washington has a spending problem, not a revenue problem — and strives to make government more accountable, more efficient, and more accessible. It represents a significant step forward when it comes to solving our country’s many fiscal challenges.

“But that’s just one reason this balanced budget is so important.

“Here’s another: it will help promote economic growth right now, and promote sustained opportunity into the future.

“It aims to do so in a variety of ways.

“One is promoting energy advancement as an engine for growth.

“The energy revolution is truly historic: it’s creating thousands of jobs, lowering costs for the Middle Class, and helping lift many into it. This budget embraces that progress. It aims to remove needless barriers to environmentally responsible energy development. And I expect other members to come to the floor and discuss the energy component in greater detail today.

“I also expect members will come to discuss funding America’s national security needs.

“As we know, there are a numerous threats facing our country:

“Terrorism, practiced by groups like ISIL, Al Qaeda, and its associates.

“Iranian efforts to advance its ballistic missile program, pursue a nuclear weapon, and sponsor terror.

“And Russian and Chinese attempts to expand their spheres of influence, which will require us to modernize our force.

“We must eventually give the Defense Department the certainty it needs to modernize the force. Members continue to work toward solutions for funding defense in the most robust and predictable way possible.

“But I commend Chairman Enzi and Senator Graham for providing us with a path forward in the interim. Their proposal represents a good faith compromise to begin the legislative process for the defense authorization bill we will consider later this year — when the additional overseas contingency funds can be prudently reallocated against the actual procurement and modernization needs of our military, if only for the coming fiscal year.

“Short of revising the BCA, this is the best strategy to keep faith with our armed services. And this is the best option we currently have for leaving President Obama’s successor in a better position to face so many global challenges.

“Every budget is a compromise.

“This one is surely that. But it’s a good compromise.

“It embraces growth. It reaches for a more prosperous energy future. It positions our nation for a better outcome than we’d see otherwise on defense.

“It’s bold, yet balanced.

“And it aims to change Washington’s focus: away from the needs of big-spending politicians, and toward the aspirations of hardworking Americans who are right to demand a government that’s efficient, accountable, and focused on growth.

“This budget is all of those things. I urge all of our colleagues to support it.”

Recent Press Releases

Statement on Sen. Coats and 2016 Election

‘Washington is going to miss Senator Coats’ expertise on economic and national security issues, and I’m going to miss his wise counsel and trusted friendship here in the Senate.’

March 24, 2015

Ayotte, McConnell, Isakson Reintroduce The Family Friendly And Workplace Flexibility Act

Bill Would Accommodate Voluntary Workplace Arrangements Such as Compensatory Time and Flexible Credit Hour Agreements

March 24, 2015

Senate Republican Budget Promotes Prosperous Energy Future, Strengthens National Defense

‘Every budget is a compromise. This one is surely that. But it’s a good compromise. It embraces growth. It reaches for a more prosperous energy future. It positions our nation for a better outcome than we’d see otherwise on defense.’

March 24, 2015