Washington, D.C. – Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) voted in favor of legislation, the Save American Workers Act, that would change the definition of the work week as 40 hours under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Currently, the ACA classifies any employee as full-time if they work over 30 hours per week. The legislation passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 252-172. Because the health care law requires any company employing over 50 full-time employees to provide health care insurance, many workers have seen their hours cut to force them into part-time status – meaning a potential 25% reduction of their earnings.

“For the hourly workers that often live paycheck to paycheck, the work week definition of the President’s health care law is making it difficult to pay the bills, buy groceries, and save for the future,” said Paulsen. “By changing the work week definition to 40 hours, employees will have increased flexibility to work the amount that is best for their needs and the needs of their families.”  

Paulsen spoke on the House floor in favor of the Save American Workers Act before the vote. Watch video of his speech here.

Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.

For more information on Congressman Paulsen’s work in Congress visit paulsen.house.gov. 

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