House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) called on President Obama to restore the wages lost due to Obamacare's 30 hour work week rule Wednesday in remarks to the press:
ERIC CANTOR: Good morning. You know, President Obama wants everyone to now believe that "Obamacare" is a success. Well, "Obamacare" is not a success to the millions who lost their health care policies that they liked. "Obamacare" is not a success fort hose families who want to see the doctors that they want to see, not that Washington wants to see. "Obamacare" is not a success to the families who've seen their costs skyrocket and their quality of care diminished. "Obamacare" is not a -- not a success to the hourly workers who are seeing their wages cut as much as 25 percent because of the law's 30-hour workweek rule.That's what this week is about. This week is about trying to help those who have been specifically hurt by this 30-hour rule. It will hurt young workers trying to save for college or to buy their first home. An overwhelming majority of those hurt by the 30-hour rule are women, many of them single moms trying to make ends meet. The workers most hurt by these wage cuts will be those who earn the least. There's a substitute teacher in my hometown of Richmond. Her name is Amy (sp). And she was quoted in our hometown papers saying, the people that this law is going to affect are the same people that need or want to work every single day. And in fact, it seems like the president wants to hide these problems behind a minimum wage debate because the president's proposed rate increase barely covers these losses from the "Obamacare" 30-hour rule. The answer to these lost wages isn't more lost jobs. And so the House is going to take action this week under Representative Young's bill to do something about this, to help those who want to see their paychecks increase, to help those who, frankly,want the freedom to go back to work.
The House is introducing the SAW (Save American Workers) Act this week which would distinguish a "full-time" employee as one who works 40 hours per week.
Critics of the White House contend the Obamacare 30 hour work week has lead to workers losing wages due to employers reducing hours in order to keep certain employees at part time status.