Jayapal Opposes Trump Rollback of Minimum Wage and Overtime Protections for American Home Care Workers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) today led 102 Members of Congress in opposing a proposed Department of Labor (DOL) rule that would strip federal minimum wage and overtime protections from nearly 4 million home care workers across the country.

“The proposed rule would jeopardize our nation’s care economy, destabilize an already underpaid workforce, and harm the more than 9 million older adults and people with disabilities who depend on home care workers to continue living in their communities,” wrote the Members. “This is not only unconscionable and bad policy, but it also diminishes the dignity of home care workers, jeopardizes their economic stability, and exacerbates existing challenges to attract and retain workers in this crucial and in-demand field.”

This move by President Trump’s DOL would revoke a 2013 Obama rule and allow employers, including home health agencies and other third-party employers, to pay direct care workers less than the federal minimum wage and deny them overtime pay.

The care workforce is overwhelmingly made up of women of color and immigrants. Two in five direct care workers live below or near the poverty line, and nearly half must rely on government assistance to make ends meet. Home care workers support more than 9 million older adults and people with disabilities through their daily lives, allowing them to continue living in their communities and thriving.

“The Department of Labor’s attempt to revoke minimum wage and overtime from care workers is not just an attack on their rights and dignity; it’s undermining our fastest growing workforce and the families they serve,” said Ai-Jen Poo, President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. “Without home care workers to support our older and disabled loved ones, parents and family caregivers can’t work, older people can’t age in place, and people with disabilities can’t thrive. Minimum wage and overtime is the bare minimum – the bottom floor for our workers. Care workers deserve rights; they deserve to be recognized and protected after putting in a hard day’s work, just like all other workers. And taking away their rights not only creates insecurity for this workforce but all the families they serve.”

Earlier this year, Rep. Jayapal led 112 members of Congress in reintroducing the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, which would extend common workplace rights and protections to the 2.2 million domestic workers in the United States.

The full letter can be read here.

The letter was signed by Alma Adams (NC‑12), Gabe Amo (RI‑01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ‑03), Becca Balint (VT‑AL), Don Beyer (VA‑08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR‑01), Brendan Boyle (PA‑02), Julia Brownley (CA‑26), Shontel Brown (OH‑11), Nikki Budzinski (IL‑13), Greg Casar (TX‑35), Sean Casten (IL‑06), Joaquin Castro (TX‑20), Sheila Cherfilus‑McCormick (FL‑20), Judy Chu (CA‑28), Yvette Clarke (NY‑09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO‑05), Steve Cohen (TN‑09), Joe Courtney (CT‑02), Jasmine Crockett (TX‑30), Danny Davis (IL‑07), Christopher Deluzio (PA‑17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA‑10), Maxine Dexter (OR‑03), Debbie Dingell (MI‑06), Veronica Escobar (TX‑16), Dwight Evans (PA‑03), Cleo Fields (LA‑06), Laura Friedman (CA‑30), John Garamendi (CA‑08), Jesús García (IL‑04), Sylvia Garcia (TX‑29), Daniel Goldman (NY‑10), Jahana Hayes (CT‑05), Steven Horsford (NV‑04), Val Hoyle (OR‑04), Jared Huffman (CA‑02), Sara Jacobs (CA‑51), Pramila Jayapal (WA‑07), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (GA‑04), Julie Johnson (TX‑32), Bill Keating (MA‑09), Robin Kelly (IL‑02), Ro Khanna (CA‑17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL‑08), Rick Larsen (WA‑02), John Larson (CT‑01), Summer Lee (PA‑12), Susie Lee (NV‑03), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM‑03), Zoe Lofgren (CA‑18), Stephen Lynch (MA‑08), Seth Magaziner (RI‑02), John Mannion (NY‑22), Lucy McBath (GA‑06), Sarah McBride (DE‑AL), Jennifer McClellan (VA‑04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI‑08), James McGovern (MA‑02), LaMonica McIver (NJ‑10), Dave Min (CA‑47), Gwen Moore (WI‑04), Kelly Morrison (MN‑03), Frank Mrvan (IN‑01), Kevin Mullin (CA‑15), Jerrold Nadler (NY‑12), Eleanor Norton (DC‑AL), Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez (NY‑14), Ilhan Omar (MN‑05), Brittany Pettersen (CO‑07), Chellie Pingree (ME‑01), Mark Pocan (WI‑02), Ayanna Pressley (MA‑07), Delia Ramirez (IL‑03), Emily Randall (WA‑06), Andrea Salinas (OR‑06), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA‑05), Janice Schakowsky (IL‑09), David Scott (GA‑13), Bobby Scott (VA‑03), Lateefah Simon (CA‑12), Adam Smith (WA‑09), Melanie Stansbury (NM‑01), Marilyn Strickland (WA‑10), Eric Swalwell (CA‑14), Mark Takano (CA‑39), Shri Thanedar (MI‑13), Bennie Thompson (MS‑02), Mike Thompson (CA‑04), Rashida Tlaib (MI‑12), Jill Tokuda (HI‑02), Paul Tonko (NY‑20), Norma Torres (CA‑35), Ritchie Torres (NY‑15), Derek Tran (CA‑45), Juan Vargas (CA‑52), Marc Veasey (TX‑33), Nydia Velázquez (NY‑07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL‑25), Maxine Waters (CA‑43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ‑12), Nikema Williams (GA‑05), and Frederica Wilson (FL‑24).

It was also endorsed by #MEAction, American Association of People with Disabilities, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), Autistic People of Color Fund, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, Care in Action, Caring Across Generations, Coalition on Human Needs, Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces, Disability Belongs, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), Diverse Elders Coalition, DQIA Disabled Queers In Action, Family Equality, Family Values @ Work, Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network, Just Solutions, Justice in Aging, Legal Momentum, The Women’s Legal Defense & Education Fund, MomsRising, Muscular Dystrophy Association, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, National Center for Law and Economic Justice, National Coalition for the Homeless, National Council of Jewish Women, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Employment Law Project, National Lawyers Guild Labor and Employment Committee, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Respite Coalition, Oxfam America, Oxfam America, Oxfam America, PHI, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Shriver Center on Poverty Law, United Church of Christ, Well Spouse Association, California Community Living Network, Center for Elder Law & Justice, Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York, Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Connecticut Voices for Children, Detroit Disability Power, Disability Network Mid-Michigan, Disability Policy Consortium, FREED Center for Independent Living, Georgia ADAPT, Human Services Council of NY, Illinois Accountability Initiative, Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute, Legal Aid at Work, Long Beach Alliance for Clean Energy, New Disabled South, PEAK Parent Center, PEAK Parent Center, Placer Independent Resource Services, Supporting Illinois Brothers and Sisters, Sur Legal Collaborative, UDW/AFSCME Local 3930, United Spinal Association, WeMatter Organization, and Workers Defense Action Fund.

Issues: Jobs, Labor, & the Economy