Washington, D.C. - Today, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, sent a letter to leaders on the Appropriations Committee urging them to oppose efforts to include a provision in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) appropriations bill that would overturn state laws that protect truck drivers from being docked for meal and bathroom breaks.
April 14, 2016
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
