U.S. representatives introduce bill that would prohibit DOL from implementing H-2B wage rule
21 Oct, 2011Four Republican congressmen today introduced a bill that would prohibit the Department of Labor from implementing the H-2B wage rule, said Sandy Munley, executive director of the Ohio Landscape Association. In a letter to industry professionals, she also urged them to voice their opinions on the issue to their congressmen and senators. The text of her letter follows:
On October 12, Reps. Rodney Alexander (R-La.), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Charles Boustany (R-La.) and Andy Harris (R-Md.) introduced legislation (H.R. 3162) that would prohibit the Department of Labor (DOL) from implementing the H-2B wage rule and finalizing the H-2B proposed rule. We need Congress to send DOL a strong message about the severe economic impacts associated with both rules by garnering numerous cosponsors of this legislation.
Please call your U.S. representative today (listed below) and ask him or her to cosponsor this legislation. Please also call Ohio's two senators - Rob Portman (Phone: 202-224-2315) and Sherrod Brown (Phone: 202-224-2315) and tell them your concerns with the DOL regulations and ask them to consider introducing legislation similar to H.R. 3162. Ask to speak to the staff person who handles immigration issues. Tell him or her about the importance of the H-2B program to your business and the community you serve. Tell them what the rules mean to your company and to your American workers. Also, you can go to PLANET’s Legislative Action Center and send the letters added for this purpose. http://www.congressweb.com/cweb2/index.cfm/siteid/PLN/action/TakeAction.Contact/lettergroupid/79
“The Read About This Issue” section in the Legislative Action Center will have the H.R. 3162 bill and the “Dear Colleague” letter that was sent to all House members.
Late last month, the DOL delayed the implementation of the wage rule from September 30 to November 30. In issuing the delay, the DOL cited the H-2B lawsuit brought by PLANET, the Ohio Landscape Association, the National Hispanic Landscape Alliance, some individual landscape companies, and other allies. We expect the judge to issue a ruling in that case shortly. The delay followed the September 21 Senate Appropriations Committee passage of a 2012 funding bill that would prevent the DOL from enforcing the wage rule. A draft bill released by the House Appropriations Committee would prohibit the DOL from implementing both the wage rule and the proposed rule. While the delay is helpful, we need to continue to fight these rules in Congress and in the courts.
Congress is not expected to act on appropriations legislation until late this year. We need to compel Congress to pass legislation prohibiting the DOL from implementing the wage rule prior to November 30. We also need to prevent the DOL from finalizing the proposed rule. Please call you senators and members of Congress today and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 3162.
Ohio U.S. Representative's Offices
DISTRICT 1
Steven Chabot - Republican
2351 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-2216
Fax: 202-225-3012
DISTRICT 2
Jean Schmidt - Republican
2464 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-3164
Fax: 202-225-1992
DISTRICT 3
Michael Turner - Republican
2454 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-6465
Fax: 202-225-6754
DISTRICT 4
Jim Jordan - Republican
1524 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-2676
Fax: 202-226-0577
DISTRICT 5
Bob Latta - Republican
1323 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-6405
Fax: 202-225-1985
DISTRICT 6
Bill Johnson - Republican
317 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-5705
Fax: 202-225-5907
DISTRICT 7
Steve Austria - Republican
439 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-4324
Fax: 202-225-1984
DISTRICT 8
John Boehner - Republican
1011 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-6205
Fax: 202-225-0704
DISTRICT 9
Marcie Kaptur - Democrat
2186 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-4146
Fax: 202-225-7711
DISTRICT 10
Dennis Kucinich - Democrat
2445 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-5871
Fax: 202-225-5745
DISTRICT 11
Marcia Fudge - Democrat
1019 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-7032
Fax: 202-225-1339
DISTRICT 12
Patrick Tiberi - Republican
106 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-5355
Fax: 202-226-4523
DISTRICT 13
Betty Sutton - Democrat
1519 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-3401
Fax: 202-225-2266
DISTRICT 14
Steven LaTourette - Republican
2371 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-5731
Fax: 202-225-3307
DISTRICT 15
Steve Stivers - Republican
1007 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-2015
Fax: 202-225-3529
DISTRICT 16
Jim Renacci - Republican
130 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-3876
Fax: 202-225-3059
DISTRICT 17
Tim Ryan - Democrat
1421 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-5261
Fax: 202-225-3719
DISTRICT 18
Bob Gibbs - Republican
329 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-6265
Fax: 202-225-3394
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