[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 29, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E946]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               EMPLOYEE COMMUTING FLEXIBILITY ACT OF 1996

                                 ______


                               speech of

                          HON. SPENCER BACHUS

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 1996

  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Mr. Goodling's 
amendment which advances the interests of both employees and employers, 
particularly as it will solve a major and unintended problem in the 
high technology industry.
  I am proud of Alabama's growing high technology industry especially 
in the Birmingham area. There, as elsewhere, many computer 
professionals are paid 6\1/2\ times the minimum wage which is currently 
$27.63 per hour. I don't believe it was the intent of Congress in 
raising the minimum wage by 90 cents for it to apply to these 
professionals who in many cases make $55,000 a year. Hence, I support 
decoupling the computer overtime exemption rate from the minimum wage 
increase.
  With this amendment, important professional work can be completed on 
time such as computer software and hardware design work done by 
computer systems analysts, programming modifications done by computer 
programmers, computer system documentation work done by computer 
technical writing professionals, and other similarly skilled workers.
  I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for including this provision 
in the en bloc amendment and strongly support the other provisions 
included in the amendment.

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