[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 40 (Tuesday, April 8, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E589-E590]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ``COMP TIME'' BILL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARION BERRY

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 8, 1997

  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I am a strong supporter of working men and 
women, but not an advocate of intrusive Government regulations. When 
possible, I work toward finding a cooperative solution rather than a 
regulatory one. It was on this basis that I voted against the so-called 
comp time bill, H.R. 1.
  Although I support the concept of comptime, as I learned more and 
more about the ways this bill would meddle in the daily operation of 
businesses and would add another layer of bureaucracy in the workplace, 
the less I liked it. At first, the President's proposal was an option I 
considered, because I wanted to be sure that workers could feel 
confident in their ability to receive overtime pay. But as I said, this 
employee protection came with a price--more

[[Page E590]]

Government involvement in people's lives. More contentious labor 
relations is not conducive to productivity. Sometimes Government 
leaders need to have some faith in people to work out solutions for 
themselves. We cannot be expected to, nor should we, mandate every 
aspect of life.
  When it came down to making a decision, it was suddenly clear. This 
bill was bound to be a mess down the road. The National Labor Relations 
Board does not need any more work, and this bill was going to give it 
to them. So I cast my vote against H.R. 1, and I hope that both 
employers and employees will see that I did it because I thought it was 
not in their best interests.
  I am hopeful that as this bill moves through the legislative process, 
it will be changed to strike a more sensible balance between the needs 
of employees and employers--without creating an unnecessary regulatory 
burden.

                          ____________________