by Jared Bernstein and Ross Eisenberry, Economic Policy Institute
Ultimately, despite aggressive administration and business arm-twisting, both ouses of Congress voted to block the new rule [cutting overtime pay eligibility for 8 million workers].
Historically, when both houses agree that a rule is unacceptable, the administration drops it. … But not with this administration. This rule is so important to their friends and funders in the business world … that they decided to buck history as well as the wishes of both houses of Congress. They’re pushing the rule through anyway. …
[T]he Bush administration decided it didn’t like the outcome and would therefore ignore the bipartisan wishes of the nation’s representatives. That’s undemocratic….