[Jim Robinson]

She also quoted Teamsters President James Hoffa, who said recently that Obamacare will "destroy the foundation of the 40-hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class."

So simple even a dim can figure it out.

[Common Sense 101]

Brilliant analysis, Senator. And it only took a year and a half for you to figure it out. Gawd, the GOPe is beyond pathetic.

[Principled]

ok so why did she vote for cloture on the bill if she knew it was so damaging? She could have kept if from coming to the Senate floor iirc.

It’s her friggin’ job.

She needs to go and Maine needs someone to represent Maine.

[Cowboy Bob]

Wow. Sen. Collins came out of her stupor again. I guess it's going to be an early Spring. /sarc

[Artcore]

Yet you voted for cloture?!?!

She’s trying to provide some cover for herself...nothing more.

Hey Senator Stupid: how is it we dumb Tea Party hicks were able to figure out what would happen when ObamaCare was implemented, but you brilliant elites couldn’t?

These politicians should be given a speedy trial and hung!

[Georgia Girl 2]

Susan is slow but she finally gets there. :-)

[Gay State Conservative]

When people complain about RINOs...particularly those of the Northeastern variety (Collins,Scott Brown,etc)...they must remember that not a single Republican in the Senate voted for OsamaObamaCare.Not Brown,not Snowe and not Collins.And now we have this from Collins.

Just food for thought.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"A 40-hour work week is full-time, we all know that," said Collins.

Tell that to the French who think 35 hours is full-time.

Maybe Obama is just getting ahead of the curve and further dumbing down the work week to 30 hours so that more people can make less money in a stagnating economy.

[Steve_Seattle]

I don't follow this. If Obamacare says that 30 hours is full-time, employers presumably cut hours to 29 (or less) to avoid the mandate. Do they then hire additional part-time workers to make up the labor gap?

But if it's raised to 40 hours (the normal full-time job), they'll still cut the hours to a part-time level, but the hours wouldn't have to be reduced as much - they'd only need to cut one hour to avoid the mandate instead of 11, and might not need - depending on the nature of the work - to hire any new employees at all. At the least, they'd need to hire fewer part-time workers. Is that the trade-off she's talking about? Is she hoping existing employees will only need to take a one-hour cut instead of an 11-hour one?

[AdaGray]

Another RINO idiot trying to put a patch a sinking boat.

[FrankR]

Sounds like she is trying to put people completely out of business by changing this to a 40 hour rule. At least with 30 hours they can keep operating with part-timers.

GOP had better nip this one in the bud, it will only help dems keep obamacare in effect and destroy businesses.

[mosesdapoet]

This 30 hour work week is a socialist idea. To their way of socialist thinking all the central government has to do is edict a 30 hour work week and poof ! Just like magic all manufacurers will have to hire more employees to make the widgets to fill the orders that don’t come because of the increase in per unit costs dumped on them created by the central planners.

It’s just like believing artifically increasing the costs of fuel by restricting new refineries , drilling on Fed lands, and only 50 employees for a new pipeline. So having it be transported by railroad to processing centers who’s owner is a key contributer (Buffett) may increase the costs.

But its benefits will be; We’ll double the minimum wage,be saving the world from climate change, while letting other countrys eliminate US manufacturing jobs that will make US dependent on the central government for support.

I have a better idea defund Obamacare and dump Collins while we’re at it.

[Cyber Liberty]

So now we’d have 39 hour people with no insurance instead of 29 hour people? I’m not sure this idea has been thought fully through...

To me the problem isn’t the number of hours at which a punishing regulation kicks in, the problem is that there is punishing regulation.

[UnwashedPeasant]

"Obamacare has 'perverse incentives' that allow employers to cut their employees' work hours"

Not allow but force. Businesses were already free to cut hours if they wanted to. Now they have to cut hours to avoid a penalty.

[Mike Darancette]

Then the poor smucks will have to pay full price to the exchange then any subsidy will come as a tax credit NEXT YEAR!

[Veggie Todd]

We have to pass the bill to see what’s in it.