The Deception Behind H.R. 2312: When the Rich Write the Rules

The details of H.R. 2312 (2025) have not yet been made public, but its timing and focus suggest it may be part of the broader Project 2025 blueprint—a sweeping plan backed by The Heritage Foundation and allies to dismantle key labor protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Together, they signal a coordinated effort to strip away workers’ rights, wages, and safety standards. ⸻ HOW PROJECT 2025 & H.R. 2312 COULD HURT WORKERS OVERTIME PAY • Push to redefine exemptions so fewer workers qualify for overtime. • Promote “comp time” (time off instead of pay). • Workers may lose guaranteed extra pay for long hours. CHILD LABOR • Encourage states to weaken child labor protections. • Allow longer hours and riskier jobs for minors. • Reverses decades of safety reforms for young workers. MINIMUM WAGE & TIPPED WORKERS • H.R. 2312 appears aimed at reclassifying tipped workers, allowing employers to pay subminimum wages. • Project 2025 opposes wage hikes, calling them “burdensome.” • Millions could be stuck in poverty-level jobs. UNIONS & WORKER ORGANIZING • Gut the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). • Push for “right-to-work” laws nationwide. • Makes it harder for workers to unionize or strike for better conditions. FEDERAL WORKERS • Call for mass firings and at-will employment in government. • Strip job protections—public employees could be fired for political reasons. ENFORCEMENT & OVERSIGHT • Slash funding and authority for agencies that enforce wage and safety laws. • Easier for bad employers to get away with wage theft or unsafe work environments. ⸻ BOTTOM LINE: H.R. 2312 may just be the legislative opening salvo for the Project 2025 vision—a future where corporations win and workers lose their voice, pay, and protections. Prove you stand with your constituents. Protect our rights. The lack of transparency around this is unacceptable.