The Republican-run Senate Appropriations Committee approved a provision Wednesday that effectively blocks President Bush's proposed overtime rules. The vote comes less than a week after the House voted 223-193 to prevent the Labor Department from implementing out the rules, as reported last Thursday on JURIST's Paper Chase. The new rules have come under criticism on grounds that 6 million workers could be hurt by removing their overtime pay.

Proponents of the overtime provisions, part of the $145.9 billion spending bill financing labor, health and education programs, argue that the rules clarify who is entitled to overtime, thus reducing expensive and needless lawsuits. The language of the additional provision approved by Committee today and offered by Senator Tom Harkin, includes the additional overtime recipients as the original bill while allowing those currently entitled overtime pay to keep it. AP has the full story. For more on the proposed overtime regulations on JURIST's Paper Chase, click here.