White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre avoided addressing whether President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris support Donald Trump’s proposal to eliminate federal income taxes on overtime pay, despite their past support for ending taxes on tips — a policy Trump also introduced.
When asked by Fox Business journalist Edward Lawrence during her regular briefing, Jean-Pierre sidestepped the question, stating, “The question that you’re asking me — supporting overtime pay, this is something, a proposal in the 2024 election so I’m going to be really, really mindful.”
Trump has also introduced other populist proposals, such as eliminating income taxes on Social Security benefits and offering free IVF fertility treatments, which neither Harris nor Biden has endorsed. These ideas have stirred concerns among some fiscal conservatives, but Trump argues they would enhance U.S. productivity and revenue, while encouraging childbearing, which he sees as vital for society.
Jean-Pierre, however, criticized the Trump administration’s 2019 rule reducing overtime eligibility, saying, “They eliminated overtime protections for millions of workers. The Biden-Harris administration restored overtime protection to 1 million workers and next year we will extend protections to another 3 million workers.”
Currently, most states have their own overtime mandates, with many requiring companies to pay 1.5 times the normal hourly wage after 40 hours of work per week. Some states, like California, even offer double-time in specific situations.
