The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the sole national association representing all segments of the 1.8 million-employee lodging industry, issued the following statement in advance of today's markup of The Save American Workers Act (H.R. 2575) by the House Ways and Means Committee:

"One of the lodging industry's top priorities is ensuring changes are made to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to make it more workable for hoteliers and their employees," said Katherine Lugar, AH&LA president/CEO. "Among these, the lodging industry is seeking a much-needed change in the ACA's current definition of a full-time employee as one who works 30 hours per week. In its current form, the definition results in workforce disruptions and prevents employees from maintaining flexible work schedules, ultimately impacting the bottom line of hotels and their ability to serve their guests. The Save American Workers Act, introduced by Congressman Todd Young and under consideration later this morning by the House Ways and Means Committee, changes the definition of full-time to 40 hours and is an important first step in correcting this flaw in the ACA. It provides much-needed stability for hotels, inns, and resorts, and allows this industry to continue as a driver of economic growth. We thank Congressman Young for introducing this bill and urge passage by the Ways and Means Committee."