Contact: Caroline Rabbitt (202) 224-2353

Washington, D.C.-Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Congressman Bruce Westerman (Arkansas-04) released the following statement after visiting the Honeycomb restaurant in Arkadelphia, Arkansas earlier today:

"The Honeycomb restaurant and organizations like it here in Arkansas and across the country are special places that provide an opportunity for those with developmental disabilities to pursue meaningful work and earn wages. For years, the Honeycomb has been a fixture in the Arkadelphia community and helped countless individuals and their families. It's deeply regrettable that this wonderful place will be forced to close their doors due to burdensome regulations by the federal Department of Labor. In the coming months, we will work together and with our colleagues in the House and Senate to introduce legislation to protect organizations like the Honeycomb restaurant."

Background: In July, the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division published enforcement standards for additional regulations imposed on sub-minimum wage employers covered by section 14c of the Fair Labor and Standards Act. It was recently reported that these changes will force the Honeycomb restaurant in Arkadelphia to close its doors at the end of this year.