Of course DL won't put you on a connection at below MCT. That is because DL sets the MCT. MCT is simply a carrier's willingness to accept the risk of a misconnect and it is a certainty that no front line agent or anyone you can reach has the authority to change that.
The government fine issue is like EC 261/2004 which does not provide fines, but would provide hefty cash compensation to you if you are delayed for significant amounts of time for most reasons.