Will Workplace Safety Become a Casualty of the Debt Deal?

[marmar]

from In These Times:



Will Workplace Safety Become a Casualty of the Debt Deal?

Thursday
Aug 4, 2011
5:00 pm

By Mike Elk


WASHINGTON D.C.—This week, Congress passed a debt-ceiling deal that is expected to reduce the deficit by at least $2.1 trillion over the next 10 years. The debt deal sets up a “supercommitee,” which will identify $1.5 trillion in additional cuts by Thanksgiving. Congress will then vote on the recommendations in an "up or down" vote—no amendments allowed.

The committee will be comprised of six Democrats and six Republicans from both chambers of Congress. It's unclear who is going to be on the committee, but Justin Feldman, health and safety advocate for Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division, is sure who shouldn't get the nod: Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla), who was part of the bipartisan "Gang of Six" that tried to forge a compromise on the budget ceiling last month.

Coburn has signled out cutting the Occupational Health and Safety Agency’s budget as a key priorities of his. Back in July, Coburn published a deficit reduction plan called “Back in Black,” which called for $72.6 million in cuts to the federal agency, which is part of the Labor Department. The report calls for eliminating OSHA community workforce training programs, cutting back on worksite inspections by OSHA inspectors, and focusing resources on voluntary safety programs.

"We fear OSHA cuts may come out of the supercommittee. Sen. Coburn’s proposal would weaken OSHA and put workers’ lives in danger,” Feldman says. “The report bends facts to conform to an anti-regulatory bent.” .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/11800/public_safety_advocate_fears_osha_cuts_as_part_of_debt_deal/

[RKP5637]

1. They've been bitching about OSHA for years. Now that it's even more vogue to

not give a F about workers, I'm sure this will be seen as a golden opportunity to severely curtail OSHA if they can.

[Lorien]

2. Does the question really need to be asked? nt