Congress

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) has voted on party lines to advance President Trump’s nomination of Keith Sonderling to serve as Labor Secretary, clearing the way for a floor vote amid concerns from Democrats over Trump administration cuts to the OSHA budget and workforce.

The House Education and Workforce Committee has approved on party lines legislation to bar OSHA from finalizing the controversial Biden-era heat standard proposal, rejecting Democrats’ efforts to substitute legislation that would require OSHA to promulgate a heat standard similar to the proposed rule.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is urging its members to lobby lawmakers to back legislation that would bar OSHA from finalizing the Biden-era proposal for a national heat standard, saying the proposed rule would undo much of the relief for small businesses the Trump administration has put in place.

Public Citizen is urging the Senate Appropriations Committee to provide stable funding for OSHA in fiscal year 2027 and push back on proposed House cuts to the agency’s budget that go beyond those requested by the Trump administration.

The House Appropriations Committee is making cuts to OSHA’s fiscal year 2027 budget that go beyond President Trump’s requested reductions to the agency, removing an additional $5.48 million on top of the $46.9 million reductions the White House requested from FY26-enacted levels.

The Labor Department (DOL) is agreeing to increase its data collection from recipients of the Black Lung Benefits Program to better track whether mine operators are providing the same level of medical coverage as the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, following a Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation.

One of the greatest emerging worker safety issues is the Trump administration’s continued efforts to slash funding for OSHA and other worker safety agencies, which if successful would hamper efforts to prevent illness, injuries and deaths, Biden-era OSHA chief Douglas Parker told a House panel May 13.

Republican senators have introduced legislation to bar OSHA from finalizing the Biden-era proposal for a national heat standard following a letter to OSHA last month urging the agency to instead focus on “pragmatic solutions for preventing heat-related hazards in the workplaces.”

A Democratic House lawmaker from Illinois is urging EPA to halt its plan to extend compliance deadlines for workplace exposure requirements for two solvents, arguing the agency’s proposal to extend these deadlines contained in Biden-era TSCA risk management rules will weak protections for workers.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is asking Congress for $348.2 million in fiscal year 2027, a $37.6 million cut from FY26 enacted levels of $378.8 million, while emphasizing increased investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and other actions to make the agency more efficient.