Why Non-Defense Discretionary Spending Keeps Getting Cut
May 23, 2013 by Nick Schwellenbach
The biggest difference among the three budget plans that official Washington is currently considering is spending for non-defense discretionary programs, which includes education, infrastructure, food safety, environmental protection and other essential public investments the public says it wants government to continue to make. A chart created by the Congressional Budget Office – shows the differences between President Obama and Senate Democrats’ budget plans versus the House Republican spending blueprint.
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UPDATED: Three Reasons the REINS Act Must Be Stopped (Again)
May 22, 2013 by Katie Greenhaw
If passed, the REINS Act would require congressional approval of all major rules, potentially endangering the most important safeguards to our health, safety, environment, and economy.
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A Big Job, on a Tiny Budget
Apr 29, 2013 by Randy Rabinowitz
The biggest problem illustrated by the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Tex., is not that OSHA is focusing on the wrong threats, but that its hands are tied and that it does not have the resources or the support to ensure that our nation’s workplaces are safe. The explosion at the West Fertilizer Company illustrates why Congress should act swiftly to strengthen our main workplace safety law so OSHA has the authority and the resources to protect workers.
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We Need Protection from Industrial Hazards in Our Communities
Apr 19, 2013 by Randy Rabinowitz
On Wednesday, a fire at the West Fertilizer Co. in West, TX, caused an explosion so powerful it registered 2.1 on the Richter scale and leveled significant parts of this rural community. As many as 15 people died and around 200 were injured, many gravely. We still do not know what caused the explosion or whether it could have been prevented with better safety practices and regulatory oversight.
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President Obama’s Budget Proposal Assumes Flawed Poultry Inspection Rule Will Be Finalized
Apr 11, 2013 by Katie Greenhaw
Yesterday, the president released the proposed budget for funding the federal government in Fiscal Year (FY) 2014. The budget for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) assumes savings from finalizing a controversial proposed rule to change the way chickens and other poultry are inspected in processing plants.
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Protections for Miners Long Overdue
Apr 5, 2013 by Randy Rabinowitz
Three years ago, 29 miners were killed in the infamous Upper Big Branch mine explosion in West Virginia. Regrettably, there have been few substantial changes to prevent future mining tragedies since then. In fact, eight other miners were killed on the job just this year.
Efforts to better protect miners with new legislation have been repeatedly blocked. Last month, the Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act was introduced for the third time.
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Sunstein’s “Simpler Government” Is Legally Suspect, Overly Secretive And Politically Unaccountable
Apr 4, 2013 by Guest Blogger
By Lisa Heinzerling
Originally posted on Think Progress
In his new book, “Simpler: The Future of Government,” Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein writes about his nearly four years as President Barack Obama’s “regulatory czar.” As the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (known as “OIRA”) within the Office of Management and Budget, Sunstein oversaw the regulatory output of the many agencies of the executive branch. Rules on worker health, environmental protection, food safety, health care, consumer protection, and more all passed through Sunstein’s inbox.
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Long-Term Chemical Hazards Pose Significant Challenges for Workplace Safety Agency
Apr 2, 2013 by Randy Rabinowitz
The New York Times published a front-page story over the weekend focusing on the problems the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) faces in trying to protect workers from latent hazards posed by chemical exposures at work.
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Tragic Grain Silo Deaths Highlight Need for Stronger Workplace Safety Enforcement
Mar 28, 2013 by Randy Rabinowitz
For anybody concerned about worker safety, recent stories by NPR, the Center for Public Integrity, PBS Newshour, and the Kansas City Star are must-reads. These news reports highlight the recent, tragic deaths of two teenagers who were suffocated in grain storage bins while "walking" the grain (breaking it up so it could flow more easily out of the silos).
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Stronger Standards for Hazardous Chemicals Benefit the Public and Spur Innovation
Feb 21, 2013 by Katie Greenhaw
Stronger standards for hazardous chemicals not only protect human health and the environment, but can also spur innovation and benefit the economy. A recent report, Driving Innovation: How stronger laws help bring safer chemicals to market, examined the impact of laws governing hazardous chemicals and found that the prospect of stricter laws on toxic chemicals sparked the invention, development, and adoption of alternatives. The demand for these alternatives is growing globally.
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