Committee on Education and the Workforce

Labor Issues

Cash Balance Plans

Worker Rights

Unemployment

Minimum Wage

Other Labor Issues

Democratic Views

E-Newsletter
Sign-Up

Safety and Health at Work

House Democrats also believe every worker in the U.S. should be able to earn a living free of discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation or national origin.

House Democrats believe a safe workplace is a basic necessity for hard-working Americans. Unfortunately, House Republicans and the Bush administration seem to disagree. Nothing illustrates the devastating effect weakened workforce protections can have like the deaths of the Sago and Aracoma Alma miners in early 2006. From 2001-2005, the Bush administration delayed, weakened or withdrew at least 18 mine safety regulations, and placed former mining executives in charge of the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

President's Budget Undermines Worker Safety

President Bush's 2007 budget proposal provides no funds for increased enforcement or safety inspectors at the country's 1,400 mines, despite recent mining deaths. It also cuts $250 million from the country's premier worker safety research agency. (more)

CRISIS: Mine Safety

American mine workers face increasingly dangerous workplace conditions, due to lax Bush administration oversight and inaction by the Republican-controlled Congress. Read more about GOP inaction and Democratic efforts to help these workers and their families.

Democrats Sponsor Worker Safety Bills

In response to the mining tragedies in early 2006, Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) sponsored the Federal Mine Safety & Health Act of 2006. (more)

In 2005, Rep. Major Owens (D-NY) sponsored the Workplace Wrongful Death Accountability Act. (more)