Bush Forces Cuts in Workplace Safety and Health Budgets

by James Parks, Dec 21, 2007

After a handful of Republicans held up renewal of badly needed trade adjustment assistance for workers who lost their jobs to trade, the Bush administration has forced cuts in the workplace health and safety budget as well.

Peg Seminario, the AFL-CIO’s safety and health director, notes that in the recently passed omnibus budget bill, Congress cut the budget of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Overall funding for fiscal 2008 is $486 million, about $1 million less than last year. Even though the budget was cut, funding for federal enforcement was increased.

President Bush vetoed an earlier budget appropriation that included a modest increase for OSHA. 

In light of the increased number of mine accidents, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) did better in the budget sweepstakes, receiving a major increase in funding for the coal mine enforcement program. In 2008, MSHA will receive $333.9 million. Funding for coal enforcement will be $154.7 million, up from $120.4 million in 2007.

Here’s how other safety and health related agencies fared:

• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will receive $382 million. This includes $108 million for the World Trade Center Health Program and $50 million for mine safety research.
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics also took some major hits. Its overall budget was reduced to $544.3 million, compared to $548.1 million in 2007. The compensation and working conditions program, which reports safety and health statistics received a very small increase that experts say is insufficient to cover the cost of current programs.

Although new workplace hazards have emerged in the 36 years since the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) became law, the Bush administration has systematically reduced the resources available to OSHA to meet its responsibilities.  

Seminario says health and safety standards are out of date or nonexistent for many workplace hazards. Millions of workers still are not covered by the OSH Act, and lack even the most basic safety and health protections.

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