'You Don't Know Whether Or Not You Responded?': Yassamin Ansari Grills Sec. Chavez-DeRemer On Letter

Forbes Breaking News

During a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on Thursday, Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) spoke about a letter that was sent to Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer on heat, illness, and injury rules.

Transcript

00:00I recognize the gentlelady from Arizona, Ms. Ansari, for her five minutes of questioning.

00:04Thank you for being here, Secretary Chavez de Remer.

00:07For the past 55 years, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA,

00:13that we've talked about quite a few times today,

00:15has worked to assure safe and healthy working conditions by setting and enforcing standards

00:20and providing training, outreach, education, and assistance.

00:24Every day, blue-collar, hard-working Americans,

00:27whether they are building our homes, fixing our streets, picking up our food, delivering our packages,

00:32they rely on OSHA to make sure they have protections and safety from injury or death in the workplace.

00:40OSHA also protects employees from retaliation when they raise safety concerns.

00:45I'm wondering, Secretary, if you will commit to protecting workers from employer retaliation

00:50when they raise safety concerns, especially in frontline and immigrant-heavy industries.

00:57It is a core mission of the Department of Labor to, first and foremost, protect the American worker

01:01and make sure they're safe, and that includes any whistleblower complaints,

01:06and we will fully enforce the law and work with the agency heads to do so,

01:11and I will commit to working with your office.

01:13Secretary Chavez de Remer, do you support calls to abolish OSHA,

01:17like those from my fellow Arizonan, Congressman Andy Biggs?

01:20I don't know any, I can't reference what the congressman talked about.

01:25I don't know of that comment.

01:27OSHA is fundamentally instrumental to the Department of Labor to protect the American worker.

01:31Okay.

01:32And President Trump's nominee for OSHA director is David Keeling.

01:36While he was the top safety official at UPS, he was the top reason for injuries,

01:42resulting in 20% of incidents, and President Trump's own administration cited UPS

01:47and sought the maximum penalty.

01:49If confirmed, Mr. Keeling would be in charge of carrying out OSHA's heat safety efforts.

01:56And given his history, do you believe Mr. Keeling is qualified to take on this role?

02:01Mr. Keeling was appointed by, nominated by the President.

02:05As he moves his way through the confirmation process, I'll look to the Senate on advice and consent

02:09that he will come to the Department of Labor, if so confirm it, and work with him.

02:12And I look forward to working with my colleague in the Department of Labor

02:17to assist in all of the safety factors that are important to the Department of Labor.

02:24And I will always fully enforce the law and work with my colleagues to do the same.

02:27And I know last year you yourself said, and I quote,

02:30as we face hotter summers and more frequent extreme heat events,

02:33our communities need to be able to rely on prompt federal assistance

02:37to reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses and deaths.

02:40Do you still agree with that statement?

02:41Well, I certainly never want an American worker to be unsafe or hurt.

02:46Outside of, again, we're talking about this heat rule, I cannot speculate.

02:51It's not about the rule, though. Do you stand by your statement?

02:54Well, I certainly want to protect all American workers.

02:56That is important to the Department of Labor and as a secretary.

02:59And especially from heat-related.

03:01And is it true that the chairman of this committee sent a letter to you earlier this year

03:06to rescind those heat illness and injury rules?

03:08I received several letters from the chairman, as well as other congressmen.

03:15I don't know specific to that statement.

03:17I'd have to go back and look at what the letter specifically said.

03:20So you don't know whether or not you responded to that letter?

03:22I'm sure I have responded, but I couldn't say right now.

03:26And I'd love to get back with your office to make sure that I'm being correct in what I'm giving you.

03:30To me, this is incredibly important.

03:32Just like my colleague from Texas, I represent Phoenix, Arizona.

03:37This is an issue that is literally a matter of life or death in Phoenix.

03:41Last summer, 608 people, at least, that we can confirm in Maricopa County died as a result of extreme heat.

03:50This year, we already had our first heat-related death, with more than 63 that are under investigation.

03:56When I was on the Phoenix City Council, I also have a background in local government,

04:00we led a process and passed a bipartisan heat safety rule, worker protection rule, for workers.

04:07It was broadly and widely supported, both by labor unions, especially the construction industry,

04:14and those who work at our airports, as well as the business community.

04:17And this is also why yesterday I introduced three bills related to extreme heat.

04:21I really, really hope that the rule that is being worked on will be ambitious

04:28and will really consider extreme heat and worker protections.

04:31I think it's absolutely shameful to advocate against heat safety measures in the workplace,

04:35like some people on this committee had.

04:37And I also have sent you a letter earlier this spring.

04:40Mine was requesting on an update, an updated timeline for finalizing the heat rules and encouraging you to do so.

04:46So, really, I really implore this, because in states like Arizona,

04:51the legislature is constantly attacking workers.

04:54We're a right-to-work state.

04:55There is not enough protections, and people are dying and will continue to die if we don't have ambitious federal standards.

05:04So, thank you.

05:04Well, thank you.

05:05I appreciate it, and I know we haven't met, so I look forward to working with your office as well.

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