Political Quotes

“I again want to clarify for the record that Congress in the past has required interim standards in situations where there have been real acute problems in America's workforce. We did it for workers who were working in hazardous waste and hazardous disposal sites, and we did it for workers who were exposed to lead. So, again, there is precedent for this. This is not having an interim standard where there is an urgent need to have some action for just a program standard for workers out there. We have done it in the past. And I think we have certainly heard enough from the other side that they acknowledge the severity of the problem and the incredible people that would benefit from having a standard out there that we should apply the interim rule in this case, which would take place a year from enactment and then the final standard 3\1/2\ years from enactment. I want to be clear. When we drafted the bill, we put in language that requires a notice and comment section for both the interim standard and the final standard. Nobody is being foreclosed in terms of having an opportunity to weigh in. Since 1996, OSHA has had voluntary recommendations and guidelines for workplace safety in healthcare settings. This thing has been knocking around for 25 years, and that is no secret here. We are not starting from a blank sheet of paper.…”