Charles Norwood: “Mr. Speaker, so we do not get confused, this hour is devoted to H.R. 2728, not all four bills, The Occupational Safety…”

“Mr. Speaker, so we do not get confused, this hour is devoted to H.R. 2728, not all four bills, The Occupational Safety and Health Small Business Day in Court. My good friend from California (Mr. George Miller) speaks as a gentleman who really truly never has been in small business and it is pretty clear to me does not have any small businesses in his district because this is very important; and, in fact, nobody must be unemployed there because that is what this is all about. Small employers ought to be devoting more of their time and attention, in my opinion, to creating the new jobs our Nation needs and much less time on dealing with government lawyers that are intent on manipulating legal technicalities. That is precisely and that is all what H.R. 2728 does. That is what we are trying to accomplish here. Nothing more, nothing less. It is not complex. It is an 11-word bill. The measure adds only 11 words, Mr. Speaker, to the OSHA act, but those 11 words will add fairness. And I know this body is interested in fairness and in removing potential injustice which has happened before because these 11 words are not in the OSHA act. Here is why. In almost every other court of this Nation, in almost every other court of this Nation a party that acts in good faith but nonetheless misses a deadline that results in a legal default can ask the court to have the case heard on the legal merits. Why not OSHA? That is a good idea.”