Tom Harkin: “I rise to express my strong support for the Robert C. Byrd Mine and Workplace Safety Act. This bill establishes vital…”

“I rise to express my strong support for the Robert C. Byrd Mine and Workplace Safety Act. This bill establishes vital new workplace safety measures and it deserves consideration here on the Senate floor. In 2009, there were 4,340 workplace fatalities. In my home State of Iowa, 78 people were killed on the job. This year, we have already witnessed the horrific mine catastrophe that killed 29 people in West Virginia, the fire at the Tesoro oil refinery in Washington State that killed 7 workers, and the BP Deepwater Horizon platform explosion that killed 11 people and was an environmental catastrophe for the Gulf of Mexico. As the son of a coal miner, I feel these losses very deeply, on a very personal level. My heart goes out to the family and coworkers of every worker who is killed or injured on the job. Too many of these tragedies are preventable, and we should not rest until the day that no hardworking American has to sacrifice his or her life for a paycheck. History teaches us that stronger laws protecting worker safety make a big difference, but our current laws are not doing the job. That is why I strongly support the Robert C. Byrd Mine and Workplace Safety Act, which would make long overdue improvements to our workplace safety laws and save the lives of many thousands of hardworking Americans.”