Virginia Foxx: “As we have discussed today, workplace violence is a very real and persistent issue for healthcare and social service…”

“As we have discussed today, workplace violence is a very real and persistent issue for healthcare and social service workers. The Democrat title of H.R. 1195, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, presupposes that the rushed, overly prescriptive, and complex Federal regulation required by this bill will somehow prevent workplace violence. However, a true solution to violence in the workplace will not be in the form of a Federal regulation. Rather, a broader, bipartisan approach is needed to address the root causes of this serious and complicated issue. According to the American Hospital Association, increases in assaults in healthcare facilities are being driven, in part, by growing numbers of behavioral healthcare patients being treated in emergency departments and other acute-care settings. The opioid and drug abuse epidemic is another major contributing factor to workplace violence, as healthcare workers are often tasked with treating patients that may be under the influence of potent drugs or experiencing their painful side effects. Unfortunately, H.R. 1195 does nothing to address these realities.…”