Political Quotes

“I rise to oppose this bill which would give a pass to employers who do not meet workplace safety conditions. We could have taken this opportunity to help hardworking Americans feel a little safer in the workplace, or we could have made today's priority giving some relief to middle-class families who are struggling to keep up with record-breaking gas prices, tuition increases, and health care costs. Instead, this administration has once again chosen in favor of the corporate sector and the special interests. Their reward in this bill comes at the expense of hardworking employees who depend on OSHA to keep an eye on their working conditions. But when former executives win appointments to regulate the same industries in which they used to work, sound science and smart public policy usually tack a back seat to political favoritism and ideology. This bill creates a new loophole around the 15-day deadline for contesting OSHA citations. It is yet one more corporate handout that could have been better spent on job training, reversing the tide of outsourcing, or raising the minimum wage. {time} 1445 Meanwhile, hard-working Americans are increasingly faced with workplace conditions in which critically important safeguards are watered down, emerging problems are ignored, and enforcement is scaled back.…”