Sheila Jackson Lee: “I stand with the workers. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 83, a resolution ``Disapproving…”

“I stand with the workers. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 83, a resolution ``Disapproving Department of Labor Rule Relating to Clarification of Employer's Continuing Obligation to Make And Maintain an Accurate Record of Each Recordable Injury And Illness.'' I oppose this bill because it will harm workers who depend on the Occupation Health and Safety Administration to ensure that their workplaces are safe. H.J. Res. 83 will undermine workplace health and safety and make it impossible for OSHA to ensure that injury and illness records are complete and accurate. Accurate records are needed to ensure OSHA focuses its limited resources on the nation's most dangerous workplaces, instead of wasting time in workplaces with low risk. The Department of Labor rule at issue here does not create any new obligations. OSHA has enforced injury recordkeeping requirements by reviewing the last five years of an employer's records throughout its entire history, under every administration. In 2012, a court decision limited enforcement of OSHA's injury recordkeeping regulations to a six month period--a dramatic departure from the last OSHA's 40 year policy and practice. The 2016 rule simply allows OSHA to continue this practice. Mr. Speaker, complete and accurate information on work-related injuries and illnesses is important.…”