Senate denies funding for ergonomic rules

On June 22, by a vote of 57 to 41, the Senate passed an amendment to the Labor/HHS/ Education appropriations bill (HR 4577) that would block ergonomic regulations. The amendment would prevent the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from enforcing its proposed ergonomic standardsregulations requiring workplace equipment to be proven not to cause harm to joints and muscles from repeated use.

Amendment opponents threatened to filibuster the amendment to prevent a vote on it, but the measure's proponents eventually prevailed.

Sen. Don Nickles (R.-Okla.) said, "We think the administration is going too far in the proposed regulations, which they planned on having effective in December-these regulations the Clinton Administration is trying to run through without significant hearings and without oversight and real analysis of how much it would cost:' OSHA has claimed the standards would cost $4 billion, while the federal Small Business Administration; said Nickles, prices the cost of the standard at $60 billion.

Liberal Sen. Paul-Wellstone (D: Minn.) said, "Frankly, 1 think this is nothing more than an effort to make sure there is no rule issued at all. Because you know what, we are not arguing about even what kind of rule. That is the irony of this debate. I hope it will not become a bitter irony We are arguing over whether OSHA should be allowed to issue any rule. Some of my colleagues are so comfortable with the status quo:'

Welistone added, "OSHA's proposed ergonomics rule would prevent about 300,000 injuries each year and save about $9 billion in worker compensation and related costs. l don't know, maybe you can come out with a figure of a little less or a little more, but that is significant"

A "yes" vote was a vote to prevent the implementation of ergonomic standards by OSHA. A"no" Wrote was a vote against the amendment and was, in effect, a vote in favor of allowing OSHA to implement ergonomic standards.

FOR THE AMENDMENT: 57

REPUBLICANS FOR (54): Abraham, Allard, Ashcroft, Bennett, Bond, Brownback, Gunning, Bums, Campbell, Chafee, Cochran, Collins, Coverdell, Craig, Crapo, DeWine, Domenic's, Enzi, Fitzgerald, Frist, Gorton, Gramm (Tex.), Grams (Minn.), Grassley, Gregg, Hagel, Hatch, Helms, Hutchinson (Ark.), Hutchison (Tex.), Inhofe, Jeffords, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Mac, McCain, McConnell, Murkowski, Nickles, Roberts, Roth, Santorum, Sessions, Shelby, Smith (N.H.), Smith (Ore.), Snowe, Stevens, Thomas, Thompson, Thurmond, Voinovich and Warner.

DEMOCRATS FOR (3): Breaux, Hollings and Lincoln.

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT: 41

REPUBLICANS AGAINST (1): Specter.

DEMOCRATS AGAINST (40): Akaka, Baucus, Bayh, Biden, Bingaman, Bryan, Byrd, Cleland, Conrad, Daschle, Dodd, Dorgan, Durbin, Edwards, Feingold, Feinstein, Graham (Fla.), Harkin, Johnson, Kennedy, Kerrey (Neb.), Kerry (Mass.), Kohl, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Leahy, Levin, Lieberman, Mikulski, Moynihan, Murray, Reed (R.I.), Reid (Nev.), Robb, Rockefeller, Sarbanes, Schumer, Torricelli, Wellstone and Wyden.

NOT VOTING (2): Boxer and Inouye.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Sep 1, 2000
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